description
stringlengths 2.98k
3.35M
| abstract
stringlengths 94
10.6k
| cpc
int64 0
8
|
|---|---|---|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on a method and fuel injection system for operating an internal combustion engine. Such a method is realized in known fuel injection systems in which the fuel to be injected is available in a high-pressure fuel reservoir. Then however the danger is that because the fuel is constantly available at high pressure, if the fuel injection valve or its electrical triggering fails, then the fuel injection valve following fuel injection will remain in the open position, so that fuel will continue to be introduced constantly at high pressure into the applicable combustion chamber of the engine. In the ensuing compression stroke, this quantity of fuel may ignite abruptly together with the reintroduced fresh air. This leads to considerable heat production, associated with an extreme increase in pressure, one that is not contemplated for normal engine operation and thus can lead to the destruction of the engine.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the method of the invention as defined hereinafter and the fuel injection system for performing this method as set forth, it is attained that in the event of defective performance of a fuel injection valve, the fuel injection quantity introduced immediately subsequent to the intended fuel injection phase continues to burn, and this combustion of fuel is maintained with the existing oxygen, particularly the fresh air introduced during the intake phase into the combustion chamber of the engine, so that the oxygen present in the aspirated air is largely consumed by this precombustion, and at the end of the ensuing compression stroke only little heat from combustion can be delivered. Thus, no destructive pressure rise occurs at the instant of any suddenly commencing combustion. With the method and the fuel injection system of the invention, a conversion of the introduced fuel already occurs during the intake stroke, at least to such an extent that the introduced oxygen is consumed in this period of time, and further heat development toward the end of the compression stroke no longer occurs or at least can no longer have a destructive effect on the engine. Advantageously, any erroneous combustion proceeding in this way is detected from the drive work developed by the engine, and the engine is then stopped. To that end, it is possible to interrupt the fuel delivery to all the fuel injection valves, or in conjunction with exhaust gas recirculation and an air choke device that are provided in the engine, to stop the engine by excess exhaust gas recirculation. To perform the method, a constantly hot spot is provided, especially within range of the injection streams of the fuel injection valve. Advantageously, the electric control unit is connected to a monitoring arrangement, which trips a device for stopping the engine if combustion is erroneous. In accordance with the invention, a device for interrupting fuel delivery to all of the fuel injection points is advantageously activated. The engine can also advantageously be stopped in accordance with an existing exhaust gas recirculation device and an air choke device, by closure of the latter end opening of an exhaust gas recirculation valve in an exhaust gas recirculation line. The engine then rapidly comes to a stop for lack of oxygen. Advantageously, to achieve a flame that continues to burn, the exhaust gas recirculation line is also designed in such a way, that very hot exhaust gases are still delivered to the combustion chamber, and flame developments in the recirculated exhaust gas continue to keep the combustion process going as a consequence of the excessive fuel quantity being combusted. Moreover, a constantly hot spot may be embodied by a structural part, insulated from the cooled walls of the engine, which is located within range of the fuel injection streams of the fuel injection valve. Because of the high heat production during normal operation, such a structural part is given a very high surface temperature, because heat dissipation is prevented, cooling of this structural part is not possible, or at least is considerably restricted, because of its insulated arrangement. If fuel injection continues to occur, the ignition of the introduced fuel can be kept going at this structural part as well. Such a structural part may be provided in the form of a single glow body or as an insulated piston bottom part, which is reached directly by the fuel injection streams at least toward top dead center. As the constantly hot spot, a constantly heated glow plug can be used, which similarly to an ideally mounted glow body or insulated structural part keeps the combustion of introduced fuel going. Finally, such a hot spot can also be embodied by a spark plug, which particularly in the region of bottom dead center of the engine piston initiates ignition of the erroneously introduced fuel.
The invention will be better understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the ensuing detailed description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a fuel injection system in which the method according to the invention is realized; and
FIG. 2 shows various versions of a constantly hot spot, in terms of a section through the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, shown in symbolic form.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a fuel injection system with an internal combustion engine 1, to which combustion air is delivered via an intake system 2 and whose exhaust gases are carried away via an exhaust gas collection system 3. In this engine, exhaust gas recirculation is also realized in the form of an exhaust gas recirculation line 5, which as close as possible to the outlet of the exhaust gases from the engine combustion chamber leads from the exhaust gas collection system to the intake system 2, and in which an exhaust gas recirculation valve 6 is disposed. The exhaust gas recirculation line discharges downstream of an air choke device 8 into the intake system. The air choke device and the exhaust gas recirculation valve are both shown in the form of throttle valves in the drawing but may also be realized in other ways. The actuation of the exhaust gas recirculation valve and the air choke device is done under electromechanical control by an adjusting device 7, in a manner known per se. This control device is itself controlled in turn by an electric control unit 10, which detects engine operating parameters and which receives the position of the exhaust gas recirculation valve from a first sensor 12 and the position of the air choke device from a second sensor 14, as control signals. The supply of fuel to the engine is effected via fuel injection valves 15, which are likewise electrically controlled and whose opening and closing is likewise tripped by the electric control unit 10. The fuel injection valves are associated here with engine combustion chambers, not shown in further detail, and are supplied with fuel at injection pressure from a high-pressure fuel reservoir 17. Upon opening of the fuel injection valves, tripped by the control unit 10, an injection is thus effected at the fixed time, via a contemplated time period in accordance with an intended fuel injection quantity.
The high-pressure fuel reservoir 17 is supplied with fuel by a high-pressure pump 18, to which a prefeed pump 19 supplies fuel in a metered fashion from a fuel supply tank 20, so that precisely the required quantity of high-pressure fuel that is also required for injection is delivered to the high-pressure fuel reservoir. Likewise, once again by the electric control unit 10, a quantity control device 21 is controlled at the inlet to the prefeed pump or to the high-pressure pump. As feedback, the electric control unit 10 receives information from a pressure sensor 22 on the magnitude of the fuel pressure prevailing in the high-pressure fuel reservoir. In accordance with the deviation from a set-point value, the high-pressure fuel quantity of the high-pressure pump 18 is then varied.
This control of the fuel quantity pumped into the high-pressure fuel reservoir is unable to prevent an excess of fuel injected through a fuel injection valve in the event of damage, since only the reservoir pressure but not the quantity withdrawn from the reservoir is regulated.
In FIG. 2, an individual combustion chamber 24 of the engine is schematically shown. This combustion chamber is enclosed by a piston 25 of the engine in a cylinder 26, into which air is aspirated via an intake conduit 27, controlled by a gas exchange valve 28 in the intake stroke of the engine, in accordance with the piston 25 moved downward, in terms of the drawing, toward bottom dead center. In the known four-stroke process, following this intake stroke a compression stroke is performed, with a piston moving upward to top dead center, and the combustion air now trapped in the combustion chamber 24 is highly compressed in this stroke, so that fuel then subsequently injected, directly for example, into the combustion chamber through the fuel injection valve 15 is immediately ignited there in the heated air. This ignition of the fuel increases the volume, equivalent to a pressure rise, as a consequence of which the piston 25 is moved downward in the ensuing expansion stroke and executes a work stroke. In the ensuing upward-returning stroke, or expulsion stroke, the combusted ingredients are fed into the exhaust gas collection system, via a gas exchange valve not shown here.
In addition to the known embodiment, alternatively a glow body 30, a glow plug 31, an insulated bottom 32 of the piston 25, or an additional spark plug 33 are now provided.
In these three embodiments, each of which can be realized on its own or in combination with one or the other of them, a common feature is that they all create a hot spot in the combustion chamber. For instance, the glow body 30 is fixed in the combustion chamber 24 or on the combustion chamber wall by means of a suitable insulation 34. This prevents the heat absorbed by the glow body from being capable of dissipated immediately to the cooled walls of the engine. Instead, the glow body is heated very severely and brought to a temperature at which arriving fuel can ignite. To that end, the glow body is introduced into the range of the fuel injection streams 36. If injection should continue after the intended end of injection, because of some defect of the fuel injection valve, and of course in that case there is enough fuel available at high pressure from the high-pressure fuel reservoir, then this fuel meets the glow body 30 and is consequently ignited. In this way, a burnoff of introduced fuel can be maintained into the expansion stroke and on into the intake stroke, as long as enough oxygen is available in the combustion chamber 24. Thus the introduced fuel continuously burns off and in this way reduces the oxygen content in the combustion chamber, in such a way that toward the end of the compression stroke no sudden ignition with an attendant high pressure rise can occur. Instead, given a suitable design of the structural parts, the oxygen content in the combustion chamber has by now dropped enough that following the compression stroke, no expansion stroke with significant work produced is attainable. Because the oxygen has been reduced, the combustion in the combustion chamber is throttled or prevented. The constantly hot glow body moreover does not hinder the mode of operation during normal engine operation. Since the onset of ignition depends in principle on the instant of injection of the fuel into the combustion chamber 24, it does not matter at that time whether the ignition of the fuel is effected at the heated air or at the glow body. In the event of failure, however, the glow body performs a very essential function as described above.
Instead of the glow body, a glow plug 31 may also be provided, which however can then be heated in addition, if necessary. This heating can also be controlled by a thermostat. The pin of the glow plug 31 is then likewise located within the range of the fuel injection streams of the fuel injection valve 15, and the mode of operation in this connection is the same as with the glow body 30. The electrically heatable glow plug, however, has the advantage here that at a low temperature level in the combustion chamber, especially in the starting phase, the necessary temperature of ignition can in principle be furnished.
As an alternative to the glow body 30 or the glow plug 31 or in addition to them, a thermally insulated bottom part 32 of the piston 25 of the engine may be provided as the constantly hot spot. By spacing the bottom part 32 away from the rest of the piston, the outflow of heat to the cooled side of the piston is also reduced here, leading to a large piston service area at which arriving fuel particles can ignite.
Finally, it is also possible to mount a spark plug 33, which at bottom dead center, as soon as it has communication with the combustion chamber, once the spark plug has been uncovered by the piston 25, is subjected to voltage and furnishes an igniting spark as the constantly hot spot.
By means of the electric control unit, the rpm and/or rpm fluctuations of the engine are detected and/or a detection signal is derived from other parameters and provides information on proper operation of the engine. If the evaluation device in the electric control unit 10 ascertains that normal combustion is impeded, then the electric control unit outputs a signal to stop the engine. To that end, on the one hand an interruption in fuel delivery to all the fuel injection valves can be tripped in such a way that these electrically controlled valves are stopped in a position that keeps the fuel injection valve in a closed state. In addition, the high-pressure pumping of the high-pressure fuel pump 18 can be correspondingly reduced or turned off. Another option for stopping the engine, if as shown here it is operated with exhaust gas recirculation, is for the electric control unit to close the air choke device 8 via the adjusting device 7 and to open the exhaust gas recirculation valve 6 all the way. This stops the engine for lack of oxygen. If the exhaust gas recirculation line branches off from the exhaust gas collection system very near the outlet of exhaust gases from the engine combustion chambers, and if it leads over a very short distance back to the intake system 2, then delayed combustion, in particular as a consequence of the above-described operation of recombustion of erroneously injected fuel, are extended even into the intake stroke of the engine, so that because of the delivered flame fronts or the remaining, severely heated oxygen, the continuous combustion of the incorrectly introduced fuel is provided.
With the method described and the fuel injection system for performing the method, a very reliable provision is gained for avoiding overheating and engine damage in the event that the injection quantity control fails, and for creating criteria on the basis of which an overall safe and reliable shutoff of the engine takes place.
The foregoing relates to preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, the latter being defined by the appended claims.
|
A method and apparatus for operating an internal combustion engine in which in the event of erroneous fuel injection, combustion is maintained following the expansion stroke via a constantly hot spot in the combustion chamber, in such a way that erroneously introduced fuel is combusted, by reducing the oxygen content in the combustion chamber, such that no later than by the end of the compression stroke of the engine, a possible conversion of existing fuel and existing oxygen can no longer occur to any substantial extent, because of the heating of the contents of the combustion chamber toward the end of the compression stroke, thus preventing this malfunction from destroying the engine.
| 5
|
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a composition and method for administering Noni plant extracts. More particularly, it concerns a Noni plant extract formulation which eliminates unpleasant Noni taste and enhances Noni metabolism and absorption.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Morinda citrifolia , a small evergreen tree commonly referred to as “Indian Mulberry,” is indigenous to various south pacific costal regions and islands, and has been used for centuries in traditional folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments. Today, known best as the “Noni plant,” many people believe that Morinda citrifolia extract is useful in treating diabetes, cancer, ulcers, heart trouble, high blood pressure, kidney and bladder disorders, as well as a myriad of other physical conditions.
[0003] Noni plant extract is most often prepared for oral dosage delivery as a liquid infusion or tincture of the Noni plant fruit. Unfortunately, fresh Noni fruit and liquid preparations thereof generally have a strong disagreeable taste and odor. Additionally, because liquid oral formulations are often bulky, may require refrigeration, and are messy if spilled, they are inconvenient for multiple daily dose regimens. This is especially true for individuals who lead an active lifestyle and may travel throughout the day.
[0004] In order to alleviate the problems associated with liquid oral dosages of Noni plant extract, a variety of powdered forms have become available which may be delivered as an oral dosage tablet or capsule. Such formulations are thought to eliminate the strong disagreeable Noni plant taste and smell. However, it has been found that the Noni taste may still be experienced to an unpleasant degree as a residual taste after oral consumption of tablets or capsules.
[0005] Additionally, metabolism and absorption of orally administered Noni extract by body tissues has been found to be less than optimal. Particularly, as with many other substances, cellular metabolism and absorption of Noni is enhanced in the presence of insulin. Unfortunately, Noni's therapeutically active ingredients are very susceptible to degradation by the digestive forces of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, administration of a Noni dose in close proximity to a nourishment event that is sufficient to significantly raise insulin levels actually reduces Noni dosage efficacy.
[0006] As a result, research and development efforts continue to pursue Noni fruit extract dosage formulations which are easily consumable, portable, and that maximize metabolism and absorption by the body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention provides a Noni extract formulation which includes a caramel or taffy base having an effective amount of a Noni extract dispersed therein. In one aspect, the amount of Noni extract may be from about 1% to about 25% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, he amount of Noni extract may be from about 5% to about 15% w/w of the formulation.
[0008] A wide variety of Noni plant types may be utilized in connection with the present invention or producing an acceptable Noni extract. In one aspect, the source of the Noni extract may be a member of the group consisting of Tahitian Noni plants, Hawaiian Noni plants, Samoan Noni plants, and mixtures thereof. In another aspect, the Noni extract may be obtained from a Samoan Noni plant.
[0009] Numerous active agents in Noni extract have been indicated as causing the positive health benefits imparted. One such agent is polysaccharide. In one aspect, the Noni extract used in the present invention may include a therapeutically effective amount of a polysaccharide. In another aspect, the amount of polysaccharide may be from about 2% to about 5% w/w of the Noni extract. In yet another aspect, the amount of polysaccharide may be about 3% w/w of the Noni extract.
[0010] An additional active agent which is reputed to play a role in imparting positive health benefits is proxeronine and its activating enzyme proxeroninase. In one aspect, the Noni extract used in the present formulation may include a therapeutically effective amount of proxeronine. In another aspect, the amount of proxeronine may be from about 0.1% to about 50% w/w of the Noni extract. In yet another aspect, the amount of proxeronine may be about 5% w/w of the Noni extract.
[0011] The amount of sugar in the caramel or taffy base of the present invention may be an amount sufficient to mask or reduce the objectionable Noni extract taste, and may also be sufficient to rapidly enhance insulin levels. The total sugar in the caramel base may include an effective amount of an invert sugar. In one aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be from about 1% to about 20% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect the amount of invert sugar may be from about 3% to 15% w/w of the formulation.
[0012] A variety of invert sugar types may be utilized with the present invention to provide a heightened sweetening effect. In one aspect, the invert sugar may be a mixture of dextrose (i.e. D-glucose) and fructose. In another aspect, the dextrose and the fructose may each be present in an amount of about 50% w/w of the invert sugar. In yet another aspect, the invert sugar may be provided by rice syrup and include a mixture of glucose and maltose. In a further aspect, the amount of rice syrup may be from about 15% to about 40% w/w of the formulation.
[0013] The present invention additionally provides a Noni extract formulation which includes a caramel or taffy base having an insulin enhancing amount of sugar and invert sugar, and a therapeutically effective amount of a Noni extract, wherein said invert sugar is present in an amount sufficient to reduce a disagreeable taste imparted by the Noni extract, and the formulation has a total dosage size or amount that is insufficient increase upper gastro intestinal tract digestive activity to a level or degree which substantially inactivates one or more active agents, or a substantial portion thereof, in the Noni extract.
[0014] The present invention also encompasses a method for making a Noni extract. In one aspect, a method of making a Noni extract formulation comprising the steps of: a) preparing a caramel or taffy base containing an effective amount of an invert sugar in a conventional manner in a heated liquid caramel phase form; b) partially cooling said heated liquid caramel phase to a temperature at which Noni extract is stable; c) adding a desired amount of Noni extract to said partially cooled liquid caramel phase; d) agitating said partially cooled liquid caramel phase until the Noni extract is substantially uniformly dispersed therein; and e) further cooling said partially cooled liquid caramel phase to a solid thereby resulting in said Noni extract formulation.
[0015] In one aspect, the temperature of said partially cooled liquid caramel phase may be between about 160° F. to about 220° F. at the time said Noni extract is added. In another aspect, the temperature is from about 180° F. to 200° F.
[0016] In one aspect, the amount of Noni extract added may be from about 0.1% to 24% w/w of the Noni formulation. In another aspect, the amount of Noni extract may be from about 9% to 13% w/w of the Noni formulation.
[0017] In one aspect, the invert sugar is provided by an effective amount of rice syrup. Further, the present method may additional include the step of dividing the Noni extract formulation into individual serving size portions.
[0018] Another method included in the present invention is a method of increasing the efficacy of a Noni extract dose. Such a method may include the steps of: a) distributing an amount of Noni extract into a caramel composition containing an insulin enhancing amount of sugar and an invert sugar; and b) orally administering the composition.
[0019] In one aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be from about 1% to about 20% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be about 3% to 15% w/w of the formulation. In a further aspect, the invert sugar includes a mixture of dextrose and fructose. In yet another aspect, the dextrose and the fructose may each be present in an amount of about 50% w/w of the invert sugar. In an additional aspect, the invert sugar may be provided by rice syrup and includes a mixture of glucose and maltose. In yet another aspect, the amount of rice syrup is from about 15% to about 40% w/w of the formulation.
[0020] The method of enhancing the efficacy of a Noni extract dose may additionally include the step of administering the composition at a time when digestive juices in the upper gastrointestinal tract are at a minimum. Additionally, Noni formulation may be administered in a total amount that is insufficient to increase upper gastro intestinal tract digestive action to a level which substantially inactivates one or more active agents, or a substantial portion thereof contained in the Noni extract.
[0021] If addition to the above-recited methods, the present invention includes a method of reducing or eliminating an objectionable taste caused by Noni extract. Such a method may include the steps of: a) distributing the Noni extract into a caramel composition containing a sufficient amount of invert sugar to reduce or eliminate any disagreeable taste caused by the Noni extract.
[0022] In one aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be from about 1% to about 20% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be from about 3% to 15% w/w of the formulation. In a further aspect, the invert sugar may include a mixture of dextrose and fructose. In yet. another aspect, the dextrose and the fructose are each present in an amount of about 50% w/w, of the invert sugar. In an additional aspect, the invert sugar may be provided by rice syrup and includes a mixture of glucose and maltose. In another aspect, the amount of rice syrup is from about 15% to about 40% w/w of the formulation.
[0023] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the accompanying claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Definitions
[0025] Before the present oral delivery Noni formulations are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular process steps and materials disclosed herein, but is extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
[0026] In describing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology will be used.
[0027] The singular forms “a,” and, “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a caramel containing “a Noni component” includes one or more Noni components, reference to “a sugar” includes reference to one or more sugars, and reference to “the flavorant” includes reference to one or more flavorants.
[0028] In describing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set forth below.
[0029] As used herein, “Noni,” “Noni fruit,” “Noni plant,” “Noni agent,” and “Noni extract,” refer to an extract made from the fruit of all strains and hybrids of the plant Morinda citrifolia , or of plants significantly related to it, grown anywhere in the world including blends, mixtures, and combinations of such strains and relatives.
[0030] The terms “formulation” and “composition” may be used interchangeably herein.
[0031] As used herein, a “sugar” refers to any type of simple carbohydrate, such as a mono or disaccharide, or a combination thereof, either naturally obtained, refined from a natural source, or artificially produced, which may act as a suitable sweetener in a caramel composition.
[0032] As used herein, “inactivate” refers to a reduction, or substantial reduction in therapeutic action which would be imparted by an active agent when administered to the body.
[0033] As used herein, “invert sugar” refers to a combination of two or more sugars, either naturally obtained, refined from a natural source, or artificially produced, that produces a greater sweetness than a single type of sugar. By way of example without limitation, an invert sugar may include a mixture of fructose and D-glucose in substantially equal parts. One example of a naturally obtained invert sugar is rice syrup. Rice syrup is generally obtained by culturing rice with certain enzymes to break down starches, straining off the liquid, and cooking the remaining portion until a desired consistency is reached. The resultant product contains a mixture of soluble complex carbohydrates, maltose, and glucose. In such a case, the combination of maltose and glucose act much like the more traditional combination of fructose and D-glucose.
[0034] As used herein, “chew” and “chew base” may be used interchangeably and refer to either a caramel or taffy base.
[0035] As used herein, “caramel,” and “caramel base,” may be used interchangeably, and refer to a smooth, chewy composition made with sugar, butter or other fats, cream or milk or milk solids, and flavoring. Such ingredients may be unaltered natural products, natural products which are processed or refined, or may be fully synthesized products.
[0036] As used herein, “taffy,” or “taffy base” refers to a chew candy or confection which is made with various types of sugars, including but not limited to simple sugars, invert sugars, brown sugars, and molasses, which is boiled until very thick and then pulled until it is glossy and holds its shape.
[0037] As used herein, “artificial sweetener” refers to a sweetening agent which does not provide a substantial amount of calories when consumed, as compared to the calories provided by an amount of sugar required to impart an equivalent sweetening effect. A variety of artificial sweeteners are known to those skilled in the art, including without limitation, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, etc.
[0038] As used herein, an “effective amount,” and “sufficient amount” may be used interchangeably and refer to an amount of an ingredient which, when included in a chew composition, is sufficient to achieve an intended compositional or physiological effect. For example, a “sufficient amount” of invert sugar would be the minimum amount needed to reduce or eliminate an off or disagreeable taste caused by an amount of Noni extract. Further, a “therapeutically effective amount” refers to an amount of a Noni extract which is sufficient to achieve a desired physiological effect. The determination of an effective amount is well within the ordinary skill in the art of pharmaceutical, neutraceutical, herbaceutical, cosmetic, and medical sciences. See, for example, Meiner and Tonascia, “Clinical Trials: Design, Conduct, and Analysis,” Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vol. 8 (1986), incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0039] As used herein, “an insulin enhancing amount,” or “an insulin level enhancing amount” of a substance refers to an amount of sugar or other nutritional agent that is sufficient to produce or raise the amount of insulin in the blood to a level which increases the metabolism and absorption of Noni fruit extract, or the active agents contained therein, to a rate or amount which is greater than at a lover insulin level. Various methods for measuring and determining various insulin levels and their effect on the metabolism and absorption of various nutritional components are well known to those in the art.
[0040] As used herein, “active agent” refers to an agent contained in a Noni extract which imparts, or is capable of imparting or inducing a measurable physiological effect when administered to the body. Examples of active agents include proxeronine, proxeroninase, polysaccharides, terpenes, alkaloids, vitamins, minerals, etc.
[0041] As used herein, “polysaccharide” refers to a compound containing a combination of nine or more monosaccharides which are linked together by glycosidic bonds.
[0042] Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expresses or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited.
[0043] As an illustration, a concentration range of “about 0.1% w/w to about 25% w/w” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited concentration of about 0.1% to about 25% w/w, but also include individual concentrations and the sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual concentrations such as 2% w/w, 5% w/w, and 6% w/w, and sub-ranges such as from 1% w/w to 3% w/w, from 2% w/w to 6% w/w, from 8% w/w to 18% w/w, from 5% w/w to 20% w/w, etc. The same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value.
[0044] Similarly, a range recited as “less than about 5.8% w/w” should be interpreted to include all of the values and ranges as elaborated above for the range of “from about 0.1% w/w to about 25% w/w.” Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
[0045] Invention
[0046] The present invention is drawn to an oral dosage Noni extract formulation which includes a therapeutically effective amount of Noni extract contained in a chewy confection type vehicle such as a caramel or taffy. Such a formulation provides significantly improved taste, convenience, and efficiency aspects over conventional liquid, tablet, or capsule formulations.
[0047] Single Noni formulation dosage sizes typically range from about 4 to about 12 grams total weight and are individually wrapped for convenient transport and administration. The amount of Noni extract contained in a chew of this size may be from about 0.5 to 1.5 mg. In one aspect, the total weight for a single dosage may be about 8.6 grams, and the amount of Noni extract contained therein may be about 500 mg.
[0048] The Noni component of the present invention is generally included as a powder, and may be obtained by any process of active ingredient extraction known to those skilled in the art. By way of example, without limitation, extraction techniques, such as infusion, tincture, etc. followed by removal of the liquid portion and concentration of the extract may be used. One such method for producing a powdered Noni extract is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,491 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0049] The amount of Noni component contained in the formulation may be varied according the knowledge of one skilled in the art in order to achieve a particularly desired result. However, the Noni content will be generally from about 1% w/w to about 25% w/w of the formulation. In one aspect, the amount may be from about 5% w/w to about 15% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 6% w/w of the formulation.
[0050] A variety of beneficial active ingredients are contained within Noni extract. By way of example, without limitation, beneficial ingredients include vitamins, minerals, enzymes, terpenes, proteins, polysaccharides, and alkaloids. Of these ingredients, significant health effects such as anti-cancer and blood pressure lowering effects have been generally attributed to the alkaloids and polysaccharides.
[0051] The beneficial alkaloid ingredients have been identified as proxeronine and an enzyme known as proxeroninase. The action of proxeronine and proxeroninase, also known as proxeronase, in forming an alkaloid known as xeronine are more fully disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,409,144, and 4,543,212, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Further, the positive health imparting properties of xeronine, as well as information on the formation thereof is described by Dr. Neil Soloman in his book entitled The Noni Phenomenon: Discover the Powerful Tropical Healer that Fights Cancer, Lowers High Blood Pressure, and Relieves Chronic Pain (1999), which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0052] In one aspect, the Noni extract contained in the present formulation may have a proxeronine content of from about 0.01% w/w to about 95% w/w of the total Noni extract. In another aspect, the proxeronine content may be from about 5% w/w to about w/w of the total Noni extract. The total amount of proxeronine contained in a specific amount of the present Noni formulation may be readily determined by those ordinarily skilled in the art. Simply, using the concentration of proxeronine in the Noni extract, and the amount of extract in the formulation, the total proxeronine amount in the formulation may be calculated.
[0053] The amount of the proxeroninase in the Noni extract will generally have an activity sufficient to activate at least a portion of the proxeronine contained therein under proper conditions. In one aspect, the activity of proxeroninase may be sufficient to activate at least 50% of the proxeronine. In another aspect, the activity of proxeroninase may be sufficient to activate at least 75% of the proxeronine. In yet another aspect, the activity of the proxeroninase may be sufficient to activate 100% of the proxeronine.
[0054] Various sources attribute many of the positive health benefits of Noni to its polysaccharides content, including water soluble polysaccharides. For example, Hirazumi et al., An immunomodulatory polysaccharide - rich substance from the fruit juice of citrifolia ( noni ) with anti - tumor activity , Phytother Res. August 1999: 13(5):380-7, which is incorporated herein by reference, reports that the anti-cancer effects of Noni are attributed to the polysaccharide content.
[0055] In one aspect, the Noni extract utilized in the present invention may have a polysaccharide content of from about 0.01% w/w to about 25% w/w of the total Noni extract. In one aspect, the polysaccharide content may be from about 1% w/w to about 10% w/w of the total Noni extract. In yet another aspect, the polysaccharide content may be from about 2% w/w to about 5% w/w of the total Noni extract. The total amount of polysaccharides contained in a specific amount of the present Noni formulation may be readily calculated by one skilled in the art using the amount of polysaccharide in the Noni extract and the amount of Noni extract in the formulation.
[0056] The capability of invert sugar to combat the disagreeable taste of Noni fruit extract is due to its particular nature. Invert sugar is generally a combination of the simple sugars dextrose (D-glucose) and fructose which provides a sweetness exceeding that of a single type of sugar. In one aspect, invert sugar may be a product of the action of the enzyme invertase on sucrose to form a mixture of levulose fructose) and D-glucose (dextrose). However, invert sugar, as defined herein, may be any combination of simple sugars which imparts a heightened sweetness. In one aspect, the invert sugar used may be that containing an equal parts mixture of D-glucose and fructose. In another aspect, the invert sugar used may be a combination of maltose and glucose.
[0057] The timing of the sweetening effect of each of the invert sugar components is complimentary. This time variation in part explains the increased sweetness and reduction of objectionable taste. Particularly, the glucose, and maltose or fructose, as simple sugars, provide an initial burst of sweetness as the invert sugar enters the mouth. This quick sweetening masks the initial distaste of Noni extract. The sucrose and corn syrup solids used in making the chew base, being either a disaccharide or starch hydrolysis product, provide a sustained sweetening power during chewing. Further, the maltose or fructose, while involved in the above two mentioned states, are also believed to provide a lingering sweetness which masks the objectionable Noni extract aftertaste or residual taste.
[0058] Notably, a variety of artificial sweeteners may also be used to mask the objectionable Noni extract taste. In one aspect, one or more artificial sweeteners may be used in addition to the sugars present in the chew formulation. In another aspect, one or more artificial sweeteners may take the place of a portion of the sugars present in the chew formulation.
[0059] In addition to improving the taste and convenience of a Noni fruit dose, the chew vehicle of the present oral delivery formulation also improves the overall dosage efficacy. As noted above, many of the beneficial Noni agents, such as proxeronine and proxeronase are very susceptible to degradation by the digestive forces of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it is recommended that Noni be taken on an empty stomach. However, when taken on an empty stomach, a portion of a Noni fruit dose may escape metabolism and absorption by the body tissues due to low blood insulin levels.
[0060] As such, the chew vehicle of the present invention is a particularly well suited vehicle for administering Noni on an empty stomach because of the total amount of combined sugars which are present. Particularly, the total amount of combined sugars in the chew is sufficient to raise insulin levels to a point which enhances Noni agent metabolism and absorption by the cells. Further, the total dosage size of the Noni chew formulation is relatively small and does not by itself facilitate significant production of digestive substances in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
[0061] Thus, because of its small size, the present Noni formulation prevents loss of Noni extract due to digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Further, because of its high sugars content, the present Noni formulation enhances Noni extract metabolism and absorption in the tissues and organs. As such, the combination of high sugar content and small total administration volume allow the Noni formulation of the present invention to maximizes the efficacy of a Noni dose.
[0062] The caramel or taffy composition of the present invention may be a preparation of any combination of ingredients which is known to those ordinarily skilled in the art of making caramel, taffy, or other confections, and is not limited except by a requirement to contain an effective amount of Noni extract.
[0063] While no limitation on the form of Noni extract used in the present invention is made, in one aspect, the Noni extract may be a powder. In another aspect, the Noni extract may be a liquid. Further, in one aspect, the Noni extract may be obtained from the fruit of a Tahitian Noni plant. In another aspect, the Noni extract may be obtained from the fruit of a Hawaiian Noni plant. In yet another aspect, the Noni extract may be obtained from the fruit of an Asian Noni plant. In yet another aspect, the Noni extract may be obtained from the fruit of a Samoan Noni plant. In a further aspect, the Noni extract may be obtained from a mixture of any of the above sources.
[0064] In addition to the Noni extract active ingredient, other active ingredients may be included in the formulation of the present invention which impart a positive health benefit. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a wide variety of positive health benefit imparting ingredients may be selected from herbal and botanical extracts, as well as medicinal compounds and be added as desired in order to achieve a specific therapeutic result. Such additions may be made by the skilled artesian without undue experimentation.
[0065] Generally, herbal and botanical extracts are made from all kinds of herb and botanic sources and formulated based on their therapeutic function. For example, anti-flu, bone/joint, brain function, cardiovascular, circulatory, diet, depression, digestion, energy, eye vision, general health, immune system, liver, men's health respiratory, rest, urinary tract, women's health, etc. In one aspect, herbal and botanical extracts for inclusion in the present formulation can be selected from, but not limited to, Ginseng, Ginko Biloba, Dong Quai, Hawthorn berry, St. John's Wort, Saw Palmetto, Kava Kava, Rose Hips, Echinacea, Licorice Root, Grape seed, Chammomile, Sea Buckthorn, Aloe Vera, Cinnamon Bark, Cordyceps, Ho Shou Wu, Dandelion, Gynostemma, mushroom, Notginseng, Dan Shen, and mixtures thereof may be included.
[0066] In one aspect, vitamins either water soluble or oil soluble may be added. Water soluble vitamins specifically contemplated by the present invention include, but are not limited to: vitamin B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 5 , B 6 , B 12 , B 13 , B 15 , B 17 , biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), vitamin C, and vitamin P. Additionally, oil soluble vitamins include, but are not limited to: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
[0067] Other health imparting substances which may be combined with the desired Noni extract in the formulation of the present invention include amino acids, ionic minerals, and naturally occurring anti-oxidants. The amino acids contemplated include: alanine, arginine, carnitine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamine, glycine, histidine, lysine, methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, ornithine, phenylalanine, taurine, tyrosine, and valine, but are not limited thereto. Additionally, the ionic minerals contemplated by the present invention for inclusion in an embodiment of the formulation include both anions and cations. Finally, the naturally occurring anti-oxidants contemplated for the formulation of the present invention include: grape seed, beta-carotene, and co-enzyme Q-10, but are not limited thereto.
[0068] In one aspect, the amount of invert sugar contained in the prepared chew composition of the present invention may be from about 1% to about 20% w/w of the chew composition. In another aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be from about 3% w/w to 15% w/w of the chew composition. In yet another aspect, the amount of invert sugar may be from about 5% w/w to about 10% w/w of the chew composition. These amounts of invert sugar are in addition to the amount of table sugar (sucrose) or corn syrup solids required by the particular caramel or taffy recipe employed.
[0069] As defined above, a basic caramel formulation also contains butter or other fats, and either cream, milk, or milk products. Further, a basic taffy formulation may also contain molasses. The exact types and amounts of each of these ingredients may vary depending on the desired characteristics of the final product. Such exact amounts and types may be readily determined by one ordinarily skilled in the art.
[0070] Other ingredients known to the applicant as useful for making a Noni extract containing chew include but are not limited to: water, corn syrup, hydro soy oil, emulsifiers, lecithin, whey solids, sweetened condensed skim milk, flavorants, and vanillin.
[0071] In one aspect, the chew base, which is used as the vehicle for containing the Noni extract of the present invention may be partially or entirely made utilizing natural ingredients. Natural invert sugar sources such as rice syrup and sugar sources such as evaporated cane juice (turbinado sugar) may be used as one or more sweetening ingredients. Sweetened and condensed whole or skim milk and whey may be used as milk product ingredients. Coconut oil and mono and diglycerides from vegetable or other natural sources may be used as oil and fat ingredients. Further ingredients which may be used include without limitation Soya lecithin, and natural flavorings, including chocolate and vanilla.
[0072] Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the amount of each of the above-recited natural ingredients may be varied in order to achieve a particularly desired result. However, in one aspect, the amount of rice syrup may be from about 10% w/w to about 40% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount of rice syrup may be about 36% w/w of the formulation. Of particular note is that in general, rice syrup is approximately 48% maltose and glucose and 52% complex carbohydrates. As such, the range of effective invert sugar component provided by the rice syrup may be from about 5% w/w to about 20% w/w.
[0073] In one aspect, the amount of turbinado sugar may be from about 15% w/w to about 20% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 18% w/w of the formulation.
[0074] In one aspect, the amount of sweetened and condensed milk may be from about 13% w/w to about 18% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 14% w/w.
[0075] In one aspect, the amount of whey may be from about 10% w/w to about 17% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 13% w/w.
[0076] In one aspect, the amount of coconut oil may be from about 1% w/w to about 5% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 2%.
[0077] In one aspect, the amount of mono and diglycerides may be from about 0.25% w/w to about 2% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 0.5% w/w.
[0078] In one aspect, the amount of Soya lecithin may be from about 0.05% w/w to about 0.2% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 0.1% w/w.
[0079] In one aspect amount of chocolate flavor may be from about 4% w/w to about 8% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 6% w/w.
[0080] In one aspect, the amount of vanilla flavor may be from about 0.1% w/w to about 0.4% w/w of the formulation. In another aspect, the amount may be about 0.2% w/w.
[0081] A method for making the Noni formulation of the present invention encompasses all methods for making caramel or taffy which are known to those ordinarily skilled in the art thereof, and is unlimited, other than to the conditions under which the Noni may be added. Particularly, the Noni must not be exposed to conditions which will cause it to become unfit for its intended purpose by changing forms, decomposition of active ingredients, etc. To this end, some restriction may be applied to the time of Noni addition, and the temperature to which it is subjected.
[0082] Therefore, in a one aspect of the invention, the Noni extract is uniformly distributed throughout the chew composition, and is added to a heated chew composition after the composition has been cooled to a temperature at which Noni active ingredients will not degrade. In another aspect, in order to achieve uniform distribution, and ensure Noni extract stability, the temperature will be from about 160° F. to about 220° F., and most preferably, the temperature will be about 180° F. to about 200° F.
[0083] In order to achieve uniform distribution of the Noni extract, the chew composition must be sufficiently agitated after adding the creatine. In one aspect, the chew composition is continuously cooled and agitated after the addition of the Noni extract until the composition is sufficiently solid that agitation is not practical. At this point the chew is ready to be divided into individual pieces for packaging. When a taffy base is used, the composition may be pulled after cooling until the desired consistency is reached, prior to division for individual packaging.
[0084] Because of the heating and stirring process under which most caramel or taffy compositions are prepared, the amount of ingredient added during processing will vary somewhat from the amount retained in the finally prepared chew composition. This is mostly due to the evaporation of water out of the various components which yields a final composition having a greater percentage of some ingredients which are unaffected by the removal of water. Therefore, a desired Noni extract amount in the prepared chew composition as enumerated above, Noni is added during processing in an amount of about 0.1% to about 24% w/w of the chew composition. In one aspect, the Noni extract is added during processing in an amount of about 4% to about 14% of the chew formulation. In another aspect, the Noni extract is added during processing in an amount of about 5% w/w of the chew formulation.
[0085] Additionally, in order to achieve the desired amount or invert sugar enumerated above, invert sugar is added during processing in an amount of about 1% to about 9% w/w of the chew composition. In one aspect, the invert sugar amnount added during processing is about 5% w/w of the caramel composition.
[0086] The flavors of the final chew composition are unlimited. Any desired flavor may be imparted, as long as attaining the flavor would not render any essential ingredient unfit for its intended purpose. Flavors particularly preferred include but are not limited to: chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, orange, lemon, grape, apple, coffee, and toffee.
[0087] The example provided below is illustrative of only one embodiment of making a Noni extract containing chew of the present invention. While the processing conditions and ingredients may be preferred, no limitation thereto is to be inferred.
EXAMPLE
[0088] To the pot of a standard sized gas fired Savage cooker with agitation, was added a blend of 5.12 lbs. of sugar, 14.85 lbs. of corn syrup (43DE), and 2.51 pounds of water. Agitation was begun at about 100 rpm, and heating of the mixture was commenced. During the heating and agitation, 3.65 lbs. of hyrdo soy oil(98 F), 0.08 lbs. of lecithin, and 0.34 lbs. of an emulsifier were weighed into the pot. The temperature was increased during the addition of the ingredients until the temperature of the mixture was approximately 230° F.
[0089] Approximately 2.81 lbs. of whey solids were dissolved in about 8 lbs. water, and then 2.25 lbs. of invert sugar levulose and D-glucose), and 6.16 lbs. of sweetened condensed skim milk were added to the whey and water to form a milk mixture. The milk mixture was added to the pot and heating continued until the combined mixture reached a temperature of approximately 235° F.
[0090] The mixture contained in the pot was cooled to 232° F. while stirring continued, and 1.40 lbs. of cocoa liquor, 0.11 lbs. of vanillin, and 0.07 lbs. of butter flavoring were added. Mixing was continued, and the composition temperature was allowed to cool to about 200° F. Upon reaching the temperature of about 200° F., 4.70 lbs. of Noni extract was added to the caramel composition. Mixing was continued, and the composition allowed to cool to a temperature of about 180° F.
[0091] Once a temperature of about 180° F. was reached, the caramel composition was removed from the pot and transferred to a cooling table. The composition was allowed to rest upon the cooling table until it reached a temperature of about 91° F., at which time the composition was cut and wrapped into individual pieces.
[0092] The above described process yielded a Noni extract containing caramel composition having the following components in the amounts specified:
% Amount of % Amount of Ingredient Composition Ingredient Composition Water 10 Whey Solids 6.93 Sucrose 12.76 Sweetened 10.78 Cond. Milk Corn Syrup 29.76 Chocolate 3.42 Flavor Hydro Soy Oil 10.78 Vanillin 0.27 Emulsifier 0.20 Butter Flavor 0.16 Lecithin 0.20 Noni Extract 11.72 Invert Sugar 4.04
[0093] The Noni extract formulation having the components enumerated above showed excellent flavor, texture, and dissolution qualities in the mouth.
[0094] It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present invention has been described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.
|
The present invention provides a Noni extract formulation which reduces or eliminates the strong disagreeable Noni taste, while simultaneously increasing the efficiency of a Noni extract dose. In one aspect, a Noni extract is uniformly dispersed in a caramel composition having an insulin response enhancing amount of sugar. In another aspect, the caramel composition may include an effective amount of an invert sugar.
| 0
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. GE2006A000106, filed Nov. 10, 2006, and to Italian Patent Application No. GE2007A000022, filed Feb. 28, 2007, the contents of both of which, including any intervening amendments to these applications, are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for tanks and the like, and particularly it relates to an apparatus for monitoring tanks of motor vehicles.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] The control of the quantity of fluid contained in a tank and of the modes of charge and discharge thereof is of noticeable importance, especially in the transport field. More typically, a careful control of the fuel consumption is a key factor in the cost control, and it is hence important to avoid that the fuel can be stolen. One of the main problems is due to the fact that the control of accesses to the tanks should be carried out independently of the driver, who may often be responsible, or at least partially responsible, for the fuel thefts performed to the detriment of the transport company. Therefore, it is not sufficient to just connect the means of access to the tank, i.e. the filler cap, to the vehicle's anti-theft device, as this device may still be switched off; more specifically there is a need for a filler cap provided with a device capable of signalling its state.
[0006] Systems which sense the presence or absence of a filler cap on the mouthpiece of a vehicle tank are already known in the art, for example from EP-B1-1052131; however, these systems are structured in such a way as to signal the opening state of the filler cap only to the interior of the vehicle, and furthermore there is currently no way of establishing when the opening took place and how long it lasted. During the research that led to the present invention, we have considered devices comprising an integrated microcontroller provided with an RFID interface and a non-volatile memory, which can be conveniently adapted according to the aforementioned requirements, so that information relative to the filler cap state can be both stored and transmitted.
[0007] Moreover, it would be useful, for a much more complete analysis of the history of the fluid contained in a tank, to have the possibility of monitoring also the actual content of the tank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Therefore, an aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus comprising means capable of sensing the time of removal of the filler cap and the duration of such removal.
[0009] Another aim of the present invention is an apparatus capable of monitoring tanks and the like, in which it is possible obtain information regarding both the opened or closed state of the filler cap and the filling state of the tank, with an opportune correlation.
[0010] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is a monitoring apparatus for tanks and the like, comprising detecting means to detect the opened and closed states of opening/closing means of said tank, and gathering and processing means to gather and process the detected data, characterized in that said processing means are integrated with a radio frequency identification unit which can communicate said data with at least one suitable remote transceiver unit.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is an apparatus as above described, in which are also provided means to detect the filling level of a tank, cooperating with the said gathering and processing means.
[0012] In a first embodiment, said tank is provided with a filler cap having means to detect its opened/closed state with respect to the mouthpiece of said tank, said filler cap being provided with a data processing unit integrated with a radio frequency identification unit, said filler cap being further provided with means to detect the level of fluid in the tank, said data processing unit being able to collect a set of data regarding the opened/closed state of the filler cap, the opening/closing event of the filler cap and the level of fluid in the tank, such set of data being available to a remote receiver. The data processing unit is provided with a powering circuit.
[0013] Preferably, said filler cap comprises two portions which are coupled to each other and can be in relative motion with each other, said relative motion being associated with the opened or closed state of said filler cap. Specifically, one of the said portions is provided with a permanent magnet, said sensing means comprising a Hall effect sensor.
[0014] Alternatively, said portions are coupled to switching means which can switch on or switch off a circuit component of the powering circuit of said data processing unit, said circuit component being adapted to modify the electrical features of the power supply for said data processing unit.
[0015] In another embodiment, the data processing unit is arranged in the filler cap and communicates with the detecting means for the opened/closed state of the filler cap, which detecting means are also located in the filler cap, while the detecting means for the level of fluid in the tank are arranged inside the tank itself and communicate with said data processing unit through appropriate transmission means. In the specific case of a vehicle tank, the detecting means for the level of fluid in the tank are interfaced to the central processing unit of the vehicle itself, and the CAN/LIN (Controller Area Network/Local Interconnect Network) network of the vehicle, which connects the various devices to the central processing unit, comprises an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) type transceiver unit capable of communicating with the RFID unit integrated into the data processing means.
[0016] In this case, according to the selected embodiment, the central processing unit can control the data gathering process of the apparatus and, in the same time, it can generate a table containing data about the state of the filler cap and the fuel level of the tank within its processing unit, so as to send them to the filler cap once they have been registered, or it can simply supply the cap with periodical updates about the fuel level in the tank, leaving the data correlation to the processing unit of the filler cap.
[0017] In a further embodiment, the detecting means for the state of the opening/closing means of the tank can be arranged outside the filler cap. In particular, if the filler cap if provided with a processing unit integrated with a Radio Frequency IDentification unit, this RFID unit can be in communication with another RFID unit, like the unit mentioned in the above-described embodiment, and hence the displacement between the two units can be interpreted by the logic of the apparatus as an opening event of the cap itself. The resulting data can then be correlated with the data about the fluid level in the tank in a similar fashion as before.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Other advantages and features of the apparatus according to the present invention will be apparent from the following description of certain embodiments thereof, which are provided by way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting the filler cap according to the present invention in a closed state;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 , but with the filler cap in an opened state;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the gathering and processing means included in the filler cap of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the logic of a device of the apparatus according to the invention;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a first alternative embodiment of a device of the apparatus according to the invention; and
[0025] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a second alternative embodiment of a device of the apparatus according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic plant view of a filler cap, designated with the reference numeral 10 ; reference numeral 1 denotes a micro-controller, that is to say the gathering and processing means according to the present invention, which is arranged in an innermost portion 11 of the filler cap 10 . This portion 11 is relatively free to move with respect to an outermost portion 12 of the filler cap 10 . The microcontroller 1 is provided with two contacts 101 , externally projecting from the portion 11 and cooperating, as shown in FIG. 2 , with a metal plate 17 which is arranged on the portion 12 of the filler cap 10 . Furthermore, the portion 11 has two cavities 13 and 16 arranged at a given angle to each other; as can be noted, in the condition shown in FIG. 1 , which corresponds to the closed state of the cap 10 on the tank (not shown), the cavity 13 is occupied by a sphere 14 projecting from the portion 12 due to a spring 15 .
[0027] In FIG. 2 , in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, it can be viewed how a rotation imparted to the filler cap to open it results in a relative rotation between the portions 11 and 12 , so that the contacts 101 are now cooperating with the metal plate 17 and the sphere 14 is now located in the cavity 16 .
[0028] FIG. 3 shows schematically the microcontroller 1 ; as can be noted, in addition to the above described contacts 101 , it comprises a processor 201 which incorporates a memory unit 211 and an interface RFID 221 , connected to an antenna 301 . The processor 201 is powered by a battery 401 , which is also connected to a resistor 501 ; the contacts 101 are inserted in the circuit branch where the resistor 501 is located.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a diagram illustrating a further embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention; in this embodiment, the apparatus is applied to motor vehicles and their tanks. Reference numeral 20 designates the electronic central processing unit of the motor vehicle, which unit is connected, through a CAN/LIN network 2 , to peripheral devices 3 and 4 which detect specific data of the vehicle; in particular, the peripheral device 4 can be a fuel level sensor located in the tank of the motor vehicle. Also connected to the network 2 is an RFID card 5 , the logical scheme thereof being shown in FIG. 5 , which can communicate with an RFID unit integrated in a microcontroller 106 of a filler cap 6 . A remote transceiver unit 7 is in turn capable of communicating with the RFID unit of the filler cap 6 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the RFID card 5 includes an interface 105 to the CAN/LIN network, an RFID transceiver 205 , and an antenna 215 .
[0030] FIG. 6 shows a first alternative embodiment of the device incorporated in the filler cap 6 . The microcontroller 106 , provided with an integrated RFID unit 116 and connected to an antenna 126 , is powered by a battery 306 . The microcontroller 106 is also connected to a sensor 206 , such as a Hall sensor, to sense the state of the filler cap, so as to detect the displacement of a permanent magnet in the movable portion of the filler cap, and hence to communicate the opening/closing event to the microcontroller 106 . The circuit also includes a resistor 406 .
[0031] The circuit in FIG. 7 represents another alternative embodiment of the device incorporated in the filler cap 6 ; like reference numerals refer to like elements. In this embodiment, the filler cap 6 comprises, along with the sensor 206 , a sensor 506 capable of sensing the fluid level in the tank; the two sensors are coupled to the microcontroller 106 through a multiplexer 606 .
[0032] The operation of the apparatus according the present invention will be clear from the following. When the filler cap is on the tank mouthpiece, the portions 11 and 12 are relatively positioned to each other as shown in FIG. 1 ; in this way, as shown in FIG. 3 , the power supplied to the processor 201 by the battery will have the highest current intensity. On the contrary, when the filler cap is opened and the relative position of the portions 11 and 12 of the filler cap 10 is as shown in FIG. 2 , with the contacts 101 connected to each other by the metal plate 17 , there will be a noticeable change in the current intensity and/or tension detected by the processor 201 , and the processor 201 will initiate a procedure of storage of the opening event, which procedure will finish only when the cap 10 is again positioned according to the configuration depicted in FIG. 1 . The stored data, which report the date, time and duration of the opening, can then easily be read by an external reader cooperating with the RFID unit of the microcontroller, through the antenna 301 .
[0033] Advantageously, blocking means, such as the cavities 13 and 16 and the sphere 14 loaded by the spring 15 , are provided in order to avoid accidental relative displacements of the portions 11 and 12 of the filler cap 10 . It is obvious that the microcontroller is capable of working together with an RFID system arranged in the interior of the vehicle.
[0034] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7 , the apparatus is capable of gathering all the information about the opened/closed state of the filler cap of a tank and about the quantity of fluid contained in the tank, simply through a RFID card which is suitably interfaced to the detection means of the fluid quantity in the tank, and which is capable of communicating with the RFID unit integrated in the cap. Based on the relative displacement between the two RFID units, the apparatus can detect the opening and closing of the filler cap and combine both data in the processing unit of the microcontroller arranged in the filler cap in order to obtain a comprehensive database.
[0035] Of course, when the subject tank is that of a motor vehicle, it is clear that the apparatus can rely on a previously existing data transmission network, i.e. the CAN/LIN network 2 , which transfers information from the various peripheral devices of the vehicle to the central processing unit 20 ; in order to allow a continuous implementation, this network can include a series of accessible nodes in which the RFID card 5 can be inserted in a parallel fashion. The card 5 can then easily acquire data about the state of the tank, and hence various operative solutions can be configured.
[0036] The first is the one aforementioned: the central processing unit 20 interrogates the filler cap 6 and establishes if the filler cap is closed or opened based on whether the microcontroller RFID 106 arranged in the filler cap responds to the RFID card 5 of the network. If the filler cap 6 is closed and near the card 5 , it can answer to the transceiver, which will understand that the filler cap is closed and in place; if the filler cap is opened and far from the card, it cannot answer to the transceiver, which will understand that the filler cap 6 is opened and not in place. This information can be easily correlated with the information on the fuel level, already present in the central processing unit 20 itself, and can then be collected together with the information on the filler cap 6 either in the central processing unit 20 or in the microcontroller 106 located in the filler cap 6 , from which it can be transmitted to the remote transceiver 7 .
[0037] In another alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , the filler cap contains, along with the sensor 206 to detect the (opened/closed) state of the filler cap, a sensor 506 to detect the fuel level in the tank. Such sensor is connected to the same analog interface of the microcontroller 106 through the multiplexer 606 , which allows selecting one of the sensors at a time. Now the filler cap can store a table containing the following information: “Cap Open/Closed-Event Date-Fuel Level” and can be read by an external transceiver (gateway, hand-held device, etc. . . .) or communicate with the central processing unit through a transceiver (RFID card) inside the vehicle and connected to the CAN/LIN network of the vehicle itself.
[0038] In the other alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the filler cap 6 is provided with the sensor 206 , but not with a sensor for the fuel level; in this case, the apparatus can operate according to different modes. In the first mode, the cap contains the table: “Cap Open/Closed-Event Date,” and the fuel level is transmitted from the central processing unit 20 which interrogates the filler cap through the RFID card 5 . The central processing unit 20 interrogates the filler cap 6 on a cyclic basis; when the filler cap shows a state transition, e.g. from a closed state to an opened state, the central processing unit stores a table containing the following information: “Cap Open-Event Date-Fuel Level” in its internal memory by reading the portion “Cap Open-Event Date” from the cap and the portion “Fuel Level” from the CAN/LIN network. The central processing unit 20 continues to interrogate the filler cap 6 ; when the cap signals the closing event, the central processing unit stores a table containing the following information: “Cap Closed-Event Date-Fuel Level” by obtaining the information in a similar fashion to the “Opening” event. Also in this alternative embodiment, of course, the filler cap can communicate with the remote transceiver 7 through the RFID unit 116 .
[0039] In the second case, the data collection, i.e. the data table, is contained in the microcontroller 106 of the cap 6 and not in the logical scheme of the central processing unit 20 . The operation is substantially the same as in the previous case; the central processing unit 1 writes the information “Fuel Level” in the memory of the cap and correlates it to the information “Cap Open-Event Date”. A third possibility involves that the data collection is stored both in the memory of the central processing unit and in the memory of the microcontroller of the filler cap.
[0040] It is absolutely clear that the different potential uses of the apparatus according to the present invention can be perfectly suited to different needs; indeed, the apparatus can be used in such a way that the driver of the vehicle provided with the apparatus cannot view the data, which can be only retrieved through a remote RFID unit, or the apparatus can be fully integrated into the controls available as on-board instrumentation.
[0041] The apparatus according to the present invention offers a wide range of potential applications which are not merely limited to motor vehicles, as it can be adapted, through modifications that do not alter its core characteristics, to almost every fluid container that requires a constant control over its content.
|
A monitoring apparatus for tanks and the like, comprising detecting means ( 4; 506 ) to detect the filling level of a tank, detecting means ( 5, 106; 206 ) to detect the opened and closed states of opening/closing means ( 6 ) of said tank, and gathering and processing means ( 106 ) to gather and process the detected data, characterized in that said processing means ( 106 ) are integrated with an RFID unit ( 116 ) which can communicate said data with at least one appropriate remote transceiver unit ( 7 ).
| 1
|
BACKGROUND
Many search engines and online retail aggregators populate databases of advertisements by receiving descriptions of all the products the online retailer has for sale. This operation puts the burden on the online retailer to make the data available in formats that the search engines or retail aggregators may use. Such a burden is costly for the retailer and may have to be duplicated for each search engine and retail aggregator that the retailer may desire to use. In many cases, the retailer's data may change often, such as when price changes occur or when inventory levels change.
SUMMARY
A scraping mechanism may download a web page from a retailer and extract information for each item being offered for sale. The scraping mechanism may parse the published HTML code to identify items for sale, along with other parameters that may be presented in the web page. From the web page, a data structure may be created that represents the items for sale, and the data structure may be used to generate advertisements for the retailer, add the items to a search engine, or for other uses. In some embodiments, the retailer may include hints, tags, or other annotations in the HTML code to facilitate the data capture. The web page may be a standard public page or may be a private page accessible to the scraping mechanism only.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment showing a network environment with an advertisement management system.
FIG. 2A is a diagram illustration an example embodiment showing a category landing page for a retailer.
FIG. 2B is a diagram illustration an example embodiment showing a single item page for a retailer.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustration an example embodiment showing a web page with an advertisement.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment showing a method for setting up relationships and crawling a retailer web site.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an embodiment showing a method for providing advertisements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A seller may tag their advertisements within a web page so that a scraping mechanism may identify items for sale and present those items on another web page. The seller may make their products available without having to provide access to the seller's database or other complex interaction.
A scraping mechanism may load a seller's web page containing the items for sale, and identify those items by the tags placed on the items. The items may be displayed on another website and linked back to the seller's website.
The scraping mechanism may enable aggregators, website properties, and other websites to have up-to-date information from a seller for various products. The aggregators may use the scraping mechanism to offer similar items or related items when a user browses to a certain item. Other uses may include reconfiguring a seller's advertisements to be displayed as part of another website where the seller pays for the advertisement space, where the seller pays for each click on the advertisement, or some other business model.
Throughout this specification, like reference numbers signify the same elements throughout the description of the figures.
When elements are referred to as being “connected” or “coupled,” the elements can be directly connected or coupled together or one or more intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when elements are referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled,” there are no intervening elements present.
The subject matter may be embodied as devices, systems, methods, and/or computer program products. Accordingly, some or all of the subject matter may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, state machines, gate arrays, etc.) Furthermore, the subject matter may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. In the context of this document, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media.
Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can accessed by an instruction execution system. Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, of otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.
Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
When the subject matter is embodied in the general context of computer-executable instructions, the embodiment may comprise program modules, executed by one or more systems, computers, or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Typically, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment 100 , showing a device 102 that may scrape data from retailer websites, then use that data to provide advertisements or other links to the website. Embodiment 100 is a simplified example of an ecosystem that manages advertisements.
The diagram of FIG. 1 illustrates functional components of a system. In some cases, the component may be a hardware component, a software component, or a combination of hardware and software. Some of the components may be application level software, while other components may be operating system level components. In some cases, the connection of one component to another may be a close connection where two or more components are operating on a single hardware platform. In other cases, the connections may be made over network connections spanning tong distances. Each embodiment may use different hardware, software, and interconnection architectures to achieve the described functions.
Embodiment 100 illustrates a system where an advertisement system may scrape items for sale from a retailer website and present those items for sale in other websites. The advertisement system may gather items from a web retailer's website by crawling the website and identifying items tagged within the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) code used to render the retailer's web page. In some cases, the retailer may identify items using a scripting language, such as Javascript, where the items may be stored in a browser's memory. Some embodiments may download data from the retailer's database to render in the retailer's website.
The tags embedded in the HTML of the retailer's web page may follow a schema that may define the properties associated with items for sate. The tags may identify an item, as well as data that may be relevant to the item. For example, a set of tags may identify a particular item, as well as the cost, inventory level, available sizes and colors, or other information.
The schema may be used to store items and item properties in a database. The database may then be used to generate advertisements for the retailer. In some embodiments, the retailer's website may be crawled or queried on demand to supplement or eliminate a stored database of items for sale.
The embedded tags may be placed in the HTML by an automated system that generates web pages for the retailer. The retailer's system may embed tags whenever a web page is created and displayed, so that the crawler may access the same web pages that the retailer uses to display their information.
The advertisement system may place advertisements or other content in various web pages under contract with the retailer. In many cases, the advertisements may be items such as banner ads and the like that may be placed on weblogs, news aggregators, games, or whatever type of website. In many cases, the websites that host the advertisement may be paid by the advertisement company to allow the advertisements to be placed on the websites.
The advertisement company may have several different layouts or templates for advertisements. An advertisement may be placed in banners that are wider than they are tall, or in other formats that may be square or that may be taller than they may be wide. The advertisements may be formatted to be displayed on a personal computer browser, a mobile device such as a cellular telephone, a game console, public billboard, or any other device with a display that may be capable of showing an advertisement.
With each layout for an advertisement or different display device, the advertisement company may use a different template to format and present the advertisement. The template may define the placement of items within the advertisement, as well as ‘look and feel’ of the advertisement.
In many embodiments, the advertisement system may crawl a retailer's website to gather both the items for sale as well as the ‘look and feel’ of the retailer's website. The look and feel may be defined by the color palette, font selection, item spacing, text size and formatting, logos, images, and other items. These items may be detected from the retailer's website and used by the advertisement company to create new advertisements based on the retailer's web pages. In some embodiments, these items may be identified by tags so that the advertisement system may identify and use the items.
The advertisement system may call much, if not all, of the information used to create advertisements from the retailer's existing web pages, when those web pages are annotated using tags. Such a system may allow an advertisement company to engage the retailer without having the retailer do any extra work, such as making their database of items for sale available through another avenue.
The tagging schema may be a standardized schema that may be used by multiple retailers. In such embodiments, the tagging schema may be defined by the advertisement company as a condition for doing business with the advertisement company. In some cases, the advertisement company may provide a discount when the retailers comply with the schema. Some embodiments may use a standardized schema that may be common to many advertisement companies and may serve as an industry or trade group standard.
In some embodiments, the tagging schema may be defined by the retailer and the tagging schema may change from one retailer to another. In such embodiments, the schema may be defined in a file that may be downloaded from the retailer. For example, a retailer may embed a link to the schema in a webpage so that the advertisement system may retrieve the retailer's schema. In some embodiments, there may not be an expressly defined schema. In such embodiments, a schema may be implied by examining the tags and creating a schema from the tags.
Some embodiments may have certain portions of the schema defined by the advertisement company or industry consortium, while other portions of the schema defined by the retailer. Such embodiments may have a generic portion of the schema defined by an industry standard, but extensions to the schema for retailer-specific items may be defined by the retailers.
The system of embodiment 100 is illustrated as being contained in a single device 102 . The device 102 may have a hardware platform 104 and software components 106 .
The device 102 may represent a server or other powerful computer system. In some embodiments, however, the device 102 may be any type of computing device, such as a personal computer, game console, cellular telephone, netbook computer, or other computing device. Some embodiments may use a group of devices to implement the functions of the device 102 . For example, the device 102 may be implemented within a datacenter where the hardware platform 104 comprises many computer devices and the software component are implemented as stateless or stateful processes that operate on the hardware platform.
The hardware platform 104 may include a processor 108 , random access memory 110 , and nonvolatile storage 112 . The processor 108 may be a single microprocessor, multi-core processor, or a group of processors. The random access memory 110 may store executable code as well as data that may be immediately accessible to the processor 108 , while the nonvolatile storage 112 may store executable code and data in a persistent state.
The hardware platform 104 may include user interface devices 114 . The user interface devices 114 may include keyboards, monitors, pointing devices, and other user interface components.
The hardware platform 104 may also include a network interface 116 . The network interface 116 may include hardwired and wireless interfaces through which the system 102 may communicate with other devices.
Many embodiments may implement the various software components using a hardware platform that is a cloud fabric. A cloud hardware fabric may execute software on multiple devices using various virtualization techniques. The cloud fabric may include hardware and software components that may operate multiple instances of an application or process in parallel. Such embodiments may have scalable throughput by implementing multiple parallel processes.
The software components 106 may include an operating system 118 on which various applications may execute. In some cloud based embodiments, the notion of an operating system 118 may or may not be exposed to an application.
An advertisement renderer 1120 may provide advertisements that may be included in various websites. The advertisements may be created from data in a database 122 that was created by a crawler 124 . The crawler 124 may crawl a retailer's website to identify items for sale that are tagged. The tags may define a schema that may be used to store the items for sale and properties of those items in the database 122 .
In some embodiments, the crawler 124 may retrieve layout information and ‘look and feel’ information from a retailer's website so that any advertisements created by the advertisement renderer 120 may have the same ‘look and feel’ as the retailer's website.
In many embodiments, the advertisement renderer 1120 may use various templates 126 to construct an advertisement. The templates 126 may define different types of advertisements, such as banner ads, column ads, search result ads, shopping aggregator ads, or other advertisements.
The device 102 may be connected via a network 128 to various other devices. The network 128 may be a local area network, wide area network, the Internet, or other network. The network 128 may be hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired and wireless networks.
A retailer website host 130 may serve web pages from a retailer. The host 130 may include a hardware platform 132 on which a web server 134 may operate. The web server 134 may use a query engine 136 to retrieve items for sale from a product database 138 .
The web server 134 may generate web pages that display products for sale. The web pages may be category or other pages that may include multiple products for sale, as well as single product pages that focus on a single item for sale. In many cases, the web pages that include many products for sale may display a subset of properties or information about the products, while the single pages may include additional properties and display more details about the product.
The web server 134 may use a schema 140 that may be used to include tags in the HTML code served by the web server 134 . The tags may be embedded in the HTML so that automated systems, such as the crawler 124 , may identify items for sale and any properties associated with those items. The tagged elements may be used by an advertisement renderer 120 to create advertisements that include the items for sale.
Various clients 142 may be used to access the retailer's web pages or other web pages. The clients 142 may have a hardware platform 144 on which a browser 146 may operate. The browser 146 may transmit a request for a web page to a web server, which may return an HTML file, and the browser 146 may render the HTML file to be visible to a user.
A website host 148 may provide web pages for various clients 142 . The website host 148 may operate on a hardware platform 150 and may have a web server 152 that serves web pages taken from a web page database 154 .
In many cases, a web page served by the website host 148 may include an HTML reference to the device 102 for an advertisement. In such a case, a website may be an HTML file that is transmitted to a client 142 and an advertisement provided by the advertisement renderer 120 may be displayed as part of the rendered HTML file.
FIG. 2A is a schematic illustration of an example embodiment 202 showing a category landing page. The landing page may display multiple items for sale, each of which may be tagged so that a crawler may be able to identify the items and any related properties.
The landing page 202 may have a set of categories 204 , for example, where a user may select an entire category of items to browse. The various items for sale 206 may each be displayed in a separate area. The items for sale 206 may have an image, description, and possibly various options.
In the example of page 202 , a clothing retailer may be displaying a selection of men's pants for sale. Each type or style of pants may be shown, and a user may be able to purchase directly from page 202 , or may be directed to a single item page to select the specific color, size, and other options. When a user selects a pair of pants, the pants may be added to the shopping cart 208 .
FIG. 2B is a schematic illustration of an example embodiment 210 that shows a single item page. In many embodiments, a single item page may also include other items for sale, but the single item page may include all or many details about a specific item. In many cases, a single item page may have a large image of the item, plus different properties that may not be made available on the landing page 202 .
In the example of FIGS. 2A and 2B , a retailer may have a landing page 202 that displays a general category of items. Each of the items may be identified with embedded tags in the HTML defining the web page. Each of the items may also have a single item page 210 that may contain an image 212 of the item along with a detailed list of properties 214 .
In some embodiments, the single item page may have properties that are not displayed or referenced in the landing page 202 . In such embodiments, a crawler may start on the landing page 202 to collect some information about the items for sale, and then traverse to each single item page to collect additional properties about each item.
The single item page 210 may have additional tags for the various properties. In some embodiments, tags may be included in an HTML file for properties that may or may not be displayed in a rendered web page.
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an example embodiment of a web page 302 with an advertisement. The web page 302 may be an application from which a user may retrieve email. Web page 302 is an example of any type of web page that may contain advertisements.
Web page 302 may display an email message 304 along with an advertisement 308 . The advertisement 308 may include a description 310 , image 312 , and may include other information or properties of the item for sale.
The advertisement 308 may be provided by an advertisement renderer. In many website properties, a website owner may dedicate a portion of a website to advertisements. The portion may be populated by calling an advertisement renderer that may place an ad on the website. The advertisement renderer may select a specific advertisement based on the user's preferences, previous selections, searches, or other information. In some cases, the content of the website being displayed may be scanned to identify keywords, and those keywords may be transmitted to the advertisement renderer and used to select an advertisement corresponding to the keywords.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustration of an embodiment 400 showing a, method for setting up relationships and crawling a website. Embodiment 400 illustrates the operations of an advertiser 402 on the left and the operations of a retailer 404 on the right.
Other embodiments may use different sequencing, additional or fewer steps, and different nomenclature or terminology to accomplish similar functions. In some embodiments, various operations or set of operations may be performed in parallel with other operations, either in a synchronous or asynchronous manner. The steps selected here were chosen to illustrate some principles of operations in a simplified form.
Embodiment 400 illustrates one method by which an advertiser may collect information about items for sale and populate a database. The items for sale may be presented on the retailer's website as part of the retailer's normal web pages that may be served to potential customers. The advertiser may crawl the retailer's website to identify items for sale based on tags embedded in the retailer's HTML.
In blocks 406 and 408 , the advertiser 402 and retailer 404 may establish a relationship. The relationship may define how and when the advertiser 402 may place advertisements for the retailer's products on various web properties. The relationship may define payment schemes, criteria for advertisements, and other factors.
In blocks 410 and 412 , a schema for tagging items for sale may be defined. In some embodiments, the advertiser 402 may define the schema. In other embodiments, the retailer 404 may define the schema. In still other embodiments, the schema may be defined in part by a standards body or industry consortium.
In some embodiments, the retailer 404 may define extensions to an existing schema. For example, most products may have some generic properties, such as cost, while other products may have specialized properties. In the example of clothing above, the specialized properties may include sizes, colors, and other properties that may not be suitable to items like electronics or kitchen appliances.
Based on the schema from blocks 410 and 412 , the advertiser 402 may create a database using the schema in block 414 .
Also using the same schema, the retailer 404 may implement automated tags in HTML pages.
The crawling process of the advertiser 402 may be performed in block 418 .
The advertiser 402 may query a web page in block 420 , which may be received by the retailer 404 in block 422 . The retailer 404 may generate a web page with embedded tags in block 424 , which may be received in block 426 by the advertiser 402 .
The advertiser 402 may identify all of the items for sale in block 428 and process each item in block 430 .
For each item in block 430 , properties for the item may be gathered in block 432 . If there is a dedicated page for the item in block 434 , the dedicated page may be requested in block 436 , which may be received by the retailer 404 in block 438 . The retailer 404 may generate a page with embedded tags in block 440 , which may be received in block 442 by the advertiser 402 . The advertiser 402 may gather additional properties in block 444 from the tagged dedicated page.
Regardless if there is a dedicated page or not, any properties collected for the item may be added to the database in block 446 .
After processing all of the items in block 430 , if there are any more web pages at the retailer in block 448 , the process may return to block 420 . If no more pages are available, the crawling process may stop in block 450 .
In some embodiments, a crawling process may be performed ahead of time and the results stored in a database. Other embodiments may perform an abbreviated crawling process on demand. Such embodiments may perform a crawling process when an advertisement is requested, and such embodiments may have more up to-date data than embodiments where the crawling process is performed prior to serving an advertisement.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustration of an embodiment 500 showing a method for providing advertisements. Embodiment 500 illustrates the operations of an advertisement renderer, such as the advertisement renderer 120 of embodiment 100 .
Other embodiments may use different sequencing, additional or fewer steps, and different nomenclature or terminology to accomplish similar functions. In some embodiments, various operations or set of operations may be performed in parallel with other operations, either in a synchronous or asynchronous manner. The steps selected here were chosen to illustrate some principles of operations in a simplified form.
A request for an advertisement may be received in block 502 . The request may include keywords or other information that may be used by the advertisement system to identify an appropriate advertisement. The request may also include a size or area that the advertisement may fill in a web page.
Based on the request, a template for the advertisement response may be selected in block 504 . An item query may be created in block 506 and a database of items may be queried in block 508 to retrieve an item for sale along with whatever properties are available.
An HTML file may be generated in block 510 that include the advertisement along with items for sale and may be transmitted in block 512 to the requestor.
The foregoing description of the subject matter has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the subject matter to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments except insofar as limited by the prior art.
|
A scraping mechanism may download a web page from a retailer and extract information for each item being offered for sale. The scraping mechanism may parse the published HTML code to identify items for sale, along with other parameters that may be presented in the web page. From the web page, a data structure may be created that represents the items for sale, and the data structure may be used to generate advertisements for the retailer, add the items to a search engine, or for other uses. In some embodiments, the retailer may include hints, tags, or other annotations in the HTML code to facilitate the data capture. The web page may be a standard public page or may be a private page accessible to the scraping mechanism only.
| 6
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of patent application Ser. No. 09/613,837, filed Jul. 11, 2000, pending, which claimed the benefit of priority of provisional application No. 60/142,960 filed in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office on Jul. 12, 1999, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention is directed to elastomer-based insulation for rocket motors, such as the type interposed between a solid propellant grain and a rocket motor casing to protect the casing from high temperatures experienced during burning of the solid propellant grain. In particular, this invention is directed to a solid rocket motor insulation composition that is relatively insensitive to process variables such as moisture contamination and relative humidity, yet upon curing exhibits excellent physical properties and thermal and ablative performances.
[0004] 2. State of the Art
[0005] Solid rocket motors typically include an outer casing or case housing a solid propellant grain. The rocket motor casing is conventionally manufactured from a rigid, yet durable, material such as steel or filament-wound composite. The propellant is housed within the casing and is formulated from a composition designed to undergo combustion while producing the requisite thrust for attaining rocket motor propulsion.
[0006] During operation, a heat insulating layer or layers (insulation) protects the rocket motor casing from heat and erosion caused by particle streams generated by combustion of the propellant. Typically, the insulation is bonded to the inner surface of the casing and is generally fabricated from a composition that, upon curing, is capable of withstanding the high temperature gases and erosive particles produced while the propellant grain burns. A liner layer (liner) functions to bond the propellant grain to the insulating layer and to any noninsulated portions of the casing. Liners also have an ablative function, inhibiting burning of the insulation at liner-to-insulation interfaces. Liner compositions are generally known to those skilled in the art. An exemplary liner composition and process for applying the same is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,221, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0007] The combustion of solid rocket propellant generates extreme conditions within the rocket motor casing. For example, temperatures inside the rocket motor casing typically reach 2,760° C. (5,000° F.). These factors combine to create a high degree of turbulence within the rocket motor casing. In addition, the gases produced during propellant combustion typically contain high-energy particles that, under a turbulent environment such as encountered in a rocket motor, can erode the rocket motor insulation. If the propellant penetrates through the insulation and liner, the casing may melt, causing the rocket motor to fail. Thus, it is crucial that insulation withstands the extreme conditions experienced during propellant combustion and protects the casing from the burning propellant. Unless the insulation is capable of withstanding such conditions, failure may occur.
[0008] Further, once formulated but prior to full curing, the insulation composition must also possess acceptable shelf life characteristics such that the insulation composition remains sufficiently pliable until used in application to the rocket motor casing. This requirement is essential because the production of a given lot of insulation may have to wait in storage for a number of months prior to cure and installation. Similarly, after application to a rocket motor casing and subsequent curing, a functionally acceptable solid propellant rocket motor insulation must survive aging tests. Rocket motors may be fully fabricated many months before actual firing; in the case of tactical weapons especially, rocket motors may be fabricated as much as a year before actual firing. Over that period of time, the insulation composition must continue to remain fully functional without unacceptable migration of its components to or from adjacent interfacial surfaces and adequately retain its elastomeric characteristics to prevent brittleness. These requirements need to be satisfied under extremely wide temperature variations.
[0009] After application of the insulation to the interior of the rocket motor casing, and subsequent to curing thereof, an acceptable cured insulation must also exhibit satisfactory bonding characteristics to a variety of adjacent surfaces. Such surfaces include the internal surface of the rocket motor casing itself. The insulation must also exhibit adequate bonding characteristics with the propellant grain, or with a liner surface interposed between the insulation and propellant grain.
[0010] Further, cured insulation must meet the ablation limits for protection of the rocket motor casing throughout the propellant bum without adding undue weight to the motor.
[0011] In the past, candidates for making rocket motor insulation have included filled and unfilled rubbers and plastics such as phenolic resins, epoxy resins, high temperature melamine-formaldehyde coatings, ceramics, polyester resins, and the like. The latter plastics, however, crack and/or blister as a result of the rapid temperature and pressure fluctuations experienced during combustion.
[0012] Elastomeric candidates have also been investigated and used. The elastomers are used in a large number of rocket motors because their thermal and ablative properties are particularly suited for rocket motor applications. However, the mechanical properties of elastomers, such as elongation capabilities and tensile strength, are often inadequate for rocket motor operation and processing. For example, cured elastomeric insulation, whether thermosetting or thermoplastic, often becomes brittle and cracks in operation unless reinforced with suitable fillers. The cracking of the cured elastomeric insulation creates paths through the insulation which expose the casing to the combustion reaction, thereby rendering the casing more susceptible to failure.
[0013] In order to improve the mechanical properties of elastomeric insulation, it has been proposed to reinforce the elastomeric insulation with precipitated silica or silicate. The presence of precipitated silica or silicate in elastomeric rocket motor insulation advantageously improves-the mechanical properties of the elastomer matrix, and further has the secondary benefit of improving the thermal and ablative performance of the insulation. The use of precipitated silica is reported, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,649 to Guillot. However, because silica and silicate particles are hydrophilic, insulation compositions containing precipitated silica and/or silicate are provided to absorb significant amounts of moisture when exposed to humid environments. High moisture content in a rocket motor insulation can adversely affect bonding characteristics of the insulation, especially at moisture sensitive interfaces, such as the insulation-to-casing bond interface and the insulation-to-liner bond interface. The later bond interface is particularly sensitive to moisture because of the isocyanates typically used in liner formulations.
[0014] To address these problems, dry cycles have been implemented to control the moisture content during the manufacture of the insulation and while insulating the rocket motor case. However, the practice of these requisite dry cycles complicates and prolongs processing. Thus, where hydrophilic silica and/or silicate particles are used in insulation compositions, very rigorous process controls commonly are imposed to account for process variables such as moisture contamination and relative humidity.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention provides a rocket motor insulation composition that is relatively insensitive to process variables such as moisture contamination and relative humidity, yet upon laying-up into a rocket motor casing and subsequent curing exhibits and maintains excellent low temperature and high temperature physical properties and thermal and ablative performances.
[0016] The present invention in one embodiment includes a rocket motor insulation composition comprising, prior to curing into an elastomeric composition, at least one organic polymer, at least one curative, optionally at least one curing co-agent, and hydrophilic particles coated with at least one hydrophobization agent. Preferably, the curative comprises one or more peroxides.
[0017] By using filler particles that have been treated with a suitable hydrophobization agent, the rocket motor insulation composition exhibits reduced sensitivity to process variables such as moisture contamination and relative humidity. Additionally, after peroxide curing in the presence of the coagent, the resulting elastomeric rocket motor insulator according to the present invention possesses excellent insulating properties. To the surprise of the inventors, however, the elastomeric rocket motor insulator also exhibits improved mechanical properties (e.g., elongation capability-and tensile strength) over conventional peroxide-cured polymers containing hydrophilic silica particles. This finding of improved mechanical properties was surprising and unexpected because hydrophobic silica particles evaluated by the inventors generally were believed to contribute less reinforcing characteristics to an elastomeric insulation than conventional hydrophilic silica fillers. Although this invention is not intended to be limited to any theory, the improvement in reinforcing characteristics contributed by the hydrophobized silica particles is believed to be the result of a synergistic effect realized by using the hydrophobized particles in combination with a peroxide curing agent and the coagent described herein.
[0018] The present invention also encompasses rocket motor assemblies and methods of making rocket motor assemblies.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The accompanying drawings serve to elucidate the principles of this invention. In such drawings:
[0020] [0020]FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a rocket motor assembly in which the insulation of this invention is provided;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 2 is a graph showing the reduced moisture sensitivity of an example of the inventive insulation with reference to a comparative example;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a test char motor; and
[0023] [0023]FIG. 4 is a graph showing the reduced material loss in a thermal flash test of an example of the inventive insulation compared to another comparative example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] The present invention comprises rocket motor insulation and a composition curable into the rocket motor insulation. The insulation composition is commonly applied as a layer or layers into a rocket motor casing 12 , then is cured to form the insulation, which is generally designated in FIGS. 1A and 1B by reference numeral 10 . Cast inside of the insulation 10 is a solid propellant 16 , which is illustrated in FIG. 1A as a center perforation propellant, although the invention is not thereby limited, since the inventive insulation may be used with end-burning propellants and other propellant configurations. Typically, a liner 14 is interposed between the insulation 10 and a solid propellant 16 , although the liner 14 may directly bond the propellant 16 to the casing 12 . The insulation 10 and liner 14 serve to protect the casing 12 from the extreme conditions produced as the propellant 16 is burned. Methods for loading a rocket motor casing 12 with insulation 10 , a liner 14 , and propellant 16 are known to those skilled in the art and can be readily adapted within the skill of the art without undue experimentation to incorporate the insulation composition of this invention. Nozzle 20 is operatively associated with the casing 12 to receive combustion products generated by combustion of the propellant 16 and to expel the combustion products, thus generating thrust to propel the rocket.
[0025] As mentioned above, the inventive insulation contains, in a cured state, one or more organic elastomeric polymers. As referred to herein, the term “organic elastomeric polymer” means a polymer having a backbone including carbon as a main component and free of metals or metalloids in the backbone. Generally, an elastomeric polymer is stretchable and compressible under moderate tension with a relatively high tensile strength and memory so that, upon release of the tension or compression, the elastomer retracts towards its original dimensions. Organic elastomers suitable for the present invention include ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubbers, natural rubber, butadiene-styrene copolymer rubbers, nitrile rubbers, polybutadiene rubbers, polyisoprene rubbers, and the like. Various mixtures, combinations, copolymers, and blends of these exemplary rubbers are also included within the scope of the invention.
[0026] In the event that EPDM rubber is selected as the organic elastomer, it is advantageous to use an EPDM rubber having a high ethylene content, such as in the range of 50 to 70% by weight. EPDM polymers with relatively high ethylene contents are known to enhance the green strength of uncured formulations. High green strength is important for facilitating calendering operations during processing. Exemplary blends of EPDM polymers include combinations of NORDEL® IP NDR-4520 and NORDEL® IP-NDR 4640 brand products, which each have an ethylene content in the range of 50 to 55% by weight. The NORDEL® IP-NDR 3722p brand product, which has an ethylene content of 70 percent by weight, is useful for increasing the ethylene content to further improve green strength.
[0027] Preferably, the organic elastomeric polymers comprise from about 35 wt % to about 80 wt %, and still more preferably from about 45 wt % to about 60 wt % of the total weight of the rocket motor insulation.
[0028] The peroxide generally functions as a cross-linking agent or promoter, for example, by abstracting the hydrocarbon atom from the elastomer molecule (e.g., the diene of the EPDM) and providing polymeric free radicals for forming cross-links. The peroxide curative preferably comprises from about 0.5 phr to about 8 phr, more preferably about 2 phr to about phr, of the insulation composition. As referred to herein and generally accepted in the art, “phr” means parts by weight per one hundred parts by weight polymer. A representative, but not exhaustive or exclusive, list of suitable peroxide curatives includes dicumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis-(t-butylperoxy)hexane, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis-(benzoylperoxy)hexane, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)-3-hexane, n-butyl-4,4-bis-(t-butylperoxy)valerate, 4,4′-methylbis-(cyclohexylamine)carbomate, 1,1-bis-(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, α,α′-bis-(t-butylperoxy)diisopropylbenzene, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis-(t-butylperoxy)hexane, and di-t-butyl peroxide. Commercially available peroxide curatives are available, for example, under the trade name DI-CUP® 40KE, which comprises about 40% dicumyl peroxide on a clay carrier. (The clay carrier is available from Burgess Pigment Company.)
[0029] One or more curative coagents are preferably included to increase the degree and rate of cure. Preferably, the curative coagent is an “ionic curative coagent,” also referred to as a “metallic curative coagent,” which is meant to encompass a metal salt which is capable of forming an organometallic cross-link bond having an ionic portion. Coagents include metal salts of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, especially the metal salts of acrylic and methacrylic acids. A representative, but not exhaustive or exclusive, list of ionic curative coagents includes metallic acrylates and methacrylates, such as zinc diacrylate and zinc dimethacrylate, which are available from Sartomer Company as SARET® 633 and SARET® 634, respectively. The use of zinc diacrylate and zinc dimethacrylate as coagents in a much different environment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,535, which is incorporated herein by reference. Generally, the ionic curative coagent is present in an effective amount to increase the degree of rate of cure, and representative amounts are greater than 0 phr to 40 phr, more preferably 10 phr to 20 phr. Polyfunctional unsaturated organic compounds may also be selected as the curative coagent. Suitable polyfunctional unsaturated organic compounds include, by way of example, the following: methacrylates such as trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate; acrylates such as pentaerythritol triacrylate and trimethylolpropane triacrylate; imides such as N,N′-m-phenylene-dimaleimide; triallyl cyanurates; triallyl isocyanurates; and diallyl phthalates.
[0030] Representative hydrophobization (or hydrophobic) agents include, by way of example, the following: organohalosilanes, such as dimethyldichlorosilane, methyltrichlorosilane, dimethyldibromosilane, methyltribromosilane, diethyldichlorosilane, ethyltrichlorosilane, diproplydichlorosilane, diisopropyldichlorosilane, propyltrichlorosilane, dibutyldichlorosilane, and butyltrichlorosilane; disilazanes, such as hexamethyl-disilazane; organosilanes, such as trimethoxy-octyl-silane, hexadecyl silane, methyacryl-silane; siloxanes such as octamethyl-cyclo-tetra-siloxane, and polydimethylsiloxane; compounds with one or more alkylsiloxyl moieties, such as trimethylsiloxyl moieties; or combinations thereof.
[0031] Methods of making various hydrophobization agents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,796, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Hydrophobized silica is also commercially available. For example, silica particles treated with dimethyldichlorosilane are available from Degussa as AEROSIL® R972 and AEROSIL® R974, and are also available from Cabot Corporation as CAB-O-SIL®) TS-610. Silica particles treated with hexamethyl-disilazane are available from Degussa as AEROSIL® R812, AEROSIL® R812S, AEROSIL® R711, and AEROSIL® R8200, and also are available from Cabot Corporation as CAB-O-SIL® TS-500, CAB-O-SIL® TS-530, and CAB-O-SIL® TG-810G. AEROSIL® R8200 has a relatively high bulk density, making it useful for lowering the overall bulkiness of the formulation. Silica particles treated with trimethoxy-octyl-silane are available from Degussa as AEROSIL® R805. Silica particles treated with hexadecyl silane, methyacryl-silane, and octamethyl-cyclo-tetra-siloxane are each available from Degussa as AEROSIL® R816, AEROSIL® R711, and AEROSIL® R104, respectively. Silica particles treated with polydimethylsiloxane are available from Cabot Corporation as CAB-O-SIL® TG-308F and CAB-O-SIL® TG-720. Silica treated with compounds having trimethylsiloxyl moieties is available from Tulco Inc. as TULLANOX 500. Additionally, silica particles treated with a combination of these and other hydrophobic agents include, by way of example, AEROSOIL® R504, which has a combination of triethoxy-propyl-amino-silane and hexamethyl-disilazane as the surface treatment agents.
[0032] As referred to herein, silica particles include, but are not limited to, spherical particles. The silica particles can have grain-like or other nonspherical shapes and may be formed in small agglomerations. Preferably, the treated silica particles have an average surface area of 130 m 2 /grams to 300 m/ 2 /grams and are coated with the hydrophobic agents. Preferably, the treated silica particles have an average particle size in the range of 10 nm to 15 nm.
[0033] Representative concentrations of the hydrophobized silica particles in the insulation composition range, for example, from about 35 phr to about 70 phr. Generally, higher loads of hydrophobic silica particles can be used than hydrophilic silica, since hydrophilic silica particles will impart a greater increase to the viscosity of the insulation composition than an equal amount of hydrophobic silica particles.
[0034] The hydrophobized particles can be used alone or in combination with other materials affecting the ablative and mechanical properties of the insulation. By way of example, suitable materials include polybenzoxazole fibers, iron oxide, milled glass, carbon, ceramic clay, and the like.
[0035] The composition may also optionally include antioxidants to improve the longevity of the cured elastomer. Examples of suitable antioxidants are diphenylamine reacted with acetone, available as BLE®-25 Liquid from Uniroyal Chemical, and a mixture of mono-, di-, and tri-styrenated phenols, available as AGERITE® SPAR from B. F. Goodrich Chemical Co. Other suitable antioxidants include polymerized 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline (AGERITE® RESIN D) and mixed octylated diphenylamines (AGERITE® STALITE S), each of which is available from R.T. Vanderbilt Co.
[0036] Other optional ingredients include fillers that function as flame retardants. Flame retardants, or phosphate char-forming additives, can be used in lesser amounts than most other additives, which makes it easier to formulate the insulation to possess, upon curing, good mechanical properties. Both inorganic and organic flame retardants are expected to be useful in the present invention. An example of an organic flame retardant is chlorinated hydrocarbon, available as DECHLORANE®, in combination with antimony oxide or hydrated alumina. Examples of inorganic flame retardants are phosphate and phosphate derivatives, available as PHOSCHEK P/30® produced by Solutia, Inc.
[0037] An exemplary plasticizer for the inventive composition is TRILENE® 67A, which is a liquid EPDM elastomer available from Uniroyal.
[0038] Tackifiers may also optionally be used. Examples of suitable tackifiers are WINGTACK® 95 made by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and AKROCHEM® P-133 made by Akron Chemical Company.
[0039] Suitable cure activators include metal oxides, such as zinc oxide and magnesium oxide (ELASTOMAG® 170, from Morton Chemical Co.), and stearic acid (including palmitic acid), which is available from Harwick Standard Distribution Corp. of Akron, Ohio.
[0040] It is also highly desirable to incorporate processing aids into the formulation in order to address the high stickiness of the compositions. An exemplary processing aid is STRUKTOL® HPS 11, which is a blend of fatty acid derivatives, and STRUKTOL® WB 16, which is a mixture of fatty acid soaps. Both processing aids are available from Struktol Company. A suitable concentration for the processing aids is about 2 phr.
[0041] Other ingredients well known in the art and/or suitable for use in rocket motor thermal insulation applications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
EXAMPLES
[0042] The following examples illustrate embodiments that have been made in accordance with the present invention, as well as comparative examples prepared for comparison purposes. The inventive embodiments are not exhaustive or exclusive, but merely representative of the many types of embodiments which may be prepared according to this invention.
[0043] The compositions of Examples 1-8 and Comparative Examples A and B are set forth in Tables 1, 3, and 5. Tables 2 and 4 set forth the properties of the compositions subsequent to curing, which was conducted for 1 hour at 150° C. (320° F.). Unless otherwise indicated, all parts are in phr.
Example 1
[0044] A Brabender mixer having a net chamber volume of 350 cubic centimeters was used for conducting a two-pass mix. The batch size was 300 grams. All of the ingredients except for the peroxide were added in the first mix cycle, and mixing was performed at 30 rpm with a dust collection system turned off. In the second mix cycle the dust collection system was turned on, and the peroxide curative was added and mixing was performed at 40 rpm.
Example 2
[0045] A laboratory scale Reliable Rubber & Plastics Machinery Company Model R-260 internal mixture having a net chamber volume of 4260 cubic centimeters was used for Example 2. A two-pass mix was used to make the formulation. The batch size was 3000 grams. All of the ingredients except for the peroxide and SARET® 634 were added in the first mix cycle with the dust collection system turned off and mixed at a 20 rpm mixing speed. After the filler was incorporated, the dust collection system was turned on and the mixer speed increased to 60 rpm to form master batch 1. Master batch 1 was dumped at a temperature between 110° C. (230° F.) and 121.1° C. (250° F.). The peroxide and SAET®) 634 were added to master batch 1 in the second mix cycle and mixed at a mixing speed of 40 rpm, then dumped at a temperature between 65.6° C. (150° F.) and 76.7° C. (170° F.). The dust collection system was on during the entire second mix cycle.
Example 3
[0046] To the fully compounded materials from Example 2 containing the peroxide and coagent, prior to cross-linking, was added extra TULLANOX® until 70 parts per weight of filler was reached.
Comparative Example A
[0047] A Brabender mixer having a net chamber volume of 350 cubic centimeters was used for conducting a two-pass mix. The batch size was 300 grams. All of the ingredients except for the peroxide were added in the first mix cycle, and mixing was performed at 30 rpm with a dust collection system turned off. In the second mix cycle, the dust collection system was maintained off, and the peroxide curative was added and mixing was performed at 40 rpm.
TABLE 1 Com- para- Exam- Exam- Exam- tive ple ple ple Exam- 1 2 3 ple A NORDEL ® 1040 EPDM* 55 55 55 55 NORDEL ® 2522 EPDM* 15 30 30 15 TRILENE ® 67A Liquid EPDM 30 15 15 30 AGERITE ® Resin D 2 2 2 2 WINGTACK ® 95 7 7 7 7 HI-SIL ® 233 — — — 45 TULLANOX ® 500 45 45 70 — N-330 Carbon Black 1 1 1 1 TZFD88-p Zinc Oxide 5 5 5 5 Stearic Acid — 1 1 — SARET ® 634 — 10 10 — DI-CUP ® 40KE 10 10 10 10 Total 170 181 206 170
[0048] [0048] TABLE 2 Compa- rative Exam- Exam- Exam- Exam- ple 1 ple 2 ple 3 ple A Mooney viscosity (MU at 43.8 55.8 85.4 69.5 100° C.; ASTM D1646) Specific Gravity (ASTM D792) 1.0866 1.1030 1.1489 1.0956 Ash Content (%) 31.42 31.17 37.9 30.53 Shore A Hardness 61.2 77.4 81.8 71.0 (ASTM D2240) 100% Modulus (psi) (ASTM 150 459 515 256 D412) Tensile Strength (psi) (ASTM 1780 2810 2610 1990 D412) Elongation (%) (ASTM D412) 724 618 650 671 Tear Resistance (pli) (ASTM 130 327 386 195 D624)
[0049] From Table 1, it is understood that Examples 2 and 3 were prepared in accordance with a preferred embodiment insofar as these examples contain hydrophobic silica, peroxide curative and metallic curative coagent. In Example 1, the composition was free of metallic curative coagent.
[0050] As shown in Table 2, Examples 2 and 3 respectively exhibited tensile strengths of 2810 and 2610 psi, which are about 50% greater than the tensile strength of Example 1 and 30-40% greater than the tensile strength of Comparative Example A. Further, Examples 2 and 3 respectively exhibited tear resistances of 327 and 386 pli, which were 2 to 3 times greater than the tear resistance of Example 1 and more than 50% greater than the tear resistance of Comparative Example A. Furthermore, each of Examples 2 and 3 exhibited a respective stiffness, as measured by 100% modulus, of 459 psi and 515 psi. Generally, the insulation of this invention that is highly tolerant to damage will exhibit a 100% modulus of at least 400 psi, more preferably at least 500 psi, and a tear resistance of at least 300 pli, as measured by the above-mentioned ASTM standards.
[0051] The reduced moisture sensitivity of insulation prepared in accordance with this invention is demonstrated by FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the moisture gain of Example 2 (designated by square data points) and Comparative Example A (designated by diamond data points) were measured at 85% relative humidity over a period of more than 650 hours. The results showed that Comparative Example A gained more than 3 times the amount of moisture over a 650-hour period than Example 2.
[0052] Also of interest is that the tensile strength and tear resistance of Comparative Example A were higher than found in Example 1. This reinforces the unexpected results obtained by this invention, since from Comparative Example A and Example 1, one of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the replacement of hydrophilic silica (Comparative Example A) with hydrophobic silica (Example 1) to adversely affect physical properties. However, the inventors found that the synergistic effect of improved physical properties and lower moisture sensitivity can be realized by using the hydrophobic silica in combination with a peroxide curative and metallic curative coagent.
[0053] The ablative properties of the inventive formulation are illustrated further in connection with Examples 4-8 and Comparative Example B below. Examples 4 and 8 and Comparative Example B
[0054] The two-pass mix cycle described above in connection with Example 1 was used to make Examples 4 and 8, except that mixing was performed in a laboratory scale Reliable Rubber & Plastics Machinery Company Model R-260 internal mixture having a net chamber volume of 4260 cubic centimeters. The batch size was 3000 grams.
Examples 5-7
[0055] A laboratory scale Reliable Rubber & Plastics Machinery Company Model R-260 internal mixture having a net chamber volume of 4260 cubic centimeters was used for Examples 5-7. Because of the bulkiness of the hydrophobic silica, a three-pass mix was used to make the formulations. The batch size for each phase of the mixing was 3000 grams. All of the ingredients except for the peroxide and half of the hydrophobic particles were added in the first mix cycle with the dust collection system turned off and mixed at a 20 rpm mixing speed. After the filler was incorporated, the dust collection system was turned on and the mixer speed increased to 60 rpm to form master batch 1. Master batch 1 was dumped at a temperature between 110° C. (230° F.) and 121.1° C. (250° F.). Similarly, master batch 2 was mixed by adding the remainder of the hydrophobic filler to master batch 1, with the mixer speed set at 20 rpm and the dust collection system turned off. After the filler was incorporated, the dust collection system was turned back on, and the mixer speed was increased to 60 rpm. Master batch 2 was dumped at a temperature between 110° C. (230° F.) and 121.1° C. (250° F.). The peroxide was added to master batch 2 in the third mix cycle and mixed at a mixing speed of 40 rpm, then dumped at a temperature between 65.6° C. (150° F.) and 76.7° C. (170° F.). The dust collection system was on during the entire third mix cycle.
TABLE 3 Example 4 Example 5 Example 6 Example 7 Example 8 NORDEL IP ® NDR-4640** 55 55 55 55 55 NORDEL IP ® NDR-4520** 30 30 30 30 15 NORDEL IP ® NDR-3722p — — — — 30 TRILENE ® 67A Liquid 15 15 15 15 — EPDM AGERITE ® Resin D 2 2 2 2 2 WINGTACK ® 95 7 7 7 7 7 CAB-O-SIL ® TS-530 — 70 — — — AEROSIL ® R812S — — 70 — — TULLANOX ® 500 45 — — 70 — AEROSIL ® R8200 — — — — 70 Stearic Acid 1 1 1 1 1 STRUKTOL ® HPS 11 — — — — 2 N-330 Carbon Black 1 1 1 1 1 TZFD88-p Zinc Oxide 5 5 5 5 5 SARET ® 634 zinc 10 10 10 10 10 dimethacrylate DI-CUP ® 40KE 6 10 10 6 4.5 Total 177 206 206 202 202.5
[0056] [0056] TABLE 4 Example 4 Example 5 Example 6 Example 7 Example 8 Mooney vis- 56.0 106.4 111.4 92.3 85.9 cosity (ML 1 + 4 at 100° C.) (ASTM D1646) Mooney 11.2 14.1 18.0 10.9 scorch time (MS + 1 at 115.6° C.) (ASTM D1646) Oscillating disk rheome- ter (160° C., 5° arc) (ASTM D2084) Ts2, min 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.0 2.7 ML, in.-lb. 12.3 14.5 14.0 12.5 16.9 MHR or MH 96.6 173.0 198.4 118.4 107.3 (after 2 hrs) (in.-lb) Mc (90) (in- 88.2 157.2 180.0 107.8 98.3 lb.) Tc (90) 29.0 20.8 24.5 19.5 75.0 (min) Specific Gra- 1.0933 1.164 1.169 1.154 1.1531 vity (ASTM D792) Ash Content 29.7 38.9 39.2 37.8 38.5 (%) Shore A 68.2 87.8 86.8 84.4 85.1 Hardness (ASTM D2240) 100% Modu- 369 918 943 492 519 lus (psi) (ASTM D412) Tensile 3100 2800 2810 2780 2710 Strength (psi) (ASTM D412) Elongation 649 490 478 750 754 (%) (ASTM D412) Tear Resis- 346 375 381 470 443 tance (pli) (ASTM D624)
[0057] The Mooney viscosities of the formulations that contained 70 phr of filler were on the high side, but still within the experience base for conventional silica-filled EPDM insulation formulations. All of the inventive formulations exhibited excellent physical properties. The lower stiffness of Examples 4, 7, and 8 was attributed to its lower peroxide levels.
TABLE 5 (Comparative Example B) DL1552A THERMAL INSULATION FORMULATION Parts by Ingredient Weight Buna EP T 3950 (Bayer Corp., Fiber, Additives and Rubber 75 Division of Orange, Texas) NORDEL ® 2722E (DuPont Dow Elastomers) 20 WINGTACK 95 (hydrocarbon resin) (Goodyear Tire and 7 Rubber Co., Chemical Division of Beaumont, Texas) IRGANOX 1010 (tetrakis [methylene-3 -(3′5′-di-tert-butyl- 1 4′-hydroxyphenyl) proprionate]methane) (Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Additives Division, Tarrytown, N.Y.) TRYCOL DA-6 (decyl polyoxyethylene alcohol) (Chemical 0.5 Associates, Inc. of Copley, Ohio) Stearic acid (including palmitic acid) (Harwick Standard 1 Distribution Corp. of Akron, Ohio) HiSil 233 (silica hydrate) (PPG Industries, Inc. of Lake 45 Charles, Louisiana) Aluminum oxide C (Al 2 O 3 ) (Degussa Corporation 0.3 of Ridgefield Park, N.J.) N330 carbon black (Columbian Chemicals Co. of Marietta, 1 Ga.) KALENE 1300 (butyl gum elastomer) (Hardman Division of 20 Harcros Chemicals, Inc. of Belleville, N.J.) HYPALON 20 (chlorosulfonated polyethylene) (DuPont Dow 5 Elastomers) AGERITE Resin D (polymerized trimethyl dihydroquinone) 0.25 (R.T. Vanderbilt Co., Inc. of Buena Park, Ca.) TZFD-88p (zinc oxide dispersed in an EPDM binder) (Rhein 2 Chemie Corp. of Trenton, N.J.) SP 1056 (bromomethyl alkylated phenolic resin) (Schenectady 15 Int'l, Inc. of Schenectady, N.Y.) Total Parts by Weight 193.05
[0058] Examples 5-7 were subject to comparison testing against Comparative Example B, which represents a conventional thermal insulation formulation known as DL1552A (see Table 5) and containing hydrophilic silica, in a modified high-Mach char motor (see FIG. 3) fired with RSRM TP-H1148 (polybutadieneacrylic acid acrylonitrile (PBAN)-based) propellant. In the char motor test assembly, the propellant was contained in a beaker 30. Low velocity insulation test specimens were located at region 32 upstream of the throat 34, medium velocity insulation test specimens were located in the region 36, and high velocity insulation test specimens were located in region 38. Generally, such a char test motor assembly allows the location of a plurality of different insulation formulation test specimens about the circumference at any of regions 32, 36, and 38 in a conventional manner.
[0059] The motor was fired for 11.49 seconds at an average pressure of 947 psi. The moisture insensitive Examples 5-7 exhibited better results, particularly in the high-velocity section of the char motor (average Mach Number from 0.04 to 0.07) compared to Comparative Example B. In the high-velocity region, Examples 5-7 respectively exhibited 25.4, 38.4, and 23.9% less ablation than Comparative Example B.
[0060] The ablative performance of the hydrophobic silica-filled insulation was also assessed by use of thermal flash testing. The specific thermal flash test was developed to evaluate materials used in the severe ablative environment of the aft dome of a large solid rocket motor. Samples were exposed to high heat flux from calibrated quartz lamps while air was forced over the samples to cause degradation. The thickness of the samples was measured before and after thermal exposure. For the purposes of this experiment, the materials were subjected to a heat flux of 40 cal/(cm 2 )(sec) and an exposure time of five seconds in a wind tunnel. Subsonic airflow was available to remove pyrolysis products in order to maintain the desired incident heat flux at the specimen surface. A bank of quartz lamps supplied the heat flux. The total material losses for Examples 5-7 were 32.3 mils, 32.0 mils, and 31.8 mils, respectively, compared to 55.5 mils for Comparative Example B. FIG. 4 shows a comparison of thermal flash test results for Example 2 (triangles) and Example 3 (squares) compared to Comparative Example B (diamonds). The moisture insensitive insulation of this invention had losses that were 42 to 44% lower, and hence significantly better, than the standard conventional insulation.
[0061] The foregoing detailed description of the invention has been provided for the purpose of explaining the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The foregoing detailed description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed. Modifications and equivalents will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art and are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
|
A rocket motor insulation including an elastomer-based polymer is improved in its processability by the addition of silica particles treated with a hydrophobic coating. The insulation also preferably includes a metallic coagent cross-linker, which when used in combination with the hydrophobic silica particles increases the tear strength and the elasticity of the insulation, while at the same time not adversely affecting the bonding characteristics of the insulation.
| 5
|
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCED OR INCORPORATED MATERIAL
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is related to the field of construction and specifically to framed openings necessary in masonry construction such as windows and doors which are integral to masonry walls. Particularly, the invention is directed to a device used to brace such framed openings in masonry wall construction.
[0005] In the art of masonry wall construction, it is quite common, especially in commercial applications, for any openings necessary in the walls to be framed-in prior to the construction of the wall. As such, contractors erect door and window frames by utilizing temporary bracing outside the plane of the wall, and then erect the masonry wall block by block around the frame. Therefore, the frames are put into place before the walls are built.
[0006] During the wall construction, it is extremely important that the opening frame be kept secure and in-place. This security is necessary because even the slightest movement of the frame could bring the frame out of plumb. Moreover, if the frame is out of plumb once the masonry has set, the windows or doors will not install or function properly and the frame cannot be readjusted without rather extreme measures.
[0007] The traditional method for securing masonry wall frame openings during wall constructions has been to custom craft brace supports on site out of construction lumber or other materials present on the job site for each individual application. Basically, contractors take wood from other areas of the construction site and nail the wood to the flooring and further secure the wood to the frame. Once the frame is set and the wall is completed, the wooden bracing is discarded.
[0008] Thus, this traditional method of brace construction is very wasteful in terms of time, money, and materials because the contractor spends time and money purchasing the wood, custom crafts the supports to fit the particular opening, and then discards the wood after each frame and wall has been completed. This waste has negative effects on the contractors' bottom line as well as on the Earth's environment.
[0009] Several alternate systems of door frame supports that vary from the traditional mode have been created. One such alternate system is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,171 to Ruff et al. Ruff discloses a door frame fixturing and bracing apparatus that relies on a rigid fixturing frame and bracing legs. The rigid frame of the Ruff invention is bulky and difficult to transport. It is expensive to make and use relative to the traditional methods and it is difficult to teach unskilled workers how to use properly. Importantly, the Ruff invention is attached to the door frame with screws which further complicate the process. Because of the screws and the rigidity, the invention only works with a single sized door which severely limits jobsite utilization. Accordingly, the Ruff invention will not work with smaller sized openings such as vents or windows. Moreover, the “legs” of the Ruff invention still must be fabricated out of “annular conduit . . . found in most commercial settings and on job sites” in order for the invention to function properly. And, once these legs are constructed, they are limited as to support placement because of their relationship to the rigid frame.
[0010] A second alternate system claiming to be an improvement on Ruff is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,901 to Kurfees. Kurfees discloses a kit for supporting a door frame which utilizes inter-jam foam supports and associated perpendicular support braces. The kit is rather bulky and while installed makes movement through the doorway impossible because the foam blocks span the width of the door. Also, the kit of Kurfees is not designed to adjust and adapt to many different sizes of door frames and other openings such as framed vents. Similarly, it is not suited to be used with windows as glass would prevent the attachment of the clamping mechanism. By design, the kit of Kurfees mandates that the support braces be perpendicular to the wall which limits arrangement of the braces relative to particular construction environments. Kurfees also lacks the ability to easily fine tune the lengths of the support braces and to easily fine tune the width of the clamping “holder” mechanism. Importantly, the clamping or “holder” mechanism of Kurfees is not designed to accommodate the great varieties of door jam depths that occur in a construction environment. The width of the J hook portion of either end of the holder is inherently limited such that, though the length may be adjusted, its width cannot accommodate varying depths of door jams.
[0011] Therefore, there exists in the art a need for an improved door frame support system that is versatile enough to be used with a variety of framed openings including doors, vents, and windows, is lightweight enough to be transported from jobsite to jobsite, is durable enough to withstand repeated use, is compact and versatile enough to function in a variety of environments, and is fine tunable enough so as to incrementally adjust to particular and varied bracing requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In light of the prior art, the present invention answers a long felt need in the art by providing an improved framed opening bracing device that is versatile, compact, lightweight, durable, fine tunable, and economical.
[0013] A principle element of the present invention relates to its versatility. The invention is designed to be used and reused ad infinitum on numerous job sites and for numerous types and sizes of framed openings. It can be used to support door frames with wide or narrow, tall or short wall openings. It is designed to adjust to door frames having wide door jams as well as those with small door jams. Similarly, it is not limited by those door jams that are extra deep in their encasement of the abutting walls.
[0014] Importantly, the invention is not limited to doors and fully functions to support any framed opening such as a vent or window placed anywhere on a wall. The invention also is designed to function during the instillation of windows which have glass already installed by utilizing a corner braced support unit.
[0015] Related to its versatility is the invention's compact, minimalist size concept. Rather than utilizing bulky rigid frames or cumbersome blocks, the present invention accomplishes framed opening stability bracing through secured angled supports. Some jobs may require only a single brace and others may require multiple braces. Thus, the contractor is not pigeon holed into a single rigid design but can use as many of the independent supports as necessary. Importantly, these supports do not block the opening even when multiple supports are utilized in order to secure a particular frame. For instance, supports can be attached to the top of the frame or the sides while the central opening remains relatively free and open for light, air, and objects to pass. A double door opening may require even more support which is accommodated under the present invention by applying additional copies of the device with various attachment points as necessary.
[0016] Another feature of the invention that adds to its versatility is its lightweight. The invention is designed to be lightweight so that it can be easily transported from opening to opening and from jobsite to jobsite. Moreover, multiple copies of the invention may be easily carried by a single worker as required for a particular job.
[0017] The invention is also designed to be extremely durable such that it can easily withstand the harsh conditions of a commercial construction environment. As a typical construction environment can be exposed to the natural elements as well as to mechanical elements of the construction process, the invention is designed to be constructed of resilient material such as steel. Moreover, there are very few moving parts such that the device withstands typical abuses. Finally, there are no small removable parts to be lost in the dynamic construction environment.
[0018] Yet another important feature of the present invention relates to its fine tune adjustment elements. In addition to features which allow for adjustments of the device on a larger scale relative to various sizes of framed openings, the device also includes fine tune adjustments which allow the contractor to refine the degree and placement of the independent supports in order insure that a given framed opening is properly set and plumb. For instance, once the support is anchored to the flooring and the support is provisionally attached to the framed opening, the support may yet be further micrometerly adjusted to affect proper framed opening alignment.
[0019] Because of many of the above features, the design of the present invention is quite cost effective. No longer must wasteful traditional wooden supports be constructed and then deconstructed for each framed opening because the present invention is completely reusable. Moreover, the simplicity lowers the learning curve for installation that is applicable to many different types and sizes of framed openings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door frame being supported by the framed opening bracing system with one brace utilizing the corner unit means of frame attachment and one brace utilizing the versatile clamp means of frame attachment.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a door frame being supported by the framed opening bracing system and highlighting the use of the versatile clamp means of frame attachment.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a side view of a door frame being supported by the framed opening bracing system and highlighting the use of nails to secure the fixable base.
[0023] FIG. 3A is a side view of a door frame being supported by the framed opening bracing system and highlighting the use of a cement block to secure the fixable base.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a door frame being supported by the framed opening bracing system and highlighting the use of the corner unit means of frame attachment.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view highlighting the corner unit means of frame attachment and the fine tune micro-adjustment means of the support arm.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] It is to be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention. The following example is provided to further illustrate the invention and is not to be construed to unduly limit the scope of the invention.
[0027] The present invention is a framed opening bracing system that utilizes one or more bracing arm devices to secure the frame during construction. The device of the present invention comprises a frame attachment means, a support arm ( 40 ), and a fixable base ( 30 ). The frame attachment means further consists of either a versatile clamp ( 60 ) or a corner support unit ( 50 ).
[0028] The versatile clamp ( 60 ) secures the bracing arm device to the frame ( 10 ). It is pivotally connected to the support arm ( 40 ) and temporarily attaches to the frame ( 10 ) by means of compression applied to the facial surfaces of the frame ( 10 ). This attachment to the frame ( 10 ) is designed to be nondestructive, to not mar the finish of the frame, and to not compromise the structural integrity of the frame. Moreover, the versatile clamp ( 60 ) can be applied and positioned at any point along the perimeter of the frame ( 10 ) as necessitated by the construction environment or preferred by the contractor.
[0029] The versatile clamp ( 60 ) further comprises a pivotal connection member ( 61 ), a fixed stop ( 62 ), a pressure pad ( 63 ), a relative pressure adjustment means 64 ), and a fine tune pressure adjustment means ( 65 ). The pivotal connection member ( 61 ) is the point of attachment to the support arm ( 40 ). It allows for the angled articulation of the support arm ( 40 ) relative to the versatile clamp ( 60 ) affixed to the frame ( 10 ). In one embodiment, this member comprises a cylindrical cavity which accepts a cylinder and pin type connection from the support arm ( 40 ).
[0030] The pivotal connection member ( 61 ) is fixedly connected to the fixed stop ( 62 ). The fixed stop ( 62 ) is one of two points of contact with the framed opening ( 10 ). The fixed stop ( 62 ) is designed to be reciprocal to the pressure pad ( 63 ) which, when utilized, is located on the opposite facing of the framed opening ( 10 ).
[0031] The relative pressure adjustment means ( 64 ) is connected to the fixed stop ( 62 ) and is designed to allow the contractor to relatively adjust the distance between the fixed stop ( 62 ) and its reciprocal pressure pad ( 63 ). In one embodiment, the relative pressure adjustment means ( 64 ) is a lockable sliding bar wherein the connected fine tune adjustment ( 65 ) and pressure pad ( 63 ) traverses the length of the bar by sliding as desired by the contractor. When the proper relative width is reach, the contractor locks the pad ( 63 ) in place and then adjusts the fine tune pressure adjustment means ( 65 ).
[0032] The fine tune pressure adjustment means ( 65 ) is connected to the relative pressure adjustment means ( 64 ) and is designed to operate once the relative pressure adjustment means ( 64 ) has been locked in place by the contractor. The fine tune pressure adjustment means ( 65 ) is designed to allow for adjustment of the pressure applied to the frame on a micro scale with respect to the relative pressure adjustment means ( 64 ). In one embodiment, this means is realized through a threaded fitting that increases or decreases pressure when the contractor rotates a treaded member.
[0033] The pressure pad ( 63 ) is attached to the fine tune adjustment means ( 65 ) and is reciprocal to the fixed stop ( 62 ). In one embodiment, the pad ( 63 ) is pivotally attached to the fine tune adjustment means ( 65 ) so that it can pivot in order to better meet and contact the facing of the frame ( 10 ).
[0034] Thus, by first facilitating relative adjustment and then by facilitating fine tune pressure adjustment, the invention allows the contractor to set up the frame ( 10 ) and braces quickly in the desired angular position and then fine tune the pressure applied to the frame ( 10 ).
[0035] A second frame attachment means is the corner support unit ( 50 ). The corner support unit ( 50 ) is an additional means of attaching the support device to the framed opening ( 10 ). The corner support unit ( 50 ) comprises an angled bracket ( 51 ) and an angled pivotal connection member ( 52 ). The angled pivotal connection member ( 52 ) is the point of attachment to the support arm ( 40 ). It allows for the angled articulation of the support arm ( 40 ) relative to the angled bracket ( 51 ) pressed to the frame ( 10 ). In one embodiment, this angled pivotal connection member ( 52 ) comprises a cylindrical cavity which accepts a pin type connection from the support arm.
[0036] The angled bracket ( 51 ) of the corner support unit is designed to fit tightly in the corner joint of the frame ( 10 ). Thus, the angle of the unit ( 50 ) is matched to the angle of the corner of the frame ( 10 ). Typically, this corner is at a 90° angle though it could be many different angles and alternate embodiments of the support would correspond to the angle of the frame corner. Importantly, the corner unit ( 50 ) can be used where the versatile clamp frame attachment means ( 60 ) will not work such as with a window containing installed glass.
[0037] The support arm ( 40 ) is connected to the frame attachment means. The support arm is designed to bridge the distance between the floor and the frame ( 10 ) at a variable length as desired by the contractor for maximizing support relative to construction conditions. The support arm ( 40 ) further comprises a frame attachment connector member ( 46 ), a relative distance adjustment means ( 41 ), a fine tune micro-adjustment means ( 42 ), and a base connector member ( 66 ).
[0038] The frame attachment connector member ( 46 ) of the support arm ( 40 ) is the point of attachment to the pivotal connection member ( 61 ) of the frame attachment means. Being pivotally connected to the frame attachment means ( 60 ), it allows for the angled articulation of the support arm ( 40 ) relative to the versatile clamp ( 60 ) or corner support unit ( 50 ) affixed to the frame ( 10 ). In one embodiment, this member comprises a cylindrical stud which passes through the cylindrical cavity of the pivotal connection member ( 61 ) and is locked in place via a pin type connection.
[0039] The relative distance adjustment means ( 41 ) and the fine tune micro-adjustment means ( 42 ) are connected in series to the frame attachment connector member ( 46 ) and the base connector member ( 66 ). The relative distance adjustment means ( 41 ) is made of piping or tubing that is configured in a telescoping arrangement such that a smaller segment ( 45 ) fits just inside of a slightly larger segment ( 44 ). These segments fit together in a telescoping arrangement. There are numerous arrangements and alternatives for securing the pipe or tube fittings together but the preferred embodiment utilizes two set screws ( 43 ) per arm pair which can be loosened in order to adjust the relative length of the arm and tightened to set the relative length of the support arm ( 40 ). Moreover the piping or tubing can be circular or polygonal having rounded or flat faces. The preferred embodiment is rigid with angled flat faces such as shown in the drawings utilizing square tubing.
[0040] The fine tune micro-adjustment means ( 42 ) provides a means of adjusting the length of the support arm on a small scale. This allows the contractor to micrometerly change the length of the support arm ( 40 ) and consequentially the position of the frame ( 10 ) so as to place the frame ( 10 ) to plumb as desired. In the preferred embodiment, the fine tune micro-adjustment means ( 42 ) is achieved via a turnbuckle where in the contractor rotates the oppositely threaded shaft clockwise or counterclockwise to lengthen or shorten the support arm ( 40 ) as required.
[0041] The base connector ( 66 ) is the point of attachment to the fixable base ( 30 ). This connection allows the support arm ( 40 ) to pivot with respect to its angle with the floor. In one embodiment, the base connector ( 66 ) is a cylindrical stud that passes through a pin type connection with the fixable base ( 30 ).
[0042] The fixable base ( 30 ) is the point of attachment of the bracing arm device to the floor of the construction site. The fixable base ( 30 ) is designed to connect to many different types of flooring materials such as: wood, concrete, steel, ceramic, carbon-composite, polymeric, and earth. It comprises a flat plate member and a support arm connector ( 34 ). The support arm connector ( 34 ) is designed to pivotally connect to the support arm ( 40 ). In the preferred embodiment, the support arm connector ( 34 ) is a cylindrical cavity which accepts the connection of the of the support arm.
[0043] The flat plate member of the fixable base ( 30 ) further comprises a means of connecting the flat plate to the floor. The preferred embodiment of this floor connection means includes a plurality of holes ( 31 ) through which attachment implements may be inserted in order to attach the plate to the flooring. This attachment can be accomplished through the use of a variety of attachment implements including nails ( 32 ), stakes, and screws. Additionally, the plate is designed to be flat so that heavy objects, such as concrete blocks ( 33 ) associated with masonry construction ( 20 ), can be utilized as a floor connection via a downward force exerted on the flat plate member when the block ( 33 ) is placed on the fixable base ( 30 ). Additional embodiments include the use of such attachments as: suction cups, magnets, hook and loop fasteners, and adhesives.
[0044] The first step in applying the above devices to a construction project is to assess the framed opening to be supported. The contractor must decide in which directions the framed opening must be supported. For instance, if the frame is nailed to the floor, the door is likely to rotate about this lower sill or threshold axis and support would be required perpendicular to the plane of the door. Next, the contractor must take into account environmental factors such as flooring type and whether or not there exists additional elements to the frame such as glass installed in a window or pre-hung doors. Further, the contractor must take note as to whether or not grout is to be applied between the block and the frame cavity.
[0045] After assessing the frame to be supported, the contractor will select a combination of supports selected from the above devices that maximizes the framed opening support. For movement in the plane of the frame, the corner unit can be utilized with the support arm extending roughly parallel to the plane of the frame. For movement perpendicular to the plane of the frame, the versatile clamp version can be applied at an angle perpendicular to the frame of the door. Similarly, where there is some impediment to using the versatile clamp, the corner unit can be applied at an angle perpendicular to the frame. If grout is to be applied to the frame cavity, bracing can be applied in order to counter the bowing effect of the weight of the grout in the interstitial spaces via the versatile clamp. In such situations, the versatile clamp is applied to the side facing of the framed opening with the support arms angled roughly in the plane of the wall opposite the facing to which the versatile clamp is attached.
|
The invention is a framed opening bracing system. The invention features frame bracing devices which attach to the framed opening and to the flooring or other surface of a construction job site. The devices attach to the frame via a versatile clamp unit or a corner support unit and extend to the floor via bracing arms. The corner support unit attaches via pressure applied at an angle to the frames corner and the versatile clamp unit attaches via pressure applied to the facings of the frame. The arms feature two levels of adjustment, a relative distance adjustment and a fine tune distance adjustment, which can be manipulated to set a framed opening to plumb and to keep the frame securely in place during wall construction.
| 4
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application Ser. No. 86119851, filed Dec. 27, 1997, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC), and more particularly to a method of fabricating an isolation structure to isolate devices in order that the devices can normally operate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A complete IC is composed of thousands of transistors. To prevent short circuit occurring between adjacent transistors, isolation structures have to be formed to isolate the transistors. Isolation structures are usually in the form of thick oxide, which are formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. One of the most commonly used isolation structures is local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS). The LOCOS technique is now a mature technique with lower cost and high reliability. However, some drawbacks of the LOCOS technique still exist, including undesired stress and bird's beak. Especially, bird's beak results in noneffective isolation for small size devices. Therefore, it is not suitable for high density semiconductor devices.
Shallow trench isolation (STI) structures are now widely used for IC devices isolation. Typically, silicon nitride is used as a hard mask to etch the semiconductor substrate anisotropically to form a substantially vertical trench. Then, the trench is filled with oxide to be a device isolation structure. The upper surface of the isolation structure is about at the same level as the upper surface of the original substrate. The thickness of the STI structure provides effective isolation and is suitable for smaller size devices. Also, the STI technique provides a overall planarized surface. Therefore, the STI structure takes place of the conventional LOCOS structure to be applied in a number of device isolation techniques such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
A conventional process for fabricating a STI structure is illustrated as followed.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a pad oxide layer 11 and a silicon nitride layer 12 are successively formed over the substrate 10. Next, after forming a photoresist layer 13, the substrate 10 is then patterned by anisotropically etching, using the photoresist layer 13 as a mask so that a trench 14 is formed. The trench 14 has a periphery and exposes the inner surface of the substrate 10.
Next, referring to FIG. 1B, after removing the photoresist layer 12, a thermal oxidation process is performed. The substrate 10 is placed at a furnace containing dry oxygen, at a temperature of about 850˜950° C. so that an oxide layer 16 is formed to cover the trench 14. The oxide layer 16 is a silicon dioxide layer, with a thickness of about 200˜600 Å. This oxide layer 16 is used as liner oxide. Then, an insulating layer 17 is deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), which covers the oxide layer 16. The insulating layer 17 is an oxide produced by using the TEOS as gas source. The oxide is then processed through densification.
Next, referring to FIG. 1C, the insulating layer 17 and the silicon nitride layer 12 are polished by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) until substantially a portion of the silicon nitride layer 12 is left on the substrate 10 wherein the remaining silicon nitride layer 12 has a thickness of about hundreds of Å. Then, a conventional cleaning step, using fluoric acid solution to wash the exposed substrate 10, is performed to obtain hydrophobic substrate surface. Alternatively, using perhydroxyl oxide to wash the exposed substrate 10 to obtain a hydrophilic substrate surface.
Next, referring to FIG. 1D, oxygen is introduced into a furnace at a temperature of about 850˜950° C. to form a sacrificial oxide layer 18, covering the substrate 10, the insulating layer 17a. Conventional ion implantation processes are then performed to form wells and channel stop layer(not shown) at the substrate 10 and also to adjust the threshold voltage. Diluted fluoric acid is then used to wash the substrate and to remove the sacrificial oxide layer 18. A gate oxide layer 18' shown in FIG. 1E is then formed in a furnace.
Generally, during the process of using the flouric acid to wash the sacrificial oxide layer 18, the oxide layer 16 is usually over etched because the difference of the etching rate of the sacrificial oxide layer and the liner oxide layer 16. As a result, the upper surface of the oxide layer 16 around the periphery of the trench becomes lower than the upper surface of the substrate, as shown in FIG. 1E. Overetching occurring at the junction of the oxide layer 16 and the surface of the substrate 10 forms concave 19. In the continuing processes, as a conductive structure is formed over the concave 19, the current in the conductive structure will flow into other device structure, which results in an undesired electrical coupling of the devices and the conductive structure. This effect is so-called kink effect.
The STI structure has been widely for the process of less than 0.25 μm. However, the most serious problem is that concave usually forms at the periphery of the trench as the flouric acid is usually for cleaning the sacrificial oxide layer, which results in so-called subthreshold kink effect. Especially, during the process of dual gate oxide layer, the problem caused by flouric acid washing becomes even more serious. Within the processes of forming n-type and p-type gate, the kink effect of the PMOS is more serious than the kink effect of the NMOS because the doping dosage of phosphorous or arsenic in the n-well is higher than the doping dosage of boron or flouric boron in the p-well, the damage of the oxide for the PMOS STI structure is more serious and the concave becomes more apparent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of shallow trench isolation without kink effect.
It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a method of shallow trench isolation without kink effect, which consequently increases the performance of the devices.
The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing a method of forming a shallow trench isolation structure. An etching stop layer is first formed on the substrate. A trench is then formed on the substrate. An insulating layer is formed to fill in the trench and to cover the substrate. A portion of the insulating layer is removed to expose a surface of the substrate. A dielectric layer is formed over the substrate and the insulating layer by chemical vapor deposition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGS. 1A to 1E are cross sectional views showing a process of fabricating a conventional shallow trench isolation structure; and
FIGS. 2A to 2E are cross sectional views showing a process of fabricating a shallow trench isolation structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 2A, a pad oxide layer 21 and a silicon nitride layer 22 are successively formed on a semiconductor substrate 20. Then, a photoresist layer 23 is formed on the silicon nitride layer 22. After the process of photolithography, a trench 24 is formed on the substrate 20. The silicon nitride layer 22 is usually used as an etching stop layer. A silicon nitride layer 22 can be previously formed over the substrate to be used as an etching stop layer and an etching end point for the continuous etching process. Other structure such as a pad oxide layer can also be formed. The pad oxide layer can be formed, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to prevent the surface of the substrate from being damaged. The pad oxide layer can be a high quality gate oxide layer. The thickness of the pad oxide layer can be formed as desired but has to be thick enough to protect the substrate. If the etching stop layer or the mask layer is compatible with the substrate, it will not be necessary to form a pad oxide layer. However, a silicon nitride layer is usually used as an etching stop layer to release the pressure or stress in the continuing processes. The etching stop layer, such as a silicon nitride layer, can be an etching stop layer as removing oxide. Moreover, during the formation of trenches, a number of layers with different materials have to be removed so that the etching process is preferrably highly anisotropical, such as a reactive ion etching process (RIE), using a mixture of gas as an etchant, to etch the substrate.
Referring to FIG. 2B, after the photoresist layer 22 is removed, an insulating layer 27 is formed over the silicon nitride layer 22 on the substrate 20 and over the trench 24. The insulating layer 27 can be a silicon oxide layer formed by atmosphere chemical vapor deposition (ATCVD), using TEOS as gas source. The formed silicon oxide layer is then densified at a temperature of about 1000° C. for about 10˜30 minutes. Before filling the insulating material 27 into the trench 24, a liner oxide layer 26 is preferrably formed to cover the substrate 20 and the periphery and inner surface of the substrate 20 in the trench 24 by thermal oxidation at a temperature of about 850˜950° C. The thickness of the liner oxide layer can be about 200˜600 Å.
Then, referring to FIG. 2C, a portion of the insulating layer 27 and a portion of the silicon nitride layer 22 are removed to obtain a planarized surface and to expose the remaining silicon nitride layer 22 with a thickness of about hundreds of Å. The removing of a portion of the insulating layer 27 and a portion of the silicon nitride layer 22 can be achieved by CMP. Consequently, portions of the liner oxide layer 26 and the insulating layer 27a are maintained.
Next, referring to FIG. 2D, after removing the remaining silicon nitride layer 22 and the pad oxide layer 21, a dielectric layer 28 is formed over the substrate 20 by CVD. The composition of the dielectric layer 28 can be oxide, silicon-oxy-nitride or silicon nitride. Conventional ion implantation processes are performed to adjust the threshold voltage of the substrate 20, to form wells with different doping type from the substrate or channel stop layer (not shown). The dielectric layer 28 is used as a sacrificial layer to prevent the damage resulted from ion implantation.
Next, referring to FIG. 2E, the dielectric layer 28 is removed to expose the insulating layer 27a and the substrate 20. A gate oxide layer 28' is then grown in a finance. Consequently, the junction 29 of the insulating layer 27a and trench is a planarized surface. As the dielectric layer 28 is silicon oxide, it can be removed by diluted flouric acid. As the dielectric layer 28 is silicon-oxy-nitride, it can be removed by phosphoric acid.
Therefore, one of the characteristics of the invention is forming the sacrificial layer by CVD instead of the conventional method of thermal oxidation. A sacrificial oxide layer formed by thermal oxidation is more easily damaged during the removing step, which therefore results in Kink effect. However, a sacrificial oxide layer formed by CVD provides better protection for the insulating material in the trench, especially during the ion implantation process.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.
|
A method of forming a shallow trench isolation structure is disclosed. A dielectric layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition is used as a sacrificial layer instead of conventional sacrificial oxide layer formed by thermal oxidation. Therefore, the oxide in the trench is further protected and less damaged.
| 7
|
BACKGROUND
Blind rivets (i.e. rivets which can be installed by access to one side only of the workpiece) are well known. Commonly a blind rivet comprises a tubular shell having an elongated shank with a preformed radially enlarged shell head at one end (the head end), in combination with a stem extending through the tubular shell and having a radially enlarged stem head at one end thereof (the head end) adjacent the other end (the tail end) of the shell shank. The other end portion of the stem protrudes from the head end of the shell. The shell shank is inserted through aligned apertures in the workpiece comprising the members to be riveted together so that the shell head abuts the near face of the workpiece and the tail end portion of the shell shank protrudes beyond the remote face (the blind face) of the workpiece. An increasing pulling force is then applied to the protruding portion of the stem relative to the shell, the reaction force being supported by the shell head, so that the stem head deforms the tail end portion of the shell shank radially outwards and axially towards the shell head, to form a blind head which abuts the blind face of the workpiece. The workpiece members are thus clamped together between the shell's preformed head and its blind head. Usually the stem is then broken off flush with, or slightly inside, the head of the shell, at a breakneck preformed at the appropriate position along the stem. The breakneck breaking load is at a tension load which is greater than the load needed to completely form the blind head.
Such blind rivets and the method of using them are well known.
Blind rivets which provide a high level of static and dynamic joint strength need to develop a high retained compressive force on the workpiece, between the preformed and blind heads, and to have a relatively large preformed head and also a blind side head which has a relatively large diameter in contact with the blind face of the workpiece, i.e. a relatively large blind side footprint. An example of such a blind rivet is described in GB 2 151 738 A, and is widely available under the registered trademark HEMLOK.
One problem with such high joint-strength rivets in the past is that they have been restricted in the amount of joint gap closure they can provide, i.e. the amount of gap initially present between the members to be joined, which the rivet can successfully close up during installation in the members, is limited.
SUMMARY
The present invention aims to overcome this problem, and aims to provide a blind rivet which develops a large blind-side head footprint, an enhanced sheet gapclosing ability and also produces a large compressive force on the completed joint.
GB 613882 discloses a blind rivet having a shell without a preformed head, and a method of riveting involving applying axial compression to the shell to form both the blind and near side heads. However the rivet is such that formation of the near side head is completed before formation of the blind side head begins. Furthermore the rivet comprises only a tubular shell without a stem, the placing tool being provided with a reusable mandrel which is removed from the rivet shell after the latter has been completely deformed.
GB 511588 (Chobert), a divisional of GB 511,531, describes a tubular riveting system for securing workpieces together. This earlier method employs a pull-through mandrel having an enlarged head. The riveting tool incorporates an inner sleeve around the mandrel, the sleeve having a smaller diameter than the hole in the workpieces and smaller diameter than the undeformed rivet. The workpieces are thus constrained against the force of the mandrel by the outer part of the tool. However, this prior art relates to pull-through riveting and is not directly applicable to breakstem riveting. Furthermore, the dimensions of the riveting tool do not allow space for a head to form on the rivet unless a countersink is provided in the workpiece nearest the tool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1A, 1 B and 1 C show three successive stages in the deformation of the shell of a first example rivet to form a blind head;
FIGS. 2A to 2 E show five successive stages in the deformation of the shell of a second example rivet to form a blind head, to close the workpiece members together and to form a near side head;
FIGS. 3A to 3 F show six successive stages in the action of deforming the rivet of FIGS. 1A to 1 C or 2 A to 2 E by means of a hydraulically-powered riveting tool;
FIGS. 4A to 4 D show four successive stages in the deformation of a third example rivet, and FIG. 4E is an enlargement of part of FIG. 4B;
FIGS. 5A to 5 D show four successive stages (corresponding to FIGS. 4A to 4 D) in the deformation of a fourth example rivet; and
FIGS. 6A to 6 D show four successive stages in the deformation of a fifth example rivet.
DESCRIPTION
In the various FIGS. 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 , like or corresponding parts of the various rivets, and the placing tool, are indicated by like numerals for ease of understanding and comparison. Thus, all of the example rivets each comprises a tubular shell 11 of low carbon steel and a stem 12 of medium carbon steel. The stem has a radially enlarged head 13 at one end of slightly less diameter than the tubular shell. The stem and shell are assembled so that the stem head 13 is adjacent one face 21 (the tail end face) of the shell. The underhead face 14 is of slightly concavely dished, or part-conical, shape. The major portion 17 of the stem 12 is of uniform diameter, on which the inner wall of the shell is a close fit. However, the portion 15 of the stem immediately adjacent the stem head 13 is of reduced diameter, and this is joined to the remainder 17 of the stem by a transition portion 16 of a diameter intermediate the portion 15 and the major portion 17 of the stem. The stem portion 17 is provided with a breakneck 18 in the well understood way. The shell 11 is provided with an external circumferential groove 19 , which in this example rivet is about half-way between the ends of the shell. On assembly of the shell and stem, the tailmost end portion 20 of the shell, which overlies the stem portions 15 and 16 , is crimped or rolled inwardly into contact with those portions, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, so that its inside and outside diameter tapers inwardly. The tail end face 21 of the shell abuts the head underface 14 as shown in FIG. 1 A. The end 22 of the shell remote from the tail end face 21 is not preformed with a radially enlarged head, as is usual in blind riveting practice, but is of substantially uniform diameter and has a flat “head” end face 23 .
Accordingly the tool employed to place the rivet (which tool is illustrated in FIG. 3) is provided with a nosepiece 24 (illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1, 2 , 4 , 5 and 6 ) which has a flat annular anvil face 25 . This face 25 is of substantially larger external diameter than the rivet shell 11 . The tool is provided with jaws to grip the stem and pulling means, as is illustrated in FIG. 3 . The rivet stem 12 is inserted into the nosepiece and the stem is gripped by the jaws. The rivet is used to join together two metal sheets 26 , 27 , there being a gap 28 between the near sheet 26 and the remote or blind side sheet 27 . The rivet is inserted into the aligned apertures 29 , 29 in the sheets, in which the shell is a sliding fit, until the anvil face 25 abuts the near face 30 of the near sheet. Thus the “head” end face 23 of the rivet shell is substantially level with the near face 30 . The remote end of the shell including the shell circumferential groove 19 protrudes beyond the remote sheet 27 .
The tool is also provided with a sleeve 34 outside the nosepiece 24 , the purpose of which will be described later.
The tool is then actuated to apply a progressively increasing tension force F 1 to the stem 12 with respect to the nosepiece 24 which takes up the reaction force F 2 against the end face 23 of the shell 11 . The axial compression thus applied to the shell by the anvil face 25 and the underface 14 of the stem head 13 , causes the tailmost portion 20 of the shell to buckle outwardly as shown in FIG. 1B to form a bulb 31 between the groove 19 and the end 21 of the shell. Deformation in this way is promoted by weakening groove 19 in the shell, the tapered configuration of the portion 20 of the shell and the interengagement between the tail end face 21 of the shell and the underhead face 14 of the stem head. However it will be apparent to the man skilled in the art of blind rivet design that there are alternative and/or additional ways of promoting deformation of the tailmost portion of the shell.
As the opposing forces F 1 and F 2 are increased, the bulb 31 of FIG. 1B further collapses axially until it forms a blind head 32 on the shell in the form of a folded flange, as shown in FIG. 1 C. This blind head is of relatively large diameter and has a face 33 towards the near sheet 27 which is substantially flat and parallel to the face of the sheet, and is spaced apart from it. Note that formation of the blind head 32 does not rely upon its contact with the rear sheet 27 (although it may contact it).
FIGS. 1A to 1 C are intended to illustrate the construction and function of the rivet 11 , 12 insofar as the formation of the blind head 32 is concerned. Further increase of the tension force F 1 will eventually cause further deformation of the rivet shell, in a manner similar to that which will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
The construction and function of the rivet and placing tool according to this invention, with respect to closing the gap between the sheets, and the formation of the near side head, will now be described with reference to other examples.
FIGS. 2A to 2 E illustrate a rivet which is substantially similar to that of FIG. 1, but is a modification thereof in that it has a physically longer shell 11 to provide a larger grip (i.e. the total thickness of sheets which the rivet can join). The rivet is used to join three sheets 26 , 27 and 38 , with gaps 28 between adjacent sheets. The rivet shell is appropriately longer, so that when the end face 23 of the shell is level with face 30 of the near sheet 26 , the external groove 19 of the shell is also beyond the rear face of the rear sheet 27 (FIG. 2A corresponds to FIG. 1 A). Axial compression of the rivet shell forms a blind head 32 shown in FIG. 2B (which corresponds to FIG. 1C) in the same way as described with reference to FIG. 1 .
Up to the formation of the blind head 32 , the external sleeve 34 of the tool has played no part in the process. In FIG. 1 it is shown with its end face 35 remaining slightly retracted from the anvil face 25 and near face 30 of the sheets, whereas in FIG. 2 its end face 35 is level with the anvil face 25 . In both cases the sleeve 34 has so far not moved with respect to the nosepiece 24 . However, once the blind head 32 has been formed, the blind head can be used to pull the sheets 26 , 34 , 27 together. This is done by transferring the reaction force to the pull F 1 on the stem from the nosepiece 24 to the sleeve 34 . Preferably this transfer is progressive. The result is that, the rivet stem 12 is retracted with respect to the sleeve 34 , thus compressing the sheets between the shell blind head 32 and the sleeve end face 35 which abuts the near face 30 of the near sheet 26 .
If F 1 is the tension force on the stem 12 , F 2 is the reaction force applied by the nosetip anvil face 25 to the head end face 23 of the rivet shell, and F 3 is the reaction force applied by the sleeve end face 35 to the front sheet 26 , then at any position substantially F 1 =F 2 +F 3 , assuming that no resultant force is supported by the sheets. The “head” end portion of the rivet shell 11 progressively emerges from the front sheet 26 , with the nosetip 24 being retracted in unison with the rivet stem. Eventually the three sheets 26 , 38 , 27 are pulled into contact with each other so that the gaps 28 , 28 have disappeared, as in the position illustrated in FIG. 2 C.
It is now required to form a near side head on the rivet shell, i.e. to radially enlarge the “head” most end of the shell.
The placing tool is further actuated so that, whilst retaining the clamping force on the sheets between the blind head 32 and the sleeve 34 , the force F 2 on the nosepiece 24 is increased. In this example, the shell 11 is provided with a second external circumferential groove 36 , which is positioned so that it lies substantially level with the near surface 30 of the near sheet 26 , as illustrated in FIG. 2 C. This groove 36 has less depth than the shell tail end groove 19 , so that the head end groove 36 provides less weakening to the shell than the tail end groove 19 . Under the increasing axial compression on the sleeve, the “head” end portion of the sleeve, between the groove 36 and the end face 23 , buckles outwardly to form first a bulb and then a folded flange (like the blind head 32 ) which provides a near side head 37 , as illustrated in FIG. 2 D. Further increase in the tension force F 1 on the stem causes it to break at the break neck 18 (not shown in FIGS. 2A to 2 D), leaving the installed rivet to form a joint between the sheets 26 , 38 and 27 , as illustrated in FIG. 2 E.
Note that the clamping or compression load on the sheets between the sleeve 34 and the already formed blind head 32 , whilst the near side head 37 is being formed, is not reduced by the force used in deforming the rivet shell to form the near side head. The near side head 37 is formed, clamping the sheets between it and the blind head 32 , whilst the sheets are already clamped together between the sleeve 34 and the blind head 32 . The result is that the riveted joint provides a higher retained clamping force on the sheets than if similar deforming forces were used to form the blind head on an equivalent blind rivet with a preformed near side head. Thus the riveted joint provided by the present invention is stronger.
One form of suitable riveting tool is shown schematically in FIGS. 3A to 3 F. Referring first to FIG. 3A, which shows the tool before a rivet is inserted in it, the tool 41 comprises a generally cylindrical main body 42 containing an upper hydraulic cylinder 43 and a lower pneumatic cylinder 44 , the upper cylinder 43 being approximately twice as long as the lower cylinder 44 . The two are separated by an annular wall 45 from which projects downwardly a cylindrical extension 46 , the lower end of which protrudes from the bottom of the body 42 to provide the tool nosepiece 24 with the flat annular anvil face 25 .
The tool sheet-contacting sleeve 34 surrounds the nosepiece 24 , for axial movement with respect to both the tool body 42 and the nosepiece 24 . The upper end of the sleeve 34 has an outward annular flange 47 , which reciprocates in the lower hydraulic cylinder 44 and is urged upwardly by a coil compression spring 48 . A stop (not shown) prevents the flange 47 from seating on the annular wall 45 , leaving a space between the flange 47 and wall 45 connected by means of a port 49 to a source of variable hydraulic pressure (not shown).
The tool body 42 also contains a pulling piston 51 which can reciprocate with respect to the tool body. The piston 51 comprises essentially a cylindrical piston, which at about the mid point of its length has an outward flange 52 which is a sliding fit in the upper hydraulic cylinder 43 . The flange is urged downwardly by a coil compression spring 53 , and is prevented from seating on the annular wall 45 by means of a stop (not shown), leaving a space between the flange 52 and wall 45 which is connected by means of a port 54 with a source of variable hydraulic pressure (not shown). The lower end part of the extension 46 forming the nosepiece 24 contains the usual jaw assembly 55 for gripping rivet stems and pulling them with respect to the anvil face 25 , and will not be described further.
Clearly increasing the hydraulic pressure supplied to the lower port 49 drives the sleeve 34 downwards against the urging of spring 48 , and increasing the hydraulic pressure supplied to the upper port 54 drives the piston 51 and jaw assembly 55 upwards against the urging of spring 53 . These hydraulic pressures are controlled in a conventional way by convenient known means, in order to move the sleeve 34 and jaw assembly 55 as required and to apply the required force to each of them in order to place a rivet in the way previously described.
In use, the stem 12 of a rivet is inserted into the nosepiece, where it is gripped by the jaw assembly 55 in the usual way, with “head” end of the rivet shell 11 in contact with the anvil face 25 as previously described. The tool is then moved to insert the rivet shell through the aligned holes 29 in the sheets to be riveted, until the anvil face contacts the near face 30 of the near sheet 26 . This is the portion illustrated in FIG. 3 B. FIGS. 3B to 3 F show a rivet similar to that shown in FIG. 1 being placed to rivet two sheets 26 , 27 together, FIG. 3B corresponding to FIG. 1 A. FIGS. 3B to 3 F show the near sheet 26 as being in a fixed position, and the remote sheet 27 being pulled up towards it.
With no hydraulic pressure applied to the sleeve port 49 , a progressively increasing hydraulic pressure is applied to piston port 54 , thus pulling the rivet stem into the nosepiece whilst holding the rivet shell against the anvil face and forming the blind head 32 (FIG. 3C) as previously described. Whilst maintaining the hydraulic pressure at piston port 54 , hydraulic pressure to the sleeve port 49 is progressively increased, driving the sleeve 34 downwards to abut the part sheet 26 and then pulling on the blind head 32 to pull the sheets 27 , 26 together (FIG. 3D) and apply clamping pressure to the sheets 26 and 27 . The nosepiece 24 and tool body 42 move upwards with the rivet stem 12 and rivet shell 11 (accommodating similar amounts of movement of the body of a conventional hand-held blind riveting tool is common practice). Whilst at least initially maintaining the hydraulic pressure to the sleeve port 49 , the hydraulic pressure to the piston port 54 is progressively further increased, thereby to drive the nosepiece 24 and anvil face 25 downwards, with respect to the rivet stem, thus forming the near side head 37 as previously described (FIG. 3 E). During the latter part of this process the hydraulic pressure supply to the sleeve port 49 may be progressively reduced, so as not to overstress the stem at the breakneck 18 .
The hydraulic pressure to the sleeve port 49 is then reduced sufficiently to allow the force of the spring 48 to push the sleeve 34 upwards and withdraw it from contact with the near sheet 26 , so that all the reaction to the pulling force exerted on the rivet stem 12 by the pulling jaw assembly 55 is taken up through the rivet head 37 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 F. The hydraulic pressure to the piston port 54 is then increased until the stem breaks at the breakneck, leaving the riveted joint.
FIGS. 4A to 4 E illustrate another example rivet and method of riveting incorporating two possible alternative features. Firstly, where rivets are likely to be used in oversized holes (i.e. at least some of the holes are likely to be of slightly larger diameter than the recommended size), the radial expansion of the shell to form the blind head 32 can be configured so that the part 56 of the shell immediately adjacent the blind head flange 32 is also somewhat radially expanded, as illustrated in FIG. 4 A. When the blind head is then pulled up against the remote sheet 27 to close the gap 28 and clamp the sheets 26 , 27 together between the sleeve 34 and blind head 32 , as previously described, this radially enlarged part 56 is forced into the remote end of the hole 29 in the remote sheet 27 , to produce localised hole fill, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, providing enhanced sealing of the joint. As illustrated in enlarged FIG. 4E, the edge of the remote sheet 27 around the hole may bite into the part 56 of the shell.
Secondly, an alternative near side head form can be used. The anvil face of the nosepiece 24 is provided with a concavely curved profile as illustrated at 57 in FIGS. 4A to 4 C. When the uppermost part of the shell 11 is pulled against the concave anvil face 54 with sufficient force, it is rolled radially outwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 4C to form a near side head 58 . This is bent downward by the concave anvil face 57 until the outer periphery of the underside of the head 58 abuts the near face 30 of the near sheet 26 , as illustrated in FIGS. 4C and 4D. The uppermost part of the rivet shell is preferably suitably configured to co-operate with the concave anvil face 57 in this mode of deformation.
In certain applications of blind riveting, it is found more convenient first to insert the blind rivet in the hole in the sheets, and then to apply the tool to install the rivet. This method of operation is facilitated by the example rivet illustrated in FIGS. 5A to SD, in which the “head” end of the rivet shell is provided with a vestigial head 59 of minimal radial and axial extent, which is sufficient to engage the near sheet 26 and prevent the rivet from falling through the holes 29 , 29 in the sheets, but would be ineffective to exert any substantial clamping force on the sheets 26 , 27 . Installation of the rivet including formation of the near side head takes place in the same way as previously described. FIGS. 5A to 5 D illustrate the formation of a rolled-over near side head 57 as in FIGS. 4A to 4 D, but equally the vestigial head 59 could be used to produce the bulbed near side head form illustrated in FIG. 2 D.
Another example rivet and method is illustrated in FIGS. 6A to 6 D, for use in making joints between sheets 26 , 27 which are substantially thinner and therefore weaker, than the sheets 26 , 27 referred to previously in this case the force applied to the sheets 26 , 27 between the blind head 32 and the tool sleeve 34 (which has a diameter much larger than the rivet shell 11 and approximately equal to that of the blind head 32 ) is sufficient to deform both the thin sheets in the annular region between the rivet shell 11 and the sleeve 34 into a part conical dished or dimpled form as illustrated at 61 in FIGS. 6B, 6 C to 6 D. The near side head 37 then abuts the top of this dimple. In order to facilitate deformation of the sheets in this way, the rivet is configured so that the blind head 32 has a convex shape on its side nearer the remote sheet 27 , as illustrated in FIG. 6 .
The methods of riveting, and the rivets, described in the foregoing examples are also advantageous in that it is simpler and less expensive to manufacture a blind rivet without a preformed near side head (or with only the vestigial head illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5 D).
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing examples.
|
A method of blind riveting to secure together a plurality of members ( 26, 27, 28 ) with aligned apertures, using a blind rivet comprising a tubular shell ( 11 ) with a head ( 13 ) and a stem ( 12 ) extending through the tubular shell. The method comprises the steps of: inserting the shell through the aligned apertures, from the near face of the near member, so that the remote end of the shell protrude beyond the remote face of the remote member and the nearest end of the shell is substantially level with the near face of the near member; supporting the near end of the shell while pulling the stem head to form a remote blind head; applying a force to the near member with respect to the stem, until any gap ( 28 ) between the members is taken up and deforming the now protruding portion of the shell to form a near-side head of the rivet. The invention also encompasses a blind riveting apparatus and blind rivets for carrying out the method described above.
| 8
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to air maintenance tires and, more specifically, to an air maintenance tire and pumping tube assembly therefore.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Normal air diffusion reduces tire pressure over time. The natural state of tires is under inflated. Accordingly, drivers must repeatedly act to maintain tire pressures or they will see reduced fuel economy, tire life and reduced vehicle braking and handling performance. Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems have been proposed to warn drivers when tire pressure is significantly low. Such systems, however, remain dependant upon the driver taking remedial action when warned to re-inflate a tire to recommended pressure. It is a desirable, therefore, to incorporate an air maintenance feature within a tire that will re-inflate the tire in order to compensate for any reduction in tire pressure over time without the need for driver intervention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the invention, an elongate air tube is positioned within a tire sidewall cavity in contacting internal engagement with internal surfaces of the tire sidewall to form an assembly. The air tube includes a unitary air tube body and an internal preferably elliptical air passageway centrally positioned within the air tube body. The air tube body has wing projections projecting in opposite directions from an axially inward air tube body portion. The wing projections fold to accommodate insertion of the air tube body into the tire sidewall cavity and expand into cavity pockets once inserted to retain the air tube within the cavity. The air tube body operatively compresses responsive to impinging stress forces from the tire sidewall against the air tube body whereby the air tube body reconfiguring from an expanded unstressed configuration into a compressed configuration to constrict the air passageway. The air tube body decompresses into the expanded configuration upon reduction of the impinging stress forces against the air tube body.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of reconfiguring an air tube body within a tire sidewall includes: assembling the elongate air tube described above within a tire sidewall cavity in contacting internal engagement with contact surfaces of the tire sidewall, registering the wing projections into axially inward complementary pockets of the sidewall cavity to retain the tube within the sidewall cavity; flexing the tire sidewall to impinge stress forces from the sidewall contact surfaces on the air tube body; forcibly compressing the air tube body and collapsing the air passageway into a closed configuration.
DEFINITIONS
“Aspect ratio” of the tire means the ratio of its section height (SH) to its section width (SW) multiplied by 100 percent for expression as a percentage.
“Asymmetric tread” means a tread that has a tread pattern not symmetrical about the center plane or equatorial plane EP of the tire.
“Axial” and “axially” means lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Chafer” is a narrow strip of material placed around the outside of a tire bead to protect the cord plies from wearing and cutting against the rim and distribute the flexing above the rim.
“Circumferential” means lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread perpendicular to the axial direction.
“Equatorial Centerplane (CP)” means the plane perpendicular to the tire's axis of rotation and passing through the center of the tread.
“Footprint” means the contact patch or area of contact of the tire tread with a flat surface at zero speed and under normal load and pressure.
“Groove” means an elongated void area in a tire wall that may extend circumferentially or laterally about the tire wall. The “groove width” is equal to its average width over its length. A grooves is sized to accommodate an air tube as described.
“Inboard side” means the side of the tire nearest the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.
“Lateral” means an axial direction.
“Lateral edges” means a line tangent to the axially outermost tread contact patch or footprint as measured under normal load and tire inflation, the lines being parallel to the equatorial centerplane.
“Net contact area” means the total area of ground contacting tread elements between the lateral edges around the entire circumference of the tread divided by the gross area of the entire tread between the lateral edges.
“Non-directional tread” means a tread that has no preferred direction of forward travel and is not required to be positioned on a vehicle in a specific wheel position or positions to ensure that the tread pattern is aligned with the preferred direction of travel. Conversely, a directional tread pattern has a preferred direction of travel requiring specific wheel positioning.
“Outboard side” means the side of the tire farthest away from the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.
“Peristaltic” means operating by means of wave-like contractions that propel contained matter, such as air, along tubular pathways.
“Radial” and “radially” means directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Rib” means a circumferentially extending strip of rubber on the tread which is defined by at least one circumferential groove and either a second such groove or a lateral edge, the strip being laterally undivided by full-depth grooves.
“Sipe” means small slots molded into the tread elements of the tire that subdivide the tread surface and improve traction, sipes are generally narrow in width and close in the tires footprint as opposed to grooves that remain open in the tire's footprint.
“Tread element” or “traction element” means a rib or a block element defined by having a shape adjacent grooves.
“Tread Arc Width” means the arc length of the tread as measured between the lateral edges of the tread.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a tire, rim, and peristaltic tube assembly.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the tire with the peristaltic tube assembly within a tire sidewall.
FIG. 3A is an isometric view of an outlet device component showing of the tube assembly.
FIG. 3B is a plan view of the outlet device.
FIG. 3C is a section view through the outlet device taken along the line 3 C- 3 C of FIG. 3B .
FIG. 4A is an isometric view of an inlet device component of the tube assembly.
FIG. 4B is an isometric view of the inlet device with the filter sleeve in phantom.
FIG. 4C is an isometric view of the inlet device component showing air intake schematically and the tube of the device in phantom.
FIG. 4D is a sectional view through the inlet device taken along the line 4 D- 4 D of FIG. 4B .
FIG. 4E is a section view through the inlet device taken along the line 4 E- 4 E of FIG. 4C .
FIG. 5A is a side elevation view of the tire and peristaltic tube assembly shown schematically rotating against a road surface.
FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of the tire and peristaltic tube assembly shown sequentially subsequent to the position of FIG. 5A .
FIG. 6A is a transverse section view through the tire and non-collapsed peristaltic tube assembly.
FIG. 6B is an enlarged section view of the portion of the tire bead region, rim, and a non-collapsed peristaltic tube segment as identified in FIG. 6A .
FIG. 7A is a transverse section view through the tire and peristaltic tube assembly with the tube in a collapsed configuration.
FIG. 7B is an enlarged section view of a portion of the tire bead region, rim, and collapsed tube segment identified in FIG. 7A .
FIG. 8A is an enlarged sectional exploded view of the tube and tube-receiving groove within the tire sidewall.
FIG. 8B is a subsequent sequential sectional view to FIG. 8A showing insertion of the tube into the sidewall groove.
FIG. 9 is a graph of passageway length versus contact force normal for the tube.
FIG. 10A is a is an enlarged sectional exploded view of a first alternative embodiment of a tube in an open condition and positioned within a tube-receiving groove within a tire sidewall.
FIG. 10B is a an enlarged sectional view of the first alternative tube embodiment in a closed condition within the tire sidewall.
FIG. 11A is an enlarged exploded sectional view of the first alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 11B is an exploded perspective view of a section of the first alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 12A is an enlarged sectional exploded view of a second alternative embodiment of a tube in an open condition and positioned within a tube-receiving groove within a tire sidewall.
FIG. 12B is an enlarged sectional view of the second alternative tube embodiment in a closed condition within the tire sidewall.
FIG. 13A is an enlarged exploded sectional view of the second alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 13B is an exploded perspective view of a section of the second alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 14 is a graph of passageway length versus contact force normal for the second alternative tube embodiment.
FIG. 15A is an enlarged sectional exploded view of a third alternative embodiment of a tube in an open condition and positioned within a tube-receiving groove within a tire sidewall.
FIG. 15B is an enlarged sectional view of the third alternative tube embodiment in a closed condition within the tire sidewall.
FIG. 16A is an enlarged exploded sectional view of the third alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 16B is an exploded perspective view of a section of the third alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 17 is a graph of passageway length versus contact force normal for the third alternative tube embodiment.
FIG. 18A is an enlarged sectional exploded view of a fourth alternative embodiment of a tube in an open condition and positioned within a tube-receiving groove within a tire sidewall.
FIG. 18B is an enlarged sectional view of the fourth alternative tube embodiment in a closed condition within the tire sidewall.
FIG. 19A is an enlarged exploded sectional view of the fourth alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 19B is an exploded perspective view of a section of the fourth alternative tube embodiment and host sidewall groove.
FIG. 20 is a sectional schematic view of a peristaltic tube within a tire sidewall and showing the distance X used to graph against the contact force normal (CFNOR) for the tube embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 , 2 , and 6 A, a tire assembly 10 includes a tire 12 , a peristaltic pump assembly 14 , and a tire rim 16 . The tire mounts in conventional fashion to a pair of rim mounting surfaces 18 , 20 adjacent outer rim flanges 22 , 24 . The rim flanges 22 , 24 , each have a radially outward facing flange end 26 . The tire is of conventional construction, having a pair of sidewalls 30 , 32 extending from opposite bead areas 34 , 36 to a crown or tire tread region 38 . The tire and rim enclose a tire cavity 40 .
As seen from FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 A through 3 C, 4 A through C, 5 A and 5 B, the peristaltic pump assembly 14 includes an annular air tube 48 that encloses an annular passageway 42 . While shown to configure an annular body, the air tube 48 may alternatively configured into other geometric shapes if desired. The tube 48 is formed of a resilient, flexible material such as plastic or rubber compounds that are capable of withstanding repeated deformation cycles wherein the tube is deformed into a flattened condition subject to external force and, upon removal of such force, returns to an original condition. The tube passageway 42 is generally circular in section and is of a diameter sufficient to operatively pass a volume of air sufficient for the purposes described herein and allowing a positioning of the tube in an operable location within the tire assembly as will be described. In the configuration shown, the tube 48 is elongate and circular. An elongate groove of complementary shape to the tube 48 is formed to extend into an axially outward surface of a sidewall such as sidewall 30 , preferably in the geometric form of an annular ring. The other sidewall may be grooved or both sidewalls if so desired. The groove has an internal sectional profile complementary with the external geometry of the tube 48 . The groove complementary internal geometry accommodates close receipt of the tube 48 . FIGS. 1 and 2 represent a prior art configuration of tube and groove, and are disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,586 B2, issued Oct. 25, 2011 entitled: “Self-Inflating Tire Assembly”, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
With reference to FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 A through 3 C and 4 A through E, the peristaltic pump assembly 14 further includes an inlet device 44 and an outlet device 46 spaced apart approximately 180 degrees at respective locations along the circumferential air tube 48 . The outlet device 46 , as shown in FIGS. 3A through 3C , has a T-shaped configuration in which conduits 50 , 52 direct air to and from the tire cavity 40 . An outlet device housing block 58 contains conduit arm ends 54 , 56 that integrally extend at right angles from respective conduits 50 , 52 . The housing 58 is formed having an external geometry that complements and resides within the groove within the sidewall.
The inlet device 44 as seen in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 4 A through 4 E includes an elongate outward porous filtering sleeve 64 encasing an internal intake tube 60 . Ends 66 , 68 of the tube 60 protrude from the sleeve 64 the tube 60 is configured having multiple air intake through-holes 62 . The outward sleeve 64 has an external geometry including a tubular inward air passage body 72 and an axially outward lobe body 70 operationally abutting against an outward surface of the tire sidewall and connecting to the body 72 by a neck junction 74 . Air intake indicated as shown enters through the porous filtering sleeve 64 and the apertures 62 into the intake tube 60 . Ends 66 , 68 of the intake tube 60 are attached to the air tube 48 and reside therewith within the sidewall groove. So located, the tube 60 directs intake air into the tube 48 for pumping into the tire cavity.
As will be appreciated from FIGS. 1 , 2 , 6 A, 6 B, 7 A and 7 B, the pump assembly 14 comprises the air tube 42 and an inlet and an outlet device 44 , 46 . Devices 44 , 46 are affixed in-line to the air tube 42 at respective locations 180 degrees apart. The pumping assembly 14 is thus inserted into the sidewall groove located at a lower sidewall region of the tire. With the tire 12 mounted to the rim 16 , the air tube 42 within the tire is located above the rim flange ends 26
With continued reference to Referring to FIGS. 1 , 2 , 5 A and 5 B, the tire 12 , with the tube 42 positioned within a sidewall groove, rotates in a direction of rotation 76 against ground surface 78 . A compressive force 80 is directed into the tire at the tire footprint and acts to flatten a segment of the air tube passageway 42 opposite the footprint. Flattening of the segment of the passageway 42 forces air from the segment along tube passageway 42 in the direction shown by arrow 82 toward the outlet device 46 .
As the tire continues to rotate in direction 76 along the ground surface 78 , the tube 48 will be sequentially flattened or squeezed opposite the tire footprint segment by segment in a direction opposite to the direction of tire rotation. A sequential flattening of the tube passageway 42 segment by segment will result and cause evacuated air from the flattened segments to be pumped in the direction 82 within tube passageway 42 to the outlet device 46 and from the outlet device 46 to the tire cavity as shown. A valve system to regulate the flow of air to the cavity when the air pressure within the cavity falls to a prescribed level is shown and described in pending U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0272073, and incorporated herein by reference.
With the tire rotating in direction 76 , flattened tube segments are sequentially refilled by air flowing into the inlet device 44 as shown at 84 in FIG. 5A . The inflow of air into the inlet device 44 flows into the tube passageway 42 and continues until the outlet device 46 , rotating counterclockwise as shown with the tire rotation, passes the tire footprint. FIG. 5B shows the orientation of the peristaltic pump assembly 14 in such a position. In the position shown, the tube 42 continues to be sequentially flattened segment by segment opposite the tire footprint by compressive force 80 . Air is pumped in the clockwise direction 82 to the inlet device 44 where it is evacuated or exhausted outside of the tire. When the tire rotates further in counterclockwise direction 76 , 1 the inlet device 44 eventually passes the tire footprint (as shown in FIG. 5A ), and the airflow resumes to the outlet device 46 . Pumped air resumes its flow out and into the tire cavity 40 . Air pressure within the tire cavity is thus maintained at a desired level.
The above-described cycle is then repeated for each tire revolution, half of each rotation resulting in pumped air going to the tire cavity and half of the rotation the pumped air is directed back out the inlet device 44 . It will be appreciated that while the direction of rotation 76 of the tire 12 is as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B to be counterclockwise, the subject tire assembly and its peristaltic pump assembly 14 will function in like manner in a (clockwise) reverse direction of rotation as well. The peristaltic pump is accordingly bi-directional and equally functional with the tire assembly moving in a forward or a reverse direction of rotation.
Referring to FIGS. 6A , 6 B; 7 A, 7 B; 8 A and 8 B, a “side-taper” tube configuration in a first embodiment is shown having a generally truncated wedge shaped cross-section. As used herein, “wedge” refers to the outboard portion of a tube that inserts into a tire sidewall groove. The wedge portion widens from an outer end at the tire sidewall groove entry toward an inner end of the tube positioned at the inward end of the groove. The portion referred to as “wedge portion” of a tube, in the described embodiments, accordingly is referencing the outboard side or portion of the tube that extends within a groove from a tire sidewall groove entry inward. As used herein, “cap portion” refers broadly to the portion of a tube at an inboard side or portion of the tube located at a the inward extremity of a host tire sidewall groove. As used herein, “wing protrusions” refer to laterally projecting portions of a tube body that extend outward from a main tube body and which, when the tube body is seated into its host tire sidewall groove, fit within ancillary groove chambers. The tube 84 is configured having an internal elliptical air passageway 86 in which a longitudinal axis of passageway 86 is oriented transversely through the tube. The air tube 84 has a forward wedge portion or region 88 of smaller diameter and an inboard larger diameter inboard end region 90 . The body of air tube 84 has a flat end surface 92 and divergent angled sides 94 , 96 extending along the air tube from the small-diameter region 88 to the larger diameter inboard end 90 , terminating at rounded corners 100 , 101 at an inboard end surface 98 . The wedge-shaped air tube 84 has preferred dimensions within the ranges specified below. The preferred dimensions are in millimeters:
D1: 6.46+/−0.1 mm;
D2: 0.7+/−0.01 mm;
D3: 1.46+/−0.05 mm;
L1: 4.25 mm;
L2: 2.2+/−0.1 mm;
L3: 1.78+/−0.01 mm;
α: 30.48 degrees
R1: 0.5 mm.
The groove chamber 110 within a sidewall 30 that receives the tube 84 has an internal configuration and geometry generally complimenting the geometry of tube 84 . The groove chamber 110 includes a narrow opening 102 at the outer surface of sidewall 30 ; a wedge shaped internal groove configuration extending from a smaller diameter entry region 104 and widening gradually along angled sides to a wider inboard groove chamber portion terminating at rounded groove inboard corner pockets or regions 106 , 108 . The preferred dimensions of the groove components are as tabulated above and complement corresponding component dimensions of the tube.
Insertion of the tube 84 into the groove 110 is accomplished by compressing the tube into a flat enough dimension to fit within and through the opening 102 . Once situated within the groove chamber 110 , the tube 84 resiliently resumes its original form and fills the void of the groove chamber 110 . The radius corners 100 , 101 of the tube are received within the respective radius pockets or corners 108 , 106 of the groove. The corners 100 , 101 so situated represent wing projections of the tube, located geometrically proximate the wider end of the tube, the wing projections residing within respective complementary configured regions of the groove chamber 110 at the axially inward, wider, groove chamber region. So located, the wing projections 100 , 101 operationally resist lateral withdrawal of the air tube body from the groove chamber. The wider corners 100 , 101 thus serve to retain the tube within the groove chamber without interfering or degrading the tube's capability of performing its primary intended function as an air pumping device through cyclical segment by segment collapsing and expansion of the tube in a rolling tire footprint. The tube 84 is retained within the groove chamber but can still react to the stresses imposed from flexure of the tire sidewall 30 to collapse segment by segment along the air passageway 86 to thereby pump air along the passageway and into the tire cavity.
FIG. 6A is a transverse section view through a tire and FIG. 6B an enlarged view showing the tube 84 situated within a sidewall groove in a non-collapsed condition. The segment of the sidewall 32 shown is outside of the tire footprint and, therefore, is not impinging stress forces of the tube to collapse the tube passageway.
FIGS. 7A and 7B shown the tire rotating against ground surface 78 , placing the sidewall 32 in a stressed condition. The sidewall 32 bulges outwardly and imparts stress forces on the segment of the tube 84 to collapse the tube 84 and the air passageway 86 as shown. Once the collapsed tube segment is no longer opposite the tire footprint against surface 78 , forces on the tube from the sidewall flexure are removed and the tube segment resumes its original, non-collapsed, configuration of FIGS. 6A and 6B . configuration.
With reference to 10 A, 10 B; 11 A and 11 B, a second alternative embodiment of a peristaltic tube 112 in a “fish-hook” configuration is shown. In the tube 112 , a truncate wedge-shaped tube body 114 is defined by outwardly divergent sides 116 , 118 and extends from a small diameter (D3) outboard flat surface 120 to an inboard domed cap region 122 of the tube 112 . Extending outward and arching downward from the cap region 122 are wing projections 124 , 126 along the tube 112 . The surfaces 114 , 116 of the wedge shaped body 114 outwardly diverge at an angle α. The wing projections 124 , 126 project outward and arch backward toward the outboard flat surface 120 end of the body 116 at a reverse angle β. The wing projections 124 , 126 each have an inward segment 132 which curves outwardly from the domed cap 122 at a radius R1 and an adjacent outward arching segment 128 that curves at a radius R2 to rounded ends 130 . The ends 130 are formed at a radius of curvature R3. An elliptical air passageway 134 is located within the tube 112 , having a major longitudinal axis oriented along a cross-sectional centerline of the tube. The passageway 134 has an outboard, axially outward end 136 situated within the wedge body 114 of the tube 112 and an inboard, axially inward end 138 situated within the cap region 122 , equidistant between the wing projections 124 , 126 . The length of the elliptical passageway 134 is L2 and its transverse width is D2. D1 designates the wider span of the tube at the inboard, axially inward end and D3 the narrower end of the tube at surface 120 . L1 designates the length of the tube from end 136 to end 138 and L3 is the distance within the tube from the end surface 120 to a center of the elliptical passageway 134 .
The fish-hook shaped air tube 112 has preferred dimensions within the ranges specified below:
D1: 5.3+/−0.1 mm;
D2: 0.7+/−0.01 mm;
D3: 1.44+/−0.05 mm;
L1: 3.75 mm;
L2: 2.2+/−0.1 mm;
L3: 1.75+/−0.01 mm;
α: 24 degrees;
β: 30 degrees;
R1: 3.76 mm;
R2: 1.0 mm;
R3: 0.4 mm;
R4: 0.2 mm;
The groove 140 extends into sidewall 32 and is configured complementary to the tube 112 to include an entryway of width D3; a central chamber 144 including wedge shaped outboard chamber region 146 and inboard chamber cap region 148 . Two lateral chamber pockets 150 , 152 are formed and dimensioned to accept the wing projections 124 , 126 of the tube 112 . The dimension notation in FIG. 11A for the sidewall groove 144 corresponds with like-numbered dimensions in the tube 112 .
Insertion of the tube 112 into the groove 140 is accomplished by compressing the tube into a flat enough dimension to fit within and through the opening 142 . The wing projections 124 , 126 resiliently fold inward to accommodate insertion. Once situated within the groove chamber 144 , the tube 112 resiliently resumes its original form and fills the void of the groove chamber 144 . The radius corners 130 of the wing projections 124 , 126 of the tube are received within the respective radius pockets or corners 150 , 152 of the groove. As shown, the wing projections 124 , 126 are situated geometrically proximate the wider cap 122 of the tube 112 . So located, the wing projections 124 , 126 , as with the first embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B , operationally resist lateral withdrawal of the air tube body 112 from the groove chamber 140 . The arching wing projections 124 , 126 thus serve to fold inward during tube insertion and, once inserted, snap-in groove pockets to retain the tube 112 within the groove chamber 140 . The wing projections in the forms shown in the alternative embodiments do not interfere with or degrade the tube's capability of performing its primary intended function as an air pumping device through cyclical segment by segment collapsing and expansion of the tube in a rolling tire footprint. The tube 112 is retained within the groove chamber by wing projections 124 , 126 but can still react to the stresses imposed from flexure of the tire sidewall 32 to collapse segment by segment along the air passageway 134 to thereby pump air along the passageway and into the tire cavity.
FIG. 10A is a transverse section view through a tire showing the tube 112 within the groove 140 in a non-collapsed condition outside of a rolling tire footprint. FIG. 10B shows the tube 112 in a collapsed condition within the groove 140 as the segment of tire sidewall 32 within a rolling tire rotates to a location opposite a tire footprint. Once the collapsed tube segment is no longer opposite the tire footprint, forces imposed on the tube from the sidewall flexure are removed and the tube segment resumes its original, non-collapsed, configuration shown in FIG. 10A .
Referring to FIGS. 12A , 12 B, 13 A and 13 B, a third embodiment of a peristaltic tube 154 is shown in a winged “bull-horn” configuration. In the tube 154 , a truncate wedge-shaped tube body 156 is defined by outwardly divergent sides that extend from a small diameter (D3) outboard flat end surface 160 to an inboard domed cap region 158 of the tube 154 . Extending outward from generally a midsection of the tube 154 are oppositely directed triangular wing projections 162 , 164 each extending to an end 165 having a radius R3. The wing projections 162 , 164 are distanced L3 from the end wall 160 and the tube is dimensioned in transverse section L1. The sides of the wedge shaped body 156 outwardly diverge at an angle α to a curved body section 163 having a radius R2. The wing projections 162 , 164 project outward at right angles from the body 154 . The cap region 158 of the body 154 has a radius of R2. An elliptical air passageway 166 is located within the tube 154 , having a major longitudinal axis oriented along a cross-sectional centerline of the tube. The passageway 166 has an outboard, axially outward end 168 situated within the wedge body 156 of the tube 154 and an inboard, axially inward end 170 situated within the cap region 158 . The length of the elliptical passageway 166 is L2 and its transverse width is D2. D1 designates the tip to tip span of the tube and D3 the narrower end of the tube at surface 160 . L3 is the distance within the tube from the end surface 160 to a center of the elliptical passageway 166 .
The air tube 154 accordingly has preferred dimensions within the ranges specified below:
D1: 6.03+/−0.1 mm;
D2: 0.7+/−0.01 mm;
D3: 1.05+/−0.05 mm;
L1: 3.74 mm;
L2: 2.2+/−0.1 mm;
L3: 1.78+/−0.01 mm;
α: 37 degrees;
R1: 1.35 mm;
R2: 0.7 mm;
R3: 0.13 mm;
The groove 172 is complementarily configured to accept tube 154 and extends into one of the tire sidewalls such as 32 . The groove is configured to complement to the tube 154 and includes an entryway 174 of width D3; a central chamber including wedge shaped outboard chamber region 176 and inboard chamber cap region 178 . Two lateral chamber pockets 180 , 182 are formed and dimensioned to accept the wing projections 162 , 164 of the tube 154 . The dimension notations in FIG. 13A for the sidewall groove 172 correspond with like-numbered dimensions to the tube 154 as indicated.
Insertion of the tube 154 into the groove 172 , as with previous tube embodiments, is accomplished by compressing the tube into a flat enough dimension to fit within and through the opening 174 . The wing projections 162 , 164 resiliently fold inward to accommodate insertion. Once situated within the groove chamber, the tube 154 resiliently resumes its original form and fills the void of the groove chamber. The radius tips 163 of the wing projections 162 , 164 of the tube “snap-fit”, i.e. resiliently flex outward, into respective radius pockets 180 , 182 of the groove 172 . So located, the wing projections 162 , 164 , as with previously described embodiments, operationally resist lateral withdrawal of the air tube body 154 from the groove chamber. The wing projections 162 , 164 thus serve to retain the tube within the groove 172 without interfering with or degrading the tube's capability of performing its primary intended function as an air pumping device that cyclical deforms segment by segment by collapsing and expansion of the tube in a rolling tire footprint. The tube 154 is retained within the groove chamber by wing projections 162 , 164 but can still react to the stresses imposed from flexure of the tire sidewall 32 , thus collapsing segment by segment along the air passageway 166 to thereby pump air along the passageway and into the tire cavity.
FIG. 12A is a transverse section view through a tire showing the tube 154 oriented within the groove 172 in a non-collapsed condition outside of a rolling tire footprint. FIG. 12B shows a segment of the tube 154 in a collapsed condition within the groove 172 as the segment reaches a location opposite a tire footprint. Once the collapsed tube segment is no longer opposite the tire footprint, forces imposed on the tube from the sidewall flexure are removed and the tube segment resumes its original, non-collapsed, configuration shown in FIG. 12A .
Referring to FIGS. 15A , 15 B, 16 A and 16 B, a fourth embodiment of a peristaltic tube 184 is shown in a “mushroom” configuration. The tube 184 includes a truncate wedge-shaped outboard tube body portion 186 defined by outwardly divergent sides extending from a small diameter (D3) flat end surface 190 to an inboard domed cap region 188 . Extending outward from the cap portion 188 are oppositely directed wing projections 192 , 194 each having an upper arcuate surface 193 of radius R1 and an underside flat surface 195 . The wing projections 192 , 194 are distanced L4 from the end wall 190 and the tube is dimensioned in transverse section L1. The sides of the wedge shaped body 186 outwardly diverge at an angle α and intersect the wing projection underside surface 195 . The cap region 188 of the tube 184 is flat on the inward end. An elliptical air passageway 196 is located within the tube 184 , having a major longitudinal axis oriented along a cross-sectional centerline of the tube. The passageway 196 has an outboard, axially outward end 198 situated within the wedge body portion 186 and an inboard, axially inward end 200 situated within the cap region 188 . The length of the elliptical passageway 196 is L2 and its transverse width is D2. D1 designates the tip to tip span of the tube and D3 the diameter of the narrower end of the tube at surface 190 . L3 is the distance within the tube from the end surface 190 to a center of the elliptical passageway 196 .
The air tube 184 accordingly has preferred dimensions within the ranges specified below:
D1: 6.39+/−0.1 mm;
D2: 0.7+/−0.01 mm;
D3: 1.44+/−0.05 mm;
L1: 4.25 mm;
L2: 2.2+/−0.1 mm;
L3: 1.78+/−0.01 mm;
L4: 1.83+/−0.05 mm;
α: 24 degrees;
R1: 1.85 mm;
The groove 202 is configured to accept tube 184 and extends into a tire sidewall such as sidewall 32 . The groove 202 is configured complementary to the tube 184 and includes an entryway 204 of width D3; a central chamber including a wedge shaped outboard chamber region 206 and an inboard chamber cap region 208 . Two lateral chamber pockets 210 , 212 are formed and dimensioned to accept the wing projections 192 , 194 of the tube 184 . The dimension notations in FIG. 16A for the sidewall groove 202 correspond with like-numbered dimensions to the tube 184 as indicated.
Insertion of the tube 184 into the groove 202 , as with previous tube embodiments, is accomplished by compressing the tube into a flat enough dimension to fit within and through the opening 204 . The wing projections 192 , 194 resiliently fold inward to accommodate insertion. Once situated within the groove chamber, the tube 184 resiliently resumes its original form and fills the void of the groove chamber. The wing projections 192 , 194 of the tube are received within the respective ancillary pockets 210 , 212 of the groove 202 . So located, the wing projections 192 , 194 , as with previously described embodiments, operationally resist lateral withdrawal of the air tube body 184 from the groove chamber. The wing projections 192 , 194 thus serve to retain the tube 184 within the groove 202 without interfering or degrading the tube's capability of performing its primary intended function as an air pumping device that cyclical deforms segment by segment in a rolling tire footprint. The tube 184 is retained within the groove chamber by wing projections 192 , 194 yet can still react to the stresses imposed from flexure of the tire sidewall 32 to collapse segment by segment along the air passageway 196 to thereby pump air along the passageway and into the tire cavity.
FIG. 15A is a transverse section view through a tire showing the tube 184 oriented within the groove 192 in a non-collapsed condition outside of a rolling tire footprint. FIG. 15B shows a segment of the tube 184 in a collapsed condition within the groove 192 as the segment reaches a location opposite a tire footprint. Once the collapsed tube segment is no longer opposite the tire footprint, forces imposed on the tube from the sidewall flexure are removed and the tube segment resumes its original, non-collapsed, configuration shown in FIG. 15A .
Referring to FIGS. 18A , 18 B, 19 A and 19 B, a fifth embodiment of a peristaltic tube 214 is shown in a “fishtail” configuration. The tube 214 includes a truncate wedge-shaped outboard tube body portion 216 defined by outwardly divergent sides extending from a small diameter (D3) flat end surface 220 to an inboard domed cap region 218 . Extending outward from the cap portion 218 are oppositely directed wing projections 222 , 224 each having an upper generally planar surface 223 and an underside planar surface 225 . The wing projections 222 , 224 have a thickness L4 and are at a distance L1 from the end wall 220 . The sides of the wedge shaped body portion 216 outwardly diverge at an angle α and intersect the wing projection underside surface 225 . The cap region 218 of the tube 214 is flat across the inward end. An elliptical air passageway 226 is located within the tube 214 , having a major longitudinal axis oriented along a cross-sectional centerline of the tube. The passageway 226 has an outboard, axially outward end 228 situated within the wedge body portion 226 and an inboard, axially inward end 230 situated within the cap region 218 . The length of the elliptical passageway 226 is L2 and its transverse width is D2. D1 designates the tip to tip span of the tube and D3 the diameter of the narrower end of the tube at surface 220 . L3 is the distance within the tube from the end surface 220 to a center of the elliptical passageway 226 .
The air tube 184 accordingly has preferred dimensions within the ranges specified below:
D1: 6.4+/−0.05 mm;
D2: 0.75+/−0.01 mm;
D3: 1.45+/−0.05 mm;
D4: 2.6+/−0.01 mm;
L1: 5 mm;
L2: 3+/−0.01 mm;
L3: 2.18+/−0.01 mm;
L4: 1+/−0.05 mm;
α: 28 degrees.
A groove 232 is configured to accept tube 214 and extends into a tire sidewall such as sidewall 32 . The groove 232 is configured complementarily to the tube 214 and includes an entryway 234 of width D3; a central chamber including a wedge shaped outboard chamber region 236 and an inboard chamber cap region 238 . Two lateral chamber pockets 240 , 242 are formed and dimensioned to accept the wing projections 222 , 224 of the tube 214 . The dimension notations in FIG. 19A for the sidewall groove 232 correspond with like-numbered dimensions to the tube 214 as indicated.
Insertion of the tube 214 into the groove 232 , as with previous tube embodiments, is accomplished by compressing the tube into a flat enough dimension to fit within and through the opening 234 . The wing projections 222 , 224 resiliently fold inward to accommodate insertion. Once situated within the groove chamber, the tube 214 resiliently resumes its original form and fills the void of the groove chamber. The wing projections 222 , 224 of the tube snap-fit within the respective ancillary pockets 240 , 242 of the groove 232 by resiliently flexing outward into a non-folded configuration. So located, the wing projections 222 , 224 , as with previously described embodiments, operationally resist lateral withdrawal of the air tube body 214 from the groove chamber. The wing projections 222 , 224 thus serve to retain the tube 214 within the groove 232 without interfering or degrading the tube's capability of performing its primary intended function as an air pumping device that cyclical deforms segment by segment in a rolling tire footprint. The tube 214 is retained within the groove chamber by wing projections 222 , 224 yet can still react to the stresses imposed from flexure of the tire sidewall 32 to collapse segment by segment along the air passageway 226 to thereby pump air along the passageway and into the tire cavity.
FIG. 18A is a transverse section view through a tire showing the tube 214 oriented within the groove 232 in a non-collapsed condition outside of a rolling tire footprint. FIG. 18B shows a segment of the tube 214 in a collapsed condition within the groove 232 as the segment reaches a location opposite a rolling tire's footprint. Once the collapsed tube segment is no longer opposite the tire footprint, forces imposed on the tube from the sidewall flexure are removed and the tube segment resumes its original, non-collapsed, configuration shown in FIG. 18A .
The alternative embodiments of the peristaltic tube are utilized to pump air along an internal passageway to a tire cavity. The wing projections of each embodiment deform and fold to accommodate insertion of a tube into a groove, and then snap-in groove pockets to functionally retain the tube within its host sidewall groove without compromising the pumping efficiency of the tube body. Each embodiment is configured having a wedge tube side facing an outward sidewall entryway of the host groove, the wedge side increasing in diameter from the groove entryway inward. At the opposite side each tube configuration, a cap region is defined that extends to an inner end of the host groove. Two oppositely directed wing projections extend longitudinally along the tube body and project outward into cavity side chambers of the host groove. The wing projections are configured differently in each of the alternative embodiments but share the structural trait of oppositely directed wing projections which fold to accommodate tube insertion into a host groove, and snap-in groove side chambers once the tube is seated, thus accomplishing the wing projection purpose of tube retention without degrading tube pumping performance.
The performance of each of the tube configurations in providing adequate air pumping along its internal air passageway for given tube passageway sizes may be measured and compared. Such a comparison reveals which tube and wing projection embodiment produces the requisite pressure for pumping air along the passageway for the widest range of passageway sizes while also providing the snap-in retention capability afforded by wing projection configurations. FIG. 20 shows the fishhook tube 112 embodiment within a tire groove of sidewall 32 . “X” represents the arc distance from the “start” end of the elliptical passageway 134 to the opposite end, designated “end”. The contact pressure between the two opposed halves 244 , 246 of the passageway required to collapse the elliptical passageway is CFNOR (Contact Force Normal, or Contact Pressure). In FIGS. 9 , 14 , and 17 , empirical test results are presented, graphing Y-axis CFNOR vs. X-axis sizes of passageway arcs “X” for the “wedge” tube embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A , 8 B; the “winged” tube configuration shown in FIGS. 13A , 13 B; and the “lobe” tube embodiment shown in FIGS. 16A , 16 B, respectively. The required force required for pumping is as indicated by horizontal line as 0.30 CFNOR. It will be noted from the graphs that the sizing of the elliptical passageway selected for the peristaltic tube affects the pressure required to close the tube passageway. Moreover, the pressure required to close the air passageway is affected by the tube configuration employed. Each of the tube configurations described herein were tested to measure the CFNOR force required to collapse the tube passageway for a range of X-sized passageways.
As a result of the comparison, for pure snap-in operation of the alternative tube configurations, the tubes, in order of performance are the “mushroom” tube; the “fish-hook” tube; the “bull-horn” tube; the “fish-tail” tube; and the “side-taper” tube. For peristaltic pumping intent, measuring the pinching force as a metric, the “fish-hook” tube ranked first. In combining both retention capability and pumping efficiency, the “mushroom” and “fish-hook” tube configurations provided the best optimized performance followed by the “fishtail”, “taper” and “bull-horn” configurations.
Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
|
An elongate air tube is positioned within a tire sidewall cavity in contacting internal engagement with the tire sidewall to form an assembly. The air tube includes an internal elongate air passageway and wing projections projecting in opposite directions at an axially inward body portion. The wing projections seat within cavity pockets to retain the air tube within the cavity. The air tube body operatively compresses responsive to impinging stress forces from the tire sidewall against the air tube body, whereby the air tube body reconfiguring from an expanded unstressed configuration into a compressed configuration to constrict the air passageway. The air tube body decompresses into the expanded configuration upon reduction of the impinging stress forces against the air tube body.
| 8
|
[0001] This invention relates to advertising cards. More specifically, it refers to a multi-layered card having a thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable material laminated layer over moisture absorbable card stock joined with a first adhesive layer and a flexible magnet sheet joined to the card stock with a second adhesive layer, the card used for determining relative humidity in ambient air.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Advertising cards such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,451 contain indicia for promoting various products. The front face is a blank having a corona or non-corona treated surface. The cards can be attached to a ferrous metal object by adhering a flexible magnet sheet to the back of the card or coating the back of the card with a low tack adhesive so that the card can be removed from a wood or plastic surface and repositioned as desired. Since an advertising card is commonly positioned within a home, it would be useful to create a dual purpose for the card in determining moisture levels in the home. Molds, dust mites, bacteria, viruses and other harmful microbes thrive when the relative humidity in a home exceeds fifty percent. The key to mold control is moisture control. If indoor humidity is kept low; i.e., between thirty and fifty percent relative humidity, mold control is achieved. It would be a great advantage to a homeowner to have a no additional cost method of determining relative humidity so that a dehumidifier can be turned on when humidity exceeds fifty percent. Such a no additional cost relative humidity indicating device is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention solves the need for determining home relative humidity levels by employing a modified advertising card usually obtained from advertisers at no cost to the consumer. The card of this invention has a thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable material such as a silver foil printable with indicia as a front sheet. The front sheet back surface is attached with a high tack adhesive, either heat activated or pressure sensitive, to a six to ten point card stock that absorbs moisture. In one version, a rear surface of the card stock is attached with a high tack heat activated adhesive to a front face of a flexible magnet sheeting. A back side of the magnet sheeting retains a low tack adhesive covered by a carrier sheet prior to use. The magnet can be attached to a ferrous metal or other substances such as wood, plastic, aluminum and stone by use of the low tack adhesive.
[0004] A lower portion of the card has perforations above a gauge adapted to show low humidity, just right humidity or high humidity. The gauge is removed and held at a right angle to the card attached to a vertical surface. The amount of curl of the card's bottom edge determines the relative humidity in the ambient air. The gauge positioned under the curled portion interprets the curl in terms of relative humidity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0006] [0006]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a five layered card of this invention.
[0007] [0007]FIG. 2 is a side view of the five layered card of FIG. 1.
[0008] [0008]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a first alternative card having seven layers.
[0009] [0009]FIG. 4 is a side view of the seven layered card of FIG. 3.
[0010] [0010]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a second alternative card having nine layers.
[0011] [0011]FIG. 6 is a side view of the nine layered card of FIG. 5.
[0012] [0012]FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a square configuration third alternative card having seven layers.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 8 is a side view of the third alternative card.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 9 is a side view of a card curled over a gauge showing low relative humidity.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 10 is a side view of a card curled over a gauge showing relative humidity of thirty to fifty percent.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 11 is a side view of a card curled over a gauge showing a high relative humidity over fifty percent.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1-2, the card 10 has a first layer 12 of a printable, thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, cellophane or silver foil. A front surface 14 of first layer 12 contains indicia. A back surface 16 of first layer 12 is adhered to a six to ten point moisture absorbable card stock 18 by an intermediate high tack adhesive layer 20 . A top portion 22 of the card stock 18 has a flexible magnet sheet 24 attached with a high tack adhesive 26 . A lower portion of first layer 12 and the card stock 18 has a perforation line 28 for removal of a gauge 30 . Referring to FIG. 9-11, the gauge 30 has a low moisture indicating portion 32 , a just right indicating portion 34 and a high humidity indicating portion 36 . The gauge 30 is placed perpendicular to a vertical mounting surface 38 just below a bottom edge 40 of the card 10 to convert the degree of curl into a relative humidity reading.
[0019] A first alternative card 10 a shown in FIG. 3-4 has a first layer 12 a of a printable, thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, cellophane or silver foil. A front surface 14 a of first layer 12 a contains indicia. A back surface 16 a of first layer 12 a is adhered to a six to ten point moisture absorbable card stock 18 a by an intermediate high tack adhesive layer 20 a. A flexible magnet sheeting 24 a is adhered to the card stock 18 a by an intermediate high tack adhesive layer 26 a. A low tack adhesive layer 42 is applied to a back side 44 along a lower portion 46 of magnet 24 a. A carrier layer 48 is adhered to the adhesive layer 42 until the adhesive layer 42 is needed for attaching card 10 a to a vertical non-metal surface 38 . The magnet alone can provide an attachment when surface 38 is a ferrous metal. A gauge 30 as shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 9-11 can be separately made to indicate the curl of card 10 a.
[0020] A second alternative card 10 b shown in FIG. 5-6 has a first layer 12 b of a printable, thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, cellophane or silver foil. A front surface 14 b of first layer 12 b contains indicia. A back surface 16 b of first layer 12 b is adhered to a six to ten point moisture absorbable card stock 18 b by an intermediate high tack adhesive layer 20 b. A flexible magnet sheeting 24 b is adhered to the card stock 18 b by an intermediate high tack adhesive layer 26 a. A back side 44 b of magnet 24 b has a high tack layer 50 applied and a first carrier paper 52 over the layer 50 . A low tack adhesive 54 is applied to a back side 56 of carrier paper 52 and a second carrier paper 58 is applied over the adhesive 54 for easy removal.
[0021] A third alternative card 10 c shown in FIG. 7-8 has a square configuration as compared to the rectangular card configuration of FIG. 1-6. Card 10 c has a first layer 12 c of a printable, thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, cellophane or silver foil. A front surface 14 c of first layer 12 c contains indicia. A back surface 16 c of first layer 12 c is adhered to a six to ten point moisture absorbable card stock 18 c by an intermediate high tack adhesive layer 20 c. A flexible magnet sheeting 24 c is adhered to the card stock 18 c by a high tack adhesive layer 26 c. A low tack adhesive 60 is attached to a back side 64 of magnet 24 c. The low tack adhesive is covered by carrier paper 62 until the card 10 c is ready for mounting on a vertical surface 38 .
[0022] Although the alternative embodiments shown in FIG. 3-8 do not show a perforation line and gauge as shown in FIG. 1-2, such a gauge can be attached in the manner shown in FIG. 1 to a bottom edge 40 . In the same manner, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1-2 does not have to contain an attached gauge as the gauge can be separately created by a heavy grade of paper such as seen on business cards.
[0023] In all the cards 10 , 10 a, 10 b and 10 c, the card stock 18 , 18 a, 18 b and 18 c is a moisture absorbable paper. The first layer 12 , adhesive layer 20 and card stock can be purchased from Fasson, Inc. The preferred first layer is silver foil obtained from Crown Roll Leaf. The high tack adhesive is a heat sensitive or pressure sensitive glue. The preferred card stock is about 8 point card stock. Preferably, the adhesive between the magnet sheet and card stock is a heat activated glue. The flexible magnet sheeting 24 , 24 a, 24 b and 24 c can be obtained from Flexmag Industries, Inc.
[0024] In use, gauge 30 along bottom line 40 is detached and the card 10 , 10 a, 10 b or 10 c, is exposed to ambient conditions in a room. As the card bottom line 40 curls upwardly as shown in FIG. 9-11, the gauge 30 is held perpendicular to the mounting surface 38 and the moisture level is read from the gauge portions 32 , 34 , or 36 .
[0025] Equivalent elements can be substituted for the elements shown to produce a card in the same way with the same function and same results.
|
A multi-layered card having a thin, flexible, non-moisture absorbable, printable first layer, a first high tack adhesive second layer on a back side of the first layer joining the first layer to a front face of a third layer of a moisture absorbable card stock. A back side of the card stock covered with a second high tack pressure sensitive adhesive fourth layer joining the card stock to a front face of a flexible magnet sheet fifth layer.
| 1
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to metallic orthopedic implants with load bearing surfaces coated with a thin, dense, low friction, highly wear-resistant coating of zirconium oxide, nitride, carbide or carbonitride. This coating is especially useful on the portions of these prostheses which bear against surfaces which are subject to high rates of wear. An example is the femoral head of a hip-stem prosthesis which engages a counter-bearing surface in an acetabular cup which is often made of a softer material such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.
The invention also relates to zirconium oxide coatings on the non-load bearing surfaces of an orthopedic implant where the zirconium oxide provides a barrier between the metallic prosthesis and body tissue thereby preventing the release of metal ions and corrosion of the implant. Additionally, this oxidation process and the associated increase in surface oxygen content and hardness increases the strength of the metal substrate and improves the fatigue properties of the implant.
2. Background
Orthopedic implant materials must combine high strength, corrosion resistance and tissue compatibility. The longevity of the implant is of prime importance especially if the recipient is relatively young because it is desirable that the implant should function for the complete lifetime of a patient. Because certain metal alloys have the required mechanical strength and biocompatibility, they are ideal candidates for the fabrication of prostheses. 316L stainless steel, chrome-cobalt-molybdenum alloys and more recently titanium alloys have proven to be the most suitable materials for the fabrication of load-bearing prostheses.
One of the variables affecting the longevity of load-bearing implants such as hip-joint implants is the rate of wear of the articulating surfaces and long-term effects of metal ion release. A typical hip-joint prosthesis includes a stem, a femoral head and an acetabular cup against which the femoral head articulates. Wear of either or both of the articulating surfaces results in an increasing level of wear particulates and "play" between the femoral head and the cup against which it articulates. Wear debris can contribute to adverse tissue reaction leading to bone resorption, and ultimately the joint must be replaced.
The rate of wear of the acetabular cup and the femoral head surfaces is dependent upon a number of factors which include the relative hardness and surface finish of the materials which constitute the femoral head and the acetabular cup, the frictional coefficient between the materials of the cup and head, the load applied and the stresses generated at the articulating surfaces. The most common material combinations currently used in the fabrication of hip-joint implants include femoral heads of cobalt or titanium alloys articulating against acetabular cups lined with organic polymers or composites of such polymers including, for instance, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and femoral heads of polished alumina in combination with acetabular cups lined with an organic polymer or composite or made of polished alumina.
Of the factors which influence the rate of wear of conventional hip-joint implants, the most significant are patient weight and activity level Additionally, heat which is generated by friction in the normal use of the implant as, for instance, in walking has been shown to cause accelerated creep and wear of the polyethylene cup. Furthermore, there is a correlation between the frictional moment which transfers torque loading to the cup and the frictional coefficient between the femoral head and the surface of the acetabular cup against which the head articulates. Cup torque has been associated with cup loosening. Thus, in general, the higher the coefficient of friction for a given load, the higher the level of torque generated. Ceramic bearing surfaces have been shown to produce significantly lower levels of frictional torque.
It is also noteworthy that two of the three commonly used hip-joint systems as indicated above include a metallic femoral head articulating against a UHMWPE liner inside the acetabular cup. UHMWPE, being a polymeric material, is more susceptible to creep when heated than the commonly used metal alloys or ceramics and is consequently more susceptible to wear than the alloys or ceramics.
It has also been found that metal prostheses are not completely inert in the body. Body fluids act upon the metals causing them to slowly corrode by an ionization process thereby releasing metal ions into the body. Metal ion release from the prosthesis is also related to the articulation and rate of wear of load bearing surfaces because, as may be expected, when a metallic femoral head, for instance, is articulated against UHMWPE, the passive oxide film which forms on the femoral head is constantly removed. The repassivation process constantly releases metal ions during this process. Furthermore, the presence of third-body wear (cement or bone debris) accelerates this process and micro fretted metal particles can increase friction. Consequently, the UHMWPE liner inside the acetabular cup, against which the femoral head articulates, is subjected to accelerated levels of creep, wear, and torque.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,764 to Suzuki et al recognized that while metal prostheses have excellent mechanical strength they tend to corrode in the body by ionization. Suzuki et al also recognized the affinity between ceramics and bone tissue, but noted that ceramic prostheses are weak on impact resistance. Suzuki et al therefore proposed a metal prosthesis plasma sprayed with a bonding agent which is in turn covered with a porous ceramic coating which would allow the ingrowth of bone spicules into the pores. This combination, it was said, would provide both the mechanical strength of metals and the biocompatibility of ceramics.
The Suzuki patent did not address the issue of friction or wear of orthopedic implant bearing surfaces but confined itself to the single issue of the biocompatibility of metal prostheses. Furthermore, Suzuki et al did not address the issue of dimensional changes that occur when applying a coating or the effect of these dimensional changes in the tightness of fit between the surfaces of an articulating joint prosthesis.
In addition, the application of ceramic coatings to metal substrates often results in non-uniform, poorly-bonded coatings which tend to crack due to the differences in thermal expansion between the ceramic and the underlying metal substrate. Furthermore, such coatings are relatively thick (50-300 microns) and since the bond between the metal and the ceramic coating is often weak there is always the risk of galling or separation of the ceramic coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,795 to Bokros is directed to the application of a carbide coating over a metallic prosthetic device. This method of forming the carbide coating requires that the prosthesis be heated to temperatures of at least about 1350° C. in a reaction chamber through which a hydrocarbon gas such as propane or butane flows. The method is said to produce a prosthetic device which has "excellent compatibility with body tissue and is non-thrombogenic." Bokros does not address the issues of friction, heating, creep and wear of orthopedic implant bearing surfaces, or changes induced in the mechanical properties of the underlying metal due to this high-temperature treatment.
There exists a need for a metal alloy-based orthopedic implant having low friction, highly wear resistant load bearing surfaces which may be implanted for the lifetime of the recipient. There also exists a need for a metal alloy-based orthopedic implant that is not prone to corrosion by the action of body fluids so that it is biocompatible and stable over the lifetime of the recipient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a zirconium or zirconium-containing metal alloy prosthesis coated via in situ oxidation with zirconium oxide. The zirconium oxide coating provides the invention prosthesis with a thin, dense, low friction, wear resistant, biocompatible surface ideally suited for use on articulating surfaces of joint prostheses wherein a surface or surfaces of the joint articulates, translates or rotates against mating joint surfaces. The zirconium oxide coating may therefore be usefully employed on the femoral heads or inside surfaces of acetabular cups of hip-joint implants or on the articulating surfaces of other types of prostheses, such as knee joints.
When a zirconium oxide-coated joint surface is employed in a manner wherein it articulates or rotates against a non-metallic or non-zirconium oxide coated surface, the low friction characteristic of the coating causes reduced friction, wear, and heat generation relative to prior art prostheses. This reduced heat generation results in a lowered tendency for the non-metallic or non-zirconium oxide coating bearing surface to experience creep and torque so that the useful life of the opposing surface is enhanced. Thus, for instance, where the zirconium oxide coated femoral head of a hip joint implant articulates against an opposing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) surface liner of an acetabular cup, friction and wear is reduced so that the UHMWPE is subjected to lower levels of torque, wear, and heat generation and consequently experiences lowered levels of creep and cup loosening resulting in an enhancement of the life of the liner and the prosthesis.
The zirconium oxide coating of the subject invention is also useful in providing a biocompatible, inert ceramic barrier between the zirconium-containing metal alloy-based prosthesis and body fluids. Thus, since the zirconium oxide surface is not prone to ionization and wear-induced corrosion, both the life span and the biocompatibility of the prosthesis are enhanced.
Additionally, the natural in situ formation of a zirconium oxide coating from the presence of zirconium in the substrate metal involves oxygen diffusion into the metal substrate below the oxide coating. Oxygen, an alloying constituent in zirconium, increases the strength of the metal substrate, particularly the fatigue strength. Resistance to fatigue loading is paramount in many orthopedic implant applications such as the hip stem, and femoral and tibial knee components. Thus, not only does the formation of the zirconium oxide coating improve wear, friction, and corrosion resistance, it also improves the mechanical integrity of the implant device from a strength standpoint.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting a hip joint prosthesis in position.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a typical hip joint prosthesis.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a knee joint prosthesis in place.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the parts of a typical knee joint.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
One aspect of the invention is to provide low friction, wear resistant coatings on the articulating surfaces of prosthetic devices. Illustrative examples of such articulating surfaces are shown in the schematic diagrams, FIGS. 1-4.
A typical hip joint assembly is shown in situ in FIG. 1. The hip joint stem 2 fits into the femur while the femoral head 6 of the prosthesis fits into and articulates against the inner lining 8 of an acetabular cup 10 which in turn is affixed to the pelvis as shown in FIG. 1. A porous metal bead or wire mesh coating 12 may be incorporated to allow stabilization of the implant by ingrowth of surrounding tissue into the porous coating. Similarly, such a coating can also be applied to the acetabular component. The femoral head 6 may be an integral part of the hip joint stem 2 or may be a separate component mounted upon a conical taper at the end of the neck 4 of the hip joint prosthesis. This allows the fabrication of a prosthesis having a metallic stem and neck but a femoral head of some other material, such as ceramic. This method of construction is often desirable because ceramics have been found to generate less frictional torque and wear when articulating against the UHMWPE lining of an acetabular cup. Additionally, zirconia ceramic has been shown to produce less wear of the UHMWPE than alumina. Regardless of the materials, however, the femoral head articulates against the inner surface of the acetabular cup thereby causing wear and, in the long term, this may necessitate prosthesis replacement. This is especially the case where the femoral head is of metal and the acetabular cup is lined with an organic polymer or composite thereof. While these polymeric surfaces provide good, relatively low friction surfaces and are biocompatible, they are, as explained above, subject to wear and accelerated creep due to the frictional heat and torque to which they are subjected during ordinary use.
A typical knee joint prosthesis is shown in situ in FIG. 3. The knee joint includes a femoral component 20 and a tibial component 30. The femoral component includes condyles 22 which provide the articulating surface of the femoral component and pegs 24 for affixing the femoral component to the femur. The tibial component 30 includes a tibial base 32 with a peg 34 for mounting the tibial base onto the tibia. A tibial platform 36 is mounted atop the tibial base 32 and is supplied with grooves 38 similar to the shape of the condyles 22. The bottom surfaces of the condyles 26 contact the tibial platform's grooves 38 so that the condyles articulate within these grooves against the tibial platform. While condyles are typically fabricated of metals, the tibial platform may be made from an organic polymer or a polymer-based composite. Thus, the hard metallic condyle surfaces 26 would articulate against a relatively softer organic composition. As previously explained, this may result in wear of the organic material, i.e. the tibial platform necessitating the replacement of the prosthesis. As in the case of the hip joint, porous bead or wire mesh coatings can also be applied to either the tibial or femoral components of the knee or both.
The invention provides zirconium oxide coated orthopedic implants or prostheses fabricated of zirconium or zirconium containing metal alloys or a thin coating of zirconium or zirconium alloy on conventional orthopedic implant materials. In order to form continuous and useful zirconium oxide coatings over the desired surface of the metal alloy prosthesis substrate, the metal alloy should contain from about 80 to about 100 wt. % zirconium, preferably from about 95 to about 100 wt. %. Oxygen, niobium, and titanium include common alloying elements in the alloy with often times the presence of hafnium. Yttrium may also be alloyed with the zirconium to enhance the formation of a tougher, yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide coating during the oxidation of the alloy. While such zirconium containing alloys may be custom formulated by conventional methods known in the art of metallurgy, a number of suitable alloys are commercially available. These commercial alloys include among others Zircadyne 705, Zircadyne 702, and Zircalloy.
The base zirconium containing metal alloys are cast or machined by conventional methods to the shape and size desired to obtain a prosthesis substrate. The substrate is then subjected to process conditions which cause the natural (in situ) formation of a tightly adhered, diffusion-bonded coating of zirconium oxide on its surface. The process conditions include, for instance, air, steam, or water oxidation or oxidation in a salt bath. These processes ideally provide a thin, hard, dense, blue-black or black, low-friction wear-resistant zirconium oxide film or coating of thicknesses typically on the order of several microns (10 6 meters) on the surface of the prosthesis substrate. Below this coating, diffused oxygen from the oxidation process increases the hardness and strength of the underlying substrate metal.
The air, steam and water oxidation processes are described in now-expired U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,352 to Watson, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth. The air oxidation process provides a firmly adherent black or blue-black layer of zirconium oxide of highly oriented monoclinic crystalline form. If the oxidation process is continued to excess, the coating will whiten and separate from the metal substrate. The oxidation step may be conducted in either air, steam or hot water. For convenience, the metal prosthesis substrate may be placed in a furnace having an oxygen-containing atmosphere (such as air) and typically heated at 700°-1100° F. up to about 6 hours. However, other combinations of temperature and time are possible. When higher temperatures are employed, the oxidation time should be reduced to avoid the formation of the white oxide.
It is preferred that a blue-black zirconium oxide layer ranging in thickness from about 1 to about 5 microns should be formed. For example, furnace air oxidation at 1000° F. for 3 hours will form an oxide coating on Zircadyne 705 about 4-5 microns thick. Longer oxidation times and higher oxidation temperatures will increase this thickness, but may compromise coating integrity. For example, one hour at 1300° F. will form an oxide coating about 14 microns in thickness, while 21 hours at 1000° F. will form an oxide coating thickness of about 9 microns. Of course, because only a thin oxide is necessary on the surface, only very small dimensional changes, typically less than 10 microns over the thickness of the prosthesis, will result. In general, thinner coatings (1-4 microns) have better attachment strength.
One of the salt-bath methods that may be used to apply the zirconium oxide coatings to the metal alloy prosthesis, is the method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,824 to Haygarth, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth. The salt-bath method provides a similar, slightly more abrasion resistant blue-black or black zirconium oxide coating. The method requires the presence of an oxidation compound capable of oxidizing zirconium in a molten salt bath. The molten salts include chlorides, nitrates, cyanides, and the like. The oxidation compound, sodium carbonate, is present in small quantities, up to about 5 wt. %. The addition of sodium carbonate lowers the melting point of the salt. As in air oxidation, the rate of oxidation is proportional to the temperature of the molten salt bath and the '824 patent prefers the range 550°-800° C. (1022°-1470° C.). However, the lower oxygen levels in the bath produce thinner coatings than for furnace air oxidation at the same time and temperature. A salt bath treatment at 1290° F. for four hours produces an oxide coating thickness of roughly 7 microns.
Whether air oxidation in a furnace or salt bath oxidation is used, the zirconium oxide coatings are quite similar in hardness. For example, if the surface of a wrought Zircadyne 705 (Zr, 2-3 wt. % Nb) prosthesis substrate is oxidized, the hardness of the surface shows a dramatic increase over the 200 Knoop hardness of the original metal surface. The surface hardness of the blue-black zirconium oxide surface following oxidation by either the salt bath or air oxidation process is approximately 1700-2000 Knoop hardness.
These diffusion-bonded, low friction, highly wear resistant zirconium oxide coatings are applied to the surfaces of orthopedic implants subject to conditions of wear. Such surfaces include the articulating surfaces of knee joints, elbows and hip joints. As mentioned before, in the case of hip joints, the femoral head and stem are typically fabricated of metal alloys while the acetabular cup may be fabricated from ceramics, metals or organic polymer-lined metals or ceramics.
When the zirconium oxide coated femoral head is used in conjunction with any of these acetabular cups, the coefficient of friction between the femoral head and the inner surface of the cup is reduced so that less heat and torque is generated and less wear of the mating bearing surface results. This reduction in heat generation, frictional torque, and wear is particularly important in the case of acetabular cups lined with organic polymers or composites of such polymers. Organic polymers, such as UHMWPE, exhibit rapidly increased rates of creep when subjected to heat with consequent deleterious effect on the life span of the liner. Wear debris of the polymer leads to adverse tissue response and loosening of the device. Thus, not only does the zirconium oxide coating serve to protect the prosthesis substrate to which it is applied and increase its mechanical strength properties but, as a result of its low friction surface, it also protects those surfaces against which it is in operable contact and consequently enhances the performance and life of the prosthesis.
The usefulness of zirconium oxide coated prosthesis is not limited to load bearing prostheses, especially joints, where a high rate of wear may be encountered. Because the zirconium oxide coating is firmly bonded to the zirconium alloy prosthesis substrate, it provides a barrier between the body fluids and the zirconium alloy metal thereby preventing the corrosion of the alloy by the process of ionization and its associated metal ion release.
Oxygen diffusion into the metal substrate during oxidation also increases the strength of the metal. Consequently, a zirconium oxide coated prosthesis may be expected to have a greater useful service life.
Zirconium or zirconium alloy can also be used to provide a porous bead or wire mesh surface to which surrounding bone or other tissue may integrate to stabilize the prosthesis. These porous coatings can be treated simultaneously by the oxidation treatment in a manner similar to the oxidation of the base prosthesis for the elimination or reduction of metal ion release. Furthermore, zirconium or zirconium alloy can also be used as a surface layer applied over conventional implant materials prior to in situ oxidation and formation of the zirconium oxide coating.
Although the invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art may, upon reading this disclosure, appreciate changes and modifications which may be made and which do not depart from the scope and spirit of the invention as described above or claimed hereafter.
|
Orthopedic implants of zirconium or zirconium-based alloy coated with zirconium oxide to provide low friction, highly wear resistant coatings especially useful in artificial joints, such as hip joints, knee joints, elbows, etc. The invention zirconium oxide coated prostheses are also useful in that the zirconium oxide coatings provide a barrier against implant corrosion caused by ionization of the metal prosthesis. Such protection can be extended by the use of oxidized porous coatings of zirconium or zirconium alloy beads or wire mesh into which bone spicules may grow so that the prosthesis may be integrated into the living skeleton.
| 0
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] In certain aspects, the present invention relates to the fields of pluripotent stem cell (PSC) differentiation and signal transduction. In specific embodiments, the present invention involves methods to induce differentiation of PSCs into ventricular myocytes (VMs) in vitro.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In mammals, cardiomyocytes (CMs) are capable of cell division and proliferation before birth. However, their ability to proliferate rapidly declines after birth. Adult CMs typically have a very poor ability to proliferate. In heart diseases associated with cardiac tissue necrosis such as myocardial infarction, the consequent decline in cardiac function is typically irreversible because adult CMs have lost their ability to proliferate and are unable to repair necrotic tissue. Although medications can be used to increase cardiac contractility and improve the ability of the heart to pump blood, the heavier burden on the heart may in turn worsen the condition. Replacement of necrotic cells by transplantation of normal CMs is one of the methods for treatment of heart infarction and similar diseases or conditions. Because adult CMs have almost no ability to proliferate, a source of human CMs is apparently needed for regenerative medicine, for example, for treating myocardial infarction.
[0003] Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) include embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). See, Thomson J A et al., Embryonic stem cell lines derived from human blastocysts, Science, 1998, 282:1145-1147; Yu J et al., Induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from human somatic cells, Science, 2007, 318:1917-1920; and Takahashi K et al., Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult human fibroblasts by defined factors, Cell, 2007, 131:861-872, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. These pluripotent stem cells not only possess a strong ability to self-renew but also have the potentials for differentiation into CMs. Thus, PSC is one of the most promising cell sources of CMs if an efficient cardiac differentiation method is established.
[0004] In general, there are two methods to induce differentiation of CMs from PSCs. In one method, PSCs are cultured in suspension to form embryoid bodies that differentiate into numerous cell types including CMs. In the other method, monolayer PSCs under ordinary culture conditions are directly differentiated into CMs. A variety of cytokines have been reported to improve the efficiency of cardiac differentiation, and their dosages and duration of action vary based on the different differentiation systems.
[0005] Human PSC-derived CMs typically include three main types: nodal cells, VMs, and atrial myocytes (AMs). See, He J Q et al., Human embryonic stem cells develop into multiple types of cardiac myocytes: Action potential characterization, Circ Res. 2003, 93:32-39, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. According to their functional properties, fully mature CMs can be subdivided into working CMs and spontaneous beating nodal cells. Working CMs, including AMs and VMs that constitute the majority of the atrial and ventricular muscle walls, contain abundant myofibrils and possess the properties of conductivity and excitability, and perform systolic functions of the heart. Nodal cells spontaneously generate excitability, which controls the beating activity of heart. Similar to working CMs, the nodal cells possess the properties of conductivity and excitability, but typically have lost contractility. AMs, VMs, and nodal cells exhibit significant differences in the composition of intracellular myofibrils and cell membrane expression of ion channel proteins, resulting in substantial differences in their action potentials (APs) and their rhythmic contraction. For cell transplantation therapies for heart disease, it is essential to transplant cardiomyocytes with an appropriate subtype of high purity. For example, repairing ventricular tissue requires transplantation of VMs of high purity, which determines whether the cells can successfully integrate into the recipient heart tissue, improve heart functions, and reduce side effects such as arrhythmia caused by the transplanted cells. If the subtype of transplanted cardiomyocytes does not match the type of the tissue they are transplanted into, or the purity of transplanted CMs is not sufficient, arrhythmia may occur, impairing the function of the recipient heart. The left ventricle, which mainly carries the body blood supply, has the largest volume, thickest muscle walls, and strongest pumping capacity. Additionally, myocardial infarction occurs primarily in the left ventricle. Thus, among the three types of CMs, VMs are of the most significance for cell transplantation therapy of myocardial infarction. See, Chen H S et al., Electrophysiological challenges of cell-based myocardial repair, Circulation, 2009, 120:2496-250, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0006] Obtaining large numbers of human CMs is important for the development of drugs for heart diseases, and the assessment of cardiac-toxicity of drugs. Adult human CMs cannot be expanded in vitro, leading to a lack of substantial numbers of human CMs for relevant experimental studies. Almost all cardiac-toxicological tests and experimental studies of drugs for heart disease are performed using animals or primary animal CMs. Owing to their physiological differences between human CMs and CMs from other animals, the accuracy of predicting a drug's effects on human using animals or their CMs is only about 60%. Thus, there are needs of improvement to the existing methods for heart related analysis in drug development. Human CMs derived from stem cells or trans-differentiation provide a tool for cardiac-toxicological analysis. The PSC derived human CMs can be used to establish methods for toxicological analysis at the cellular level. It not only improves the accuracy of the analysis, but also reduces the usage of animals. This approach is currently under extensively research in the bio-pharmaceutical industry. Relevant international regulations and provisions (ICH S7B) for drug registration require cardiac-toxicological analysis to assess the effects of tested drugs on the ventricle, especially the ventricular heart rhythm. Therefore, among the three types of CMs, VM is the most important subtype of CMs for the development of new methods for cardiac-toxicological analysis using human CMs. See, Hartung T, Toxicology for the twenty-first century, Nature, 2009, 460:208-212.
[0007] In summary, there is a need to generate highly homogeneous stem cell-derived human VMs for either cell transplantation therapy of myocardial infarction or cardiac-toxicological analysis. Therefore, revealing the regulatory mechanisms underlying differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) into VMs has significant implications for the generation of highly homogeneous VMs.
[0008] Previously reported methods for cardiac differentiation of stem cells have several drawbacks. The main issues are that the efficiency of cardiac differentiation is low, and the resulting CMs are a heterogeneous population of mixed nodal cells, AMs, and VMs. See, He J Q et al., Circ Res. 2003, 93:32-39. In 2007, Murry et al. used a monolayer culture of human ESCs to directly induce cardiac differentiation. The mean differentiation efficiency of the CMs was about 30%. See, Laflamme M A et al., Cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells in pro-survival factors enhance function of infarcted rat hearts, Nat Biotechnol, 2007, 25:1015-1024, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. After separation and purification by density gradient centrifugation, the resulting CM population was approximately 80% in purity. In 2008, Keller et al. performed suspension culture to form embryoid bodies and then isolated CPCs at day 6 of differentiation by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. With continuous culture and differentiation of these progenitor cells, the cardiac differentiation efficiency was significantly improved, and reached up to 50%. See, Yang L et al., Human cardiovascular progenitor cells develop from a kdr+ embryonic-stem-cell-derived population, Nature, 2008, 453:524-528, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, none of the above methods can directly differentiate PSCs into highly homogeneous AMs or VMs. In summary, these methods do not facilitate the directed differentiation of AMs or VMs, and the cardiomyocytes population obtained using these methods is a mixture of all three types of CMs. At this point, there has been no relevant study on methods to specifically differentiate each of the three subtypes of CMs. In 2007, a study employed lentiviral transfection of human ESCs to establish a cell line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein under the control of the conserved promoter of ventricle-specific myosin light chain 2v (MLC-2v) gene. This facilitated the purification of VMs and achieved a purity greater than 90%. However, this method requires insertion of a transgene into the genome of stem cells, and these transgenic CMs are unsuitable for clinical transplantation applications. In 2010, Ma et al. discovered that, during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation of stem cells, i.e., the period during which mesodermal cells convert to CMs (the early stage of cardiac differentiation refers to the stage of differentiation from PSCs to mesodermal cells), retinoic acid treatment induces differentiation of stem cells into AMs. At the same time, inhibition of the retinoic acid pathway effectively induces the cells to differentiate into VMs. See, Zhang Q et al., Direct differentiation of atrial and ventricular myocytes from human embryonic stem cells by alternating retinoid signals, Cell Res., 2011, 21:579-587, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, the active regulators in the induction of ventricular differentiation remain unknown.
DESCRIPTION
[0009] In one aspect, the objective of the present invention is to provide methods to induce differentiation of PSCs into VMs in vitro.
[0010] To achieve this objective, in certain embodiments, the proposed method induces differentiation of PSCs into VMs by treating PSCs in vitro with factors that directly or indirectly activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation of PSCs, thereby achieving directed differentiation towards VMs. Here, in certain embodiments, activation of the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway includes phosphorylation of one or more Smad proteins in the cytoplasm, including Smad1, Smad5, and Smad8. In certain embodiments, the middle stage of cardiac differentiation refers to the differentiation stage from mesodermal cells or cardiac progenitor cells to CMs. Specifically, in certain embodiments, this stage is initiated by expression of Brachyury (T) and/or Mesp1 genes, and ends before the differentiation of CMs capable of spontaneous contraction.
[0011] In any of the preceding embodiments, PSCs can include embryonic stem cells (ESC), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), embryonic germ cells, or adult stem cells. In any of the preceding embodiments, these cells can be from human or an animal.
[0012] In any of the preceding embodiments, the factors that directly or indirectly activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway can be a bone morphogenetic protein, such as BMP 2 and/or BMP4 applied at a final concentration of between about 0.01 and about 1200 ng/mL.
[0013] In any of the preceding embodiments, the method can comprise adding one or more factors that promote differentiation of CMs during the early stage of cardiac differentiation of PSCs, namely the stage when PSCs differentiate into mesodermal or cardiac progenitor cells. In some embodiments, the factors that promote differentiation of CMs can include at least one of the following: BMP4, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), activin A, noggin, dorsomorphin, and 6-bromoindirubin-3′-oxime (BIO), or a combination thereof. In any of the preceding embodiments, one or more growth factors can be added to the culture medium at a final concentration ranging from about 0.01 to about 1200 ng/mL. In any of the preceding embodiments, one or more small molecules can be added at a final concentration ranging from about 0.001 to about 100 μM.
[0014] In any of the preceding embodiments, one or more inhibitors of the Wnt signaling pathway can also be added to the culture medium during the middle stage of the cardiac differentiation. In any of the preceding embodiments, the Wnt inhibitors can include at least one of the following: dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1), inhibitor of Wnt production (IWP), and inhibitor of Wnt response (IWR), or a combination thereof. In any of the preceding embodiments, the inhibitor can be added at a final concentration of about 0.001 to about 100 μM. In any of the preceding embodiments, DKK1 can be added with a final concentration from about 0.01 to about 1200 ng/mL.
[0015] In any of the preceding embodiments, one or more other regulatory molecules can also be added during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation, including: i) activator of retinoic acid receptor (RARγ) to culture medium without retinoic acid or its precursors; and ii) antagonists of RARα and/or RARβ to culture medium containing retinoic acid or its precursors. In any of the preceding embodiments, the final concentration of the regulatory molecule can be from about 0.001 to about 100 μM.
[0016] In some aspects, the present invention provides three technical solutions.
[0017] Technical Solution I:
[0018] (1) Suspension or monolayer culture of undifferentiated PSCs.
[0019] (2) To initiate the cardiac differentiation, adding one or more cytokines (e.g., BMP4, bFGF, activin A, and noggin) that promote differentiation of CMs; and/or adding small molecule inhibitors (e.g., dorsomorphin) of the BMP pathway; and/or adding small molecules (e.g., BIO and CHIR99021) that activate Wnt3a signal pathway to the culture.
[0020] (3) During the middle stage of cardiac differentiation, adding one or more growth factors and/or small molecules (e.g., DKK1, IWP, and IWR) that inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway; and/or adding one or more signaling molecules (e.g., BMP2 and/or BMP4) that activate Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation to the culture medium, to induce directed differentiation of cells into VMs. In some embodiments, the inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway and the activator of Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation are added substantially simultaneously.
[0021] Technical Solution II:
[0022] (1) Suspension or monolayer culture of undifferentiated PSCs.
[0023] (2) To initiate the cardiac differentiation, adding one or more cytokines (e.g., BMP4, bFGF, activin A, and noggin) that promote differentiation of CMs; and/or adding one or more small molecule inhibitors (e.g., dorsomorphin) of the BMP signaling pathway; and/or adding one or more small molecules (e.g., BIO) capable of activating Wnt3a signal pathway to the culture.
[0024] (3) During the middle stage of cardiac differentiation, adding one or more growth factors or small molecules (e.g., DKK1, IWP, and IWR) to the culture medium to inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway; and/or adding one or more factors that can activate cellular expression and secretion of signaling molecules which activate Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation. For example, a RARγ activator (e.g., BMS961) can be added to the culture medium without retinoic acid or its precursors or substrates (e.g., vitamin A). These steps induce directed differentiation of stem cells into VMs.
[0025] Technical Solution III:
[0026] (1) Suspension or monolayer culture of substantially undifferentiated PSCs.
[0027] (2) To initiate the cardiac differentiation, adding one or more cytokines (e.g., BMP4, bFGF, activin A, and noggin) that promote differentiation of CMs; and/or adding one or more small molecule inhibitors (e.g., dorsomorphin) of the BMP pathway; and/or adding one or more small molecules (e.g., BIO) that activate Wnt3a signal pathway to the culture.
[0028] (3) During the middle stage of cardiac differentiation, adding one or more growth factors or small molecules (e.g., DKK1, IWP, and IWR) to the culture medium to inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway; and/or adding one or more antagonists of RARα and/or RARβ (e.g., Ro41-5253 for RARα and LE135 for RARβ) to the culture medium containing retinoic acid or its precursors. These steps induce directed differentiation of stem cell-derived CMs mainly into VMs.
[0029] In some embodiments, from about day 14 of differentiation, growth factor-free medium is used and replaced every 3 days. After about 60 to about 90 days of differentiation, the percentage of VMs in the differentiated CMs was determined with the analysis of APs of CMs (recorded by the patch clamp technique), calcium imagining studies, and/or MLC-2v and cardiac troponin T (cTNT) double immunofluorescence staining for flow cytometric analysis.
[0030] In some embodiments, the present invention enables the application of VMs prepared using a method of any of the preceding embodiments to the cardiac-toxicological analysis and drug screening for heart diseases.
[0031] In some embodiments, the present invention enables the application of VMs as prepared using a method of any of the preceding embodiments to stem cell therapy to repair damaged heart tissue.
[0032] In other embodiments, the present invention provides methods to promote stem cell differentiation into VMs. In some aspects, the method includes activation of the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway in mesodermal cells that are derived from stem cells.
[0033] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can include totipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, multipotent stem cells, oligopotent stem cells, and/or unipotent stem cells.
[0034] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can include ESCs, iPSCs, fetal stem cells, and/or adult stem cells.
[0035] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can include mammalian stem cells.
[0036] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can include human stem cells.
[0037] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can include human ESCs and/or iPSCs.
[0038] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cell differentiation into mesodermal cells can be induced by treating undifferentiated stem cells with at least one of the following: bFGF, BMP2, BMP4, activin A, a BMP antagonist, a BMP signaling pathway inhibitor, or a Wnt3a signaling pathway activator, or a combination thereof.
[0039] In any of the preceding embodiments, the BMP antagonist can be a BMP4 antagonist. In any of the preceding embodiments, the BMP antagonist can be noggin.
[0040] In any of the preceding embodiments, the BMP signaling pathway inhibitor can be a small molecule inhibitor of the BMP signaling pathway.
[0041] In any of the preceding embodiments, the small molecule inhibitor of the BMP signaling pathway can be dorsomorphin.
[0042] In any of the preceding embodiments, the Wnt3a signal pathway activator can be a small molecule activator of the Wnt3a signaling pathway.
[0043] In any of the preceding embodiments, the small molecule activator of the Wnt3a signaling pathway can be an ATP-competitive inhibitor of GSK-3α/β.
[0044] In any of the preceding embodiments, the ATP-competitive inhibitor of GSK-3α/β can be a cell-permeable bis-indolo (indirubin) compound.
[0045] In any of the preceding embodiments, the cell-permeable bis-indolo (indirubin) compound can be BIO.
[0046] In any of the preceding embodiments, bFGF, BMP2, BMP4, activin A, the BMP antagonist, the BMP signaling pathway inhibitor, and/or the Wnt3a signaling pathway activator, are added at a final concentration of about 0.01 to about 1200 ng/mL, whereas other factors can be added at a final concentration of about 0.001 to about 100 μM.
[0047] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be treated with BMP2 and/or BMP4 to activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway.
[0048] In any of the preceding embodiments, BMP2 and/or BMP4 can be applied at a final concentration of between about 0.01 and about 1200 ng/mL.
[0049] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be cultured in a medium without retinoic acid or its precursors and treated with a RARγ activator to activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway.
[0050] In any of the preceding embodiments, the precursor of retinoic acid can be vitamin A.
[0051] In any of the preceding embodiments, the RARγ activator can comprise BMS961, palovarotene, and/or CD437 (e.g., purchased from Sigma-Aldrich).
[0052] In any of the preceding embodiments, the RARγ activator can be applied at a final concentration of about 0.001 to about 100 μM.
[0053] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be treated with one or more RARα and/or RARβ antagonists to activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway.
[0054] In any of the preceding embodiments, the RARα antagonist can be Ro41-5253, BMS195614, or ER50891, and the RARβ antagonist can be LE135.
[0055] In any of the preceding embodiments, the antagonist of RARα and/or RARβ can be applied at a final concentration of about 0.001 to about 100 μM.
[0056] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be treated further with a Wnt inhibitor to induce differentiation into VMs.
[0057] In any of the preceding embodiments, the Wnt inhibitor can be at least one of the following: DKK1, IWP, or IWR.
[0058] In any of the preceding embodiments, the Wnt inhibitor DKK1 can be used at a final concentration of about 0.01 to about 1200 ng/mL, while other inhibitors can be used at about 0.001 to about 100 μM.
[0059] In some aspects, the present invention discloses VMs generated by following the method in any of the preceding embodiments.
[0060] In any of the preceding embodiments, the VMs can have increased levels or ratios of ventricular-specific gene expression, embryonic ventricular-like APs, and/or the representative characteristic of VMs specific Ca 2+ activity (e.g., Ca 2+ spark).
[0061] In any of the preceding embodiments, the ventricle-specific gene can be Iroquois homeobox gene 4 (IRX-4) and/or MLC-2v.
[0062] In other embodiments, the present invention provides a composition containing stem cells that have differentiated into mesodermal cells and have been treated with an exogenous factor capable of activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway in stem cells.
[0063] In any of the preceding embodiments, the exogenous factor that activates the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway in stem cells can be BMP2 and/or BMP4.
[0064] In any of the preceding embodiments, the exogenous factor that activates the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway in stem cells can be a RARγ activator.
[0065] In any of the preceding embodiments, the exogenous factor that activates the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway in stem cells can be a RARα and/or RARβ antagonist.
[0066] In yet other embodiments, the present invention provides a method of deriving VMs from stem cells, which method comprises: 1) treating stem cells with bFGF and BMP4 to induce differentiation; 2) exposing bFGF and BMP4-treated stem cells to activin A to induce mesodermal cells; 3) treating stem cells that have been differentiated into mesoderm cells with noggin to improve the efficiency of stem cell differentiation towards CMs; 4) activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway in noggin-treated stem cells to promote the differentiation of VMs; and 5) exposing noggin-treated stem cells to one or more factors to induce stem cell differentiation into VMs. In some aspects, the one or more factors comprise at least one of the following: DKK1, IWP, and IWR.
[0067] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be treated with BMP2 and/or BMP4 to activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway.
[0068] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be cultured in medium without retinoic acid or its precursor, vitamin A, and the cultured cells can be treated with one or more RARγ activators to increase BMP2/4 expression levels to activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway.
[0069] In any of the preceding embodiments, the stem cells can be treated with RARα and/or RARβ antagonists to activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway.
[0070] In other aspects, the present invention discloses VMs generated by the method in any of the preceding embodiments.
[0071] In some aspects, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for treating a subject in need thereof, for example, a subject with heart damage or disease, which composition comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an effective amount of the VMs according to any of the preceding embodiments, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. In some aspects, provided herein is a method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition according to any of the preceding embodiments. In some aspects, provided herein is a method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of the VMs according to any of the preceding embodiments.
[0072] In any of the preceding embodiments, the subject can be a human.
[0073] In any of the preceding embodiments, the method can be used in a stem cell therapy of a heart damage, disease, or condition.
[0074] In some embodiments, the present invention provides the use of the VMs according to any of the preceding embodiments for the preparation or manufacture of a medicament for the treatment and/or prevention of a heart damage, disease, or condition.
[0075] In some embodiments, the present invention also provides the use of the VMs according to any of the preceding embodiments for screening and/or developing drugs for the treatment and/or prevention of a heart damage, disease, or condition.
[0076] In other embodiments, the present invention provides the use of the VMs according to any of the preceding embodiments for cardiac-toxicological analysis for drug safety.
[0077] In still other embodiments, the present invention provides a method to identify regulators of VMs by a) treating a VM according to any of the preceding embodiments with one or more candidate regulators and determining the effect of the candidate regulator on the function of VM, and 2) determining the function of VM without treatment with the candidate regulator. If the function of the VM treated with the candidate regulator differs from that of the VM without treatment with the candidate regulator, the candidate regulator is identified as a functional regulator of VMs.
[0078] In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method to induce differentiation of PSCs into VMs in vitro. In some aspects, based on direct induction of stem cells, factors (e.g., BMP2 and/or BMP4) that can activate the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway are directly added to the culture system during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation, thereby directing differentiation of stem cells into CMs. In some aspects, the CMs are mainly VMs. In the culture system containing retinoic acid or its precursors (e.g., vitamin A), addition of factor(s) (e.g., BMP2 and/or BMP4) capable of activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway can effectively inhibit the differentiation of CPCs to AMs while inducing the differentiation towards VMs. In some embodiments, when retinoic acid or vitamin A are added simultaneously with such factor(s) (e.g., BMP2 and/or BMP4) capable of activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway, the proportion of AMs among differentiated CMs decreases with increasing concentrations of BMP4, whereas the proportion of VMs among differentiated CMs increases with increasing BMP4 concentrations. In some aspects, when BMP2/4 only is added during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation when retinoic acid or its precursors are omitted from the culture medium, cardiac progenitor cells efficiently undergo directed differentiation into VMs. In some aspects, during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation of stem cells, addition of an activator of RARα or RARβ to the culture medium effectively inhibits the differentiation of VMs, as reflected by the inhibition of ventricle-specific expression of the early marker gene IRX-4. In some aspects, in the absence of retinoic acid or its precursor vitamin A, addition of a RARγ activator effectively induces stem cell differentiation into VMs. In some aspects, in culture medium containing retinoic acid or vitamin A, addition of RARα and RARβ antagonists is effective to improve the IRX-4 expression level and induce stem cell differentiation into VMs.
[0079] In some aspects, the present invention illustrates that BMP and Smad1/5/8 pathways positively regulate differentiation of VMs during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation of stem cells. In some aspects, the present invention allows the generation of highly homogeneous VMs with a desirable biological activity or function.
[0080] In some aspects, as an advantage, the present invention does not require any purification steps. In some other aspects, the present invention provides a platform to reveal the regulatory mechanisms underlying differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells to VMs. In still other aspects, the present invention has significant implications for cell transplantation therapy of myocardial infarction as well as drug research and development using human stem cell-derived CMs.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0081] FIG. 1 shows the expression of molecules involved in the BMP signaling pathway during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation of stem cells, and the effects on expression of the ventricle-specific marker gene IRX-4. FIG. 1A shows reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of the expression of BMP2, BMP4, and their receptors at 5 and 6 days of cardiac differentiation. FIG. 1B shows western blot analysis of downstream signaling molecules [phosphorylated Smad1/5/8 (P-Smad1/5/8)] of the BMP pathway. T-Smad1/5/8 represents total Smad1/5/8 proteins. β-actin served as an internal loading control. The histogram in FIG. 1C presents the experimental results of quantitative RT-PCR analysis of IRX-4 gene expression levels at 14 days of differentiation. The results show IRX-4 expression levels in cells treated with 1 μM retinoic acid and 200 ng/mL BMP4 during different stages of differentiation. Connected line indicates the cardiac differentiation efficiency of the stem cells under the corresponding inductive conditions. N represents noggin, B represents BMP4; NVa represents differentiated cells cultured in vitamin A-free medium; RA represents retinoic acid; and numbers represent the concentrations (Unit for BMP4 is ng/mL). Data are expressed as relative values compared with the expression level of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH).
[0082] FIG. 2 presents quantitative RT-PCR analysis of the expression levels of the ventricle-specific early marker gene IRX-4 at day 14 in differentiated cultures with various treatments. FIG. 2A shows that, after the addition of BMP4 with various concentrations to the cultures, the IRX-4 expression level is elevated with increasing concentrations of BMP4. However, the expression level is reduced by addition of a BMP antagonist, noggin. FIG. 2B illustrates that the IRX-4 expression level is effectively reduced by addition of various doses of noggin to the medium without the retinoic acid precursor, vitamin A. FIG. 2C shows that in the presence of 1 μM retinoic acid, the IRX-4 expression level is elevated with increasing concentrations of BMP4 added to the cultures. FIG. 2D shows that the elevation of the IRX-4 expression level by BMP4 in the presence of retinoic acid is reduced with additions of increasing concentrations of noggin in the cultures. N represents noggin; B represents BMP4, NVa represents differentiated cells treated in vitamin A-free medium; RA represents retinoic acid; and numbers represents the concentrations (Unit is ng/mL). The results of quantitative RT-PCR are indicated as relative values compared with the expression levels of GADPH.
[0083] FIG. 3 presents quantitative RT-PCR analysis of IRX-4 gene expression levels at day 14 of differentiation. The results show that by treatment of the stem cells at days 5-8 of cardiac differentiation, other members of the BMP family also effectively antagonized the inhibitory effect of retinoic acid on IRX-4 expression. The antagonistic effect is enhanced with increasing doses of BMP family member growth factors. RA represents retinoic acid; numbers represent the concentrations of the growth factor (Unit is ng/mL); the concentration of retinoic acid is 1 μM. The results of quantitative RT-PCR are indicated as relative values compared with the expression levels of GADPH.
[0084] FIG. 4 displays ventricle-specific MLC-2v expression in long term cultures that differently treated with retinoic acid, BMP4, and noggin. FIG. 4A shows western blot analysis of MLC-2v expression in stem cell-derived CMs at day 90 of differentiation treated with retinoic acid, noggin and BMP4 with different combinations. FIG. 4B presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTNT and MLC-2v in CMs at day 90 of differentiation after retinoic acid, BMP4, and noggin treatments. Letter B in the figures represents BMP4, NVa represents differentiated cells cultured in vitamin A-free medium; RA represents 1 μM retinoic acid; and numbers represent the concentrations (ng/mL).
[0085] FIG. 5 presents images from confocal laser scanning microscopy and simultaneous recordings of APs of calcium activity in differentiated CMs and the classification of the differentiated CMs according to the specific calcium activity patterns in the various types of CMs. FIG. 5A shows the features of Ca 2+ sparks in CMs with ventricular-like APs, Ca 2+ transients in cells with atrial-like APs, and Ca 2+ oscillations in cells with nodal-like APs. FIG. 5B presents the proportions of CMs with Ca 2+ sparks, Ca 2+ transients, and Ca 2+ oscillations in different treatments as classified by calcium signaling patterns of the various subtypes of CMs in A. The vertical axis represents the proportions of CMs with the three different calcium activities; RA represents 1 μM retinoic acid; Letter B represents BMP4; NVa represents vitamin A-free medium; N represents noggin; and numbers represent the concentrations (ng/mL).
[0086] FIG. 6 shows quantitative RT-PCR analysis of BMP2 expression in cells treated with a RARγ activator at day 6 of differentiation. The results of quantitative RT-PCR are indicated as relative values compared with those of GADPH. NVa represents vitamin A-free medium.
[0087] FIG. 7 shows quantitative RT-PCR analysis of ventricle-specific IRX-4 expression at day 14 of stem cell differentiation after the addition of various regulators (a RAR activator or inhibitor) to vitamin A-free medium during middle stage of cardiac differentiation of stem cells. RA represents retinoic acid; RAi represents a retinoic acid inhibitor, BMS189453; NVa represents vitamin A-free medium; The RAR pan-antagonist is BMS493. The results of quantitative RT-PCR are expressed as relative values compared with cTNT expression
[0088] FIG. 8 shows the proportions of cardiomyocytes with different AP characteristics, and MLC-2v (a mature VM-specific marker gene) expressing cells in the total cardiomyocyte population differentiated under various differentiation conditions. FIG. 8A shows the proportion of cells with atrial-, ventricular-, and nodal-like APs in CMs differentiated under various induction conditions (n>30). FIG. 8B shows flow cytometric analyses of the proportions of MLC-2v-expressing cells in the total cardiomyocytes population (cTNT-positive cells) among 90 day cultures treated under various conditions. RA represents 1 μM retinoic acid; B represents BMP4; NVa represents vitamin A-free medium; N represents noggin; and numbers represent the concentrations (Unit is ng/mL). The RARγ concentration is 0.1 μM.
[0089] FIG. 9 illustrates the process of inducing differentiation of PSCs into VMs in vitro in Example 2 (infra) of the present invention.
[0090] FIG. 10 illustrates the process of inducing differentiation of PSCs into VMs in vitro in Example 3 (infra) of the present invention.
[0091] FIG. 11 illustrates the process of inducing differentiation of PSCs into VMs in vitro in Example 4 (infra) of the present invention.
[0092] FIG. 12 presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after retinoic acid treatment.
[0093] FIG. 13 presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after treatment with retinoic acid and 200 ng/mL BMP4.
[0094] FIG. 14 presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after treatment with 1200 ng/mL noggin in vitamin A-free medium.
[0095] FIG. 15 presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs acquired from Example 2 (infra).
[0096] FIG. 16 presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after culture in vitamin A-free medium.
[0097] FIG. 17 presents the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs acquired from Example 3 (infra).
[0098] In FIGS. 12-17 , “*” indicates non-ventricular CMs and “̂” indicates MLC-2v-expressing VMs.
EXAMPLES
[0099] The following examples are provided to describe the present invention, but do not restrict the scope of the present invention. Unless specified otherwise, the technical terms used in the embodiments are conventional terms known to those individuals skilled in the procedures using materials that are commercially available.
[0100] In the following examples, the human ESC line H7 was purchased from WiCell Research Institute, USA; B27 supplement and RPMI1640 medium were purchased from Invitrogen; Activin A, bFGF, DKK1, BMP4, and noggin were purchased from R&D systems.
Example 1
Role of BMP/Smad1/5/8 Signaling Pathways in Inducing Differentiation of Cardiac Progenitor Cells into VMs
[0101] 1) Previous research indicated that during cardiac differentiation of stem cells, addition of retinoic acid or its precursors (e.g., vitamin A) to the culture medium at the differentiation stage that determines the subtype of CMs induces directed differentiation of stem cells into AMs. On the other side, addition of a retinoic acid inhibitor to the culture medium or exclusion of vitamin A in the culture medium induces directed differentiation of stem cells into VMs. See, Zhang Q et al., Cell Res., 2011, 21:579-587. Using RT-PCR, the expression of BMP2/4 and their corresponding receptor in differentiated human ESCs was analyzed during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation. As shown in FIG. 1 , both the ligands and receptors of the BMP pathway are expressed in the cultured cells. Western blot analysis of BMP2/4 downstream signaling molecules (phosphorylated Smad1/5/8) showed that under the culture condition with retinoic acid addition and in the absence of retinoic acid or vitamin A, Smad1/5/8 molecules are phosphorylated ( FIG. 1 ). These results demonstrated that activation of the BMP pathway during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation of stem cells. These results indicated that during days 5-8 of stem cell differentiation, the BMP pathway is involved in regulating the differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells into VMs.
[0102] 2) The role of the BMP pathway in directed differentiation of CM subtypes was analyzed further during cardiac differentiation of stem cells. IRX-4 is a marker gene expressed during early differentiation of VMs. Thus, the IRX-4 expression level was measured to further study the role of the BMP pathway in differentiation of CM subtypes.
[0103] As indicated in FIG. 2 , in vitamin A-free medium, the IRX-4 expression level was effectively reduced by addition of a BMP2/4 pathway inhibitor, noggin, during day 5 to day 8 of differentiation. The expression level of IRX-4 decreased with increasing doses of noggin (300, 600, and 1200 ng/mL).
[0104] 3) IRX-4 expression level was repressed by addition of retinoic acid during day 5 to day 8 of differentiation. Furthermore, when retinoic acid was added simultaneously with various doses of BMP4 during day 5 to day 8 of differentiation, and the measurement of the expression levels of IRX-4 by quantitative RT-PCR showed that the IRX-4 expression level in retinoic acid-treated culture was elevated by addition of BMP. As the dose of BMP4 increased, the expression level of IRX-4 increased correspondingly ( FIG. 2 ).
[0105] Additionally, other members of the BMP family antagonize the inhibitory effect of retinoic acid on IRX-4 expression. Most BMP family members have similar functions. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis ( FIG. 3 ) showed that during middle stage of cardiac differentiation, the IRX-4 expression level was elevated to various degrees by other BMP family members in the presence of 1 μM retinoic acid. The expression level of IRX-4 increased with increasing concentrations of those BMP family members added to the medium.
[0106] In summary, the analysis of early specific IRX-4 expression in differentiated cultures indicated that the BMP signaling pathway effectively improves IRX-4 expression in differentiated CMs. This finding shows that during differentiation of stem cells, the BMP signaling pathway is involved in their early differentiation into VMs and plays a role in promoting this process.
[0107] 4) To verify the role of the BMP pathway in regulating the differentiation of VMs from stem cells, calcium activities of cardiomyocytes were recorded with confocal laser scanning microscopy at 60-90 days of differentiation. Calcium activity in VMs clearly differs from that in AMs and nodel cells. Calcium activity in VMs has a higher imaging frequency, known as Ca + sparks. Imaging of the AM calcium activity showed a lower frequency with large signals, called Ca + transients, whereas imaging of calcium activity in nodel cells demonstrated obvious periodicity called Ca + oscillations. First, using the single-cell patch clamp technique in conjunction with confocal laser scanning microscopy, it was found that patch clamp-recorded calcium activities in 20 cells with ventricular-like APs exclusively shows Ca + sparks. Patch clamp-recorded calcium activities in 20 cells with atrial-like APs exclusively showed Ca + transients, whereas patch clamp-recorded calcium activities in 20 cells with nodal-like APs exclusively shows Ca + oscillations. Thus, comparing the image pattern of calcium activities in CMs is an effective method to distinguish VMs from AMs and nodel cells. Calcium imaging data showed that the majority of differentiated CMs with retinoic acid treatment had Ca + transients, while the proportion of cells with Ca + transients decreased with increasing concentrations of BMP4. In contrast, the proportion of cells with Ca + sparks among differentiated CMs increased with increasing concentrations of BMP4. This result indicates that activation of the BMP signaling pathway effectively induces stem cells to differentiate into VMs ( FIG. 5 ).
[0108] 5) As mentioned above, during early differentiation of CMs, IRX-4 is an important gene with specific expression in differentiated VMs. As CMs mature, VMs begin to specifically express the MLC-2v gene. Thus, the MLC-2v expression level was measured in differentiated cells at day 90 of culture after treatment with various growth factors. Western blot analysis showed that the MLC-2v protein expression level in differentiated cells at day 90 also increased with increasing concentrations of BMP4 ( FIG. 4 ). Moreover, flow cytometry was performed to determine the proportion of MLC-2v-expressing VMs among differentiated CMs (cTNT-expressing cells) at day 90. The results ( FIG. 8 ) showed that addition of BMP4 to differentiated cells after retinoic acid treatment effectively increased the proportion of MLC-2v-expressing cells among differentiated CMs, with the highest proportion obtained by BMP4 treatment alone. The most classical method to identify the subtypes of CMs is to measure the APs of the CMs. The proportions of cells with atrial-, ventricular-, and nodal-like APs among differentiated CMs were analyzed after treatment with retinoic acid and various doses of BMP4 ( FIG. 8 ). Among differentiated CMs after retinoic acid treatment, the proportion of cells with ventricular-like APs increased significantly with increasing doses of BMP4. Among differentiated cells treated with BMP4 alone, more than 90% of CMs had ventricular-like APs, indicating that more than 90% of CMs were VMs.
[0109] 6) Addition of BMP2/4, activin A, bFGF and/or noggin during early cardiac differentiation of ESCs and growth factors such as DKK1 during the middle stage of cardiac differentiation efficiently induced stem cells to differentiate into CMs. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that ventricle-specific IRX-4 expression was reduced by addition of RARα and RARβ activators along with DKK1 during middle stage of cardiac differentiation ( FIG. 7 ). However, high expression of BMP2 and IRX-4 was induced by addition of DKK1 with a RARγ activator ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). Additionally, in vitamin A-containing medium, early specific IRX-4 expression in VMs was activated by addition of DKK1 and antagonists of RARα and RAR. This indicated induced differentiation of stem cells into VMs. Because retinoic acid has three RARs receptors (RARα, RARβ, and RARγ), simultaneous inhibition of RARα and RARβ in the presence of vitamin A or retinoic acid has a similar mechanism and effect as that of independent activation of RARγ alone.
[0110] Flow cytometric analysis ( FIG. 8 ) demonstrated that the proportion of MLC-2v-expressing cardiomyocytes in cardiomyocytes population (cTNT-expressing cells) reached up to 80% at 90 days of differentiation induced by RARγ. Additionally, electrophysiological identification of APs indicated that 92% of RARγ-induced, differentiated CMs at 90 days had ventricular-like APs.
Example 2
Inducing Differentiation of PSCs into VMs In Vitro (Technical Solution I)
[0111] The human ESC line H7 was cultured on gelatin-coated petri dishes in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with B27 at 37° C. in a CO 2 incubator. The process of cardiac differentiation is presented in FIG. 9 . During the first 3 days of differentiation, the differentiation medium contained activin A (10 ng/mL), BMP4 (6 ng/mL), and bFGF (6 ng/mL). At the end of day 3, the medium was exchanged with a BMP2/4 inhibitor, noggin (300 ng/mL) added to the medium. At the end of day 5, the medium was replaced with vitamin A-free, B27 supplemented RPMI1640 medium. A Wnt3a inhibitor, DKK1 (300 ng/mL) and BMP4 (10 ng/mL) were also added to the medium. At the end of day 8, the medium was replaced with medium containing 300 ng/mL DKK1 only. At the end of day 10, the medium was replaced with growth factor-free medium. Thereafter, the medium was replaced with B27-containing RPMI1640 medium every 3 days. A large number of beating CMs was observed at day 14 of differentiation. The workflow of the technical solution is shown in FIG. 9 .
Example 3
Inducing Differentiation of PSCs into VMs In Vitro (Technical Solution II)
[0112] The human ESC line H7 was cultured on gelatin-coated petri dishes in RPMI 1640 medium with 1×B27 at 37° C. in a CO 2 incubator. The process of cardiac differentiation is presented in FIG. 10 . During the first 3 days of differentiation, the differentiation medium contained activin A (10 ng/mL), BMP4 (6 ng/mL), and bFGF (6 ng/mL). At the end of day 3, the medium was exchanged with differentiation medium containing a BMP2/4 inhibitor, noggin (300 ng/mL). At the end of day 5, the medium was replaced with vitamin A-free, B27-containing RPMI 1640 medium containing a Wnt3a inhibitor, DKK1 (300 ng/mL), and RARγ activator, BMS961 (0.1 μM, Tocris). At the end of day 8, the medium was replaced with medium containing 300 ng/mL DKK1 only. At the end of day 10, the medium was replaced with growth factor-free medium. Thereafter, the medium was replaced with B27-containing RPMI 1640 medium every 3 days. A large number of beating CMs was observed at day 14 of differentiation. The workflow of the technical solution is shown in FIG. 10 .
Example 4
Inducing Differentiation of PSCs into VMs In Vitro (Technical Solution III)
[0113] The human ESC line H7 was cultured on gelatin-coated petri dishes in 1×B27-containing RPMI 1640 medium at 37° C. in a CO 2 incubator. The process of cardiac differentiation is presented in FIG. 11 . During the first 3 days of differentiation, the differentiation medium contained activin A (10 ng/mL), BMP4 (6 ng/mL), and bFGF (6 ng/mL). At the end of day 3, the medium was exchanged with differentiation medium containing a BMP2/4 inhibitor, noggin (300 ng/mL). At the end of day 5, the medium was replaced with vitamin A-free, B27-containing RPMI1640 medium containing a Wnt3a inhibitor, DKK1 (300 ng/mL), as well as antagonists of RARα and RARβ, BMS195614 (0.1 μM) and LE135 (0.5 μM), respectively. At the end of day 8, the medium was replaced with medium containing 300 ng/mL DKK1 only. At the end of day 10, the culture medium was replaced with growth factor-free medium. Thereafter, the medium was replaced with B27-containing RPMI 1640 medium every 3 days. A large number of beating CMs was observed at day 14 of differentiation. The workflow of the technical solution is shown in FIG. 11 .
[0114] FIG. 12 shows the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after retinoic acid treatment.
[0115] FIG. 13 shows the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after treatment with retinoic acid and 200 ng/mL BMP4.
[0116] FIG. 14 shows the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after treatment with 1200 ng/mL Noggin in vitamin A-free medium.
[0117] FIG. 15 shows the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs acquired from Example 2.
[0118] FIG. 16 shows the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs after culture in vitamin A-free medium.
[0119] FIG. 17 shows the results of double immunofluorescence staining of cTnT and MLC-2v in differentiated CMs acquired from Example 3.
[0120] In FIGS. 12-17 , “*” indicates non-ventricular CMs and “̂” indicates MLC-2v-expressing VMs.
[0121] Confocal laser scanning microscopy was performed to analyze calcium activities in differentiated CMs acquired from Example 2 and 3 at 60-90 days. The results of calcium imaging are shown in FIG. 5 , from which the proportion of cells with Ca 2+ sparks among total differentiated CMs can be calculated directly.
[0122] In the above examples, the effective ranges of the final concentration for the relevant additives in the medium are 0.01-1200 ng/mL for growth factors and 0.001-100 μM for small molecules.
[0123] In some aspects, the methods disclosed in the present invention successfully generate biologically active and functional VMs. These methods can be used to reveal the regulatory mechanisms of CPC differentiation into VMs, whereas the resulting differentiated human VMs have extensive applications in cell transplantation therapy of myocardial infarction, toxicological analysis of cardiac drugs, and cardiac drug development.
[0124] Although the present invention has been fully described with general instructions and specific embodiments, it is noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the procedures. Therefore, such changes and modifications made to the invention without departing from its essence are being protected within the scope of the present invention as claimed.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0125] In some aspects, the present invention provides a method to induce differentiation of PSCs into VMs in vitro, which successfully generates biologically active and functional VMs. It can not only reveal the regulatory mechanisms underlying differentiation of VMs from CSCs, but also produce human VMs that have broad applications in cell transplantation therapy of myocardial infarction, as well as cardiac-toxicological analysis of drug safety, and drug development for heart diseases.
|
Provided in the present invention is a method for inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into ventricular myocytes in vitro, which is achieved by maintaining, amplifying and culturing pluripotent stem cells in vitro, adding a substance capable of activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway directly or indirectly into the culture medium when pluripotent stem cells are in the middle stage of myocardial differentiation, i.e. the period of differentiating into cardiac muscle cells from mesoderm cells or myocardial precursor cells, which enables stem cells to differentiate into ventricular myocytes directionally. Ventricular myocytes with biological activity and function are obtained successfully by means of the method of the present invention, which reveals the regulatory mechanism during differentiation of myocardial precursor cells into ventricular myocytes; moreover, the human ventricular myocytes obtained via differentiation can be widely used in treating myocardial infarction by cell transplantation, in toxicological analysis of the heart and in the development of heart-related drugs.
| 0
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the pressure used to operate the plunger in a parison mold, and more particularly to a dwell time control system and method for automatically adjusting the selection and timing of a sequence of pressures used to drive the plunger during the parison forming process.
[0002] Glass containers are made in a manufacturing process that has three parts, namely the batch house, the hot end, and the cold end. The batch house is where the raw materials for glass (typically including sand, soda ash, limestone, cullet (crushed, recycled glass), and other raw materials) are prepared and mixed into batches. The hot end begins with a furnace, in which the batched materials are melted into molten glass, and from which a stream of molten glass flows.
[0003] The molten glass is cut into cylinders of glass called gobs, which fall by gravity into blank molds, sometimes referred to as parison molds. In the blank molds, a pre-container referred to as a parison is formed, typically by using a metal plunger to push the glass into the blank mold, or alternately by blowing the glass from below into the blank mold. The parison is inverted and transferred to a mold, where it is blown out into the shape of the container. An annealing process performed in an annealing oven or Lehr heats the containers and then slowly and evenly cools them over an extended time period to prevent them from having weakened glass caused by stresses caused by uneven cooling. The equipment at the cold end of the glass container manufacturing process inspects the containers to ensure that they are of acceptable quality.
[0004] The present invention is concerned with the parison formation process using a plunger to push the glass into the blank mold. Parisons are molded in a blank mold in an inverted position. The blank mold has two halves, and completing the finish portion are two neck ring molds located below the blank mold halves, with an upwardly oriented plunger extending through the neck ring halves and into the bottom of the blank mold halves. The blank mold halves are open at the tops thereof, and a gob of molten glass drops through this opening into the blank mold halves. A baffle is placed on top of the blank mold halves to close the opening at the top thereof, and the plunger is raised to force the gob to fill the entire cavity defined by the blank mold halves, the neck ring halves, and the baffle, thereby forming the parison. Upon completion of the cycle, the baffle is removed and the mold halves open, with the neck ring halves then transporting the parison to the blow molds.
[0005] Plunger contact time or dwell time is a particularly important parameter when producing in a narrow neck press and blow glass container manufacturing process or in a press and blow production in general. The full contact of the plunger with the glass in the gob that occurs during plunger contact or dwell time influences the characteristics of parisons produced for use in further steps in the glass container forming process. While dwell time depends on a number of parameters including friction in the movement of the plunger and glass temperature, it can also be strongly influenced by the pressure driving the plunger in its upward motion.
[0006] The plunger was formerly driven by a hydraulic system, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,923, to Vajda et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,778, to Pinkerton et al., both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, and both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Both of these patents used feedback to monitor the position of the plunger and to use plunger position information to control the parison formation process to improve parison uniformity and quality.
[0007] In order to reduce the risk of fire associated with the use of hydraulic fluid in the operation of the plunger and other system components, pneumatic systems using compressed air were adopted, as illustrated in European Patent No. 0691940, to Plater et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,590, to Pilskar, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, and both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The '940 patent used a proportional control valve operated by a microcontroller dependent upon position and pressure feedback signals from the plunger drive piston and cylinder. The '590 patent used an initial higher pressure for a short time followed by a succeeding lower pressure that was approximately 70% of the initial higher pressure to operate the plunger.
[0008] The operation of the plunger was further refined by controlling the movement of the plunger, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,172, to Schwegler et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,406, to Anheyer, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present patent application, and both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The '172 patent controls the timing of valves providing compressed air to both sides of a piston driving the plunger, and the '406 patent provides a feedback control system for driving the plunger at desired speeds.
[0009] After comparing the determined value with the desired dwell time, past closed loop controller increased or decreased the pressure for driving up the plunger until the resulting dwell time corresponds to the desired dwell time value has been achieved. However, simply increasing the pressure for plunger movement resulted in bottle defects, especially during dwell time. An alternative solution was moving the plunger up with different pressures (high, medium, low). However, this alternative presented problems in selecting when to switch from a higher to a lower pressure.
[0010] An illustration of such a problem is found in European Patent No. 1466871, to Krumme, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a method of operating the plunger that somewhat varies the teachings of the '590 patent to have second and third different lower pressures following an initial higher pressure to operate the plunger. The second pressure is controlled to bring the plunger to completely fill the cavity defined by the mold halves, the neck ring halves, and the baffle at a fixed time at which point a fixed pressing time at the third pressure begins, which third pressure may be less than (in the primary embodiment) or greater than (in an alternate embodiment) the second pressure. Thus, the duration of the applications of the first and third pressures is predetermined (meaning that the duration of the second pressure is also predetermined since the overall machine is operating at a predetermined speed), with the only variable being selecting the second pressure to be sufficient to completely fill the cavity by the end of application of the second pressure.
[0011] A key deficiency of the '871 patent is that the detection of the point at which the plunger has completely filled the cavity is made by detecting that the plunger has reached a predefined position rather than actually detecting when the plunger has completely filled the cavity (see paragraph 0012 and claim 2 of the '871 patent). Measuring the position of the plunger may be performed, for example, using the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,829, to Geisel, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further, since the first pressure is only maintained for a short period of time, the operation of the plunger with the second pressure must be sufficiently high to reach the predefined position in the required time period, but not so high that it will drive open the mold halves (see the last sentence in paragraph 0010 of the '871 patent). This is a compromise that necessarily cannot result in optimizing system performance. Due to the difficulties associated with multi-pressure pressing, most glass container manufacturing plants still press with only a single pressure level that is sufficiently low to prevent the related defects, but also certainly less than an optimal solution.
[0012] It is accordingly desirable that the present invention provide an improved dwell time control method and system that results in the ability to control the dwell time (the time that the plunger is in full contact with the parison). It is also desirable that the improved dwell time control method and system automate the pressure switching process without requiring operator input once the process has been initiated. It is further desirable that the dwell time control method and system prevent the inadvertent opening of molds due to the occurrence of overpressure situations.
[0013] The dwell time control method and system of the present invention must also be of construction which is both durable and long lasting, and it should also require little or no maintenance to be provided by the user throughout its operating lifetime. In order to enhance the market appeal of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention, it should also be of inexpensive construction to thereby afford it the broadest possible market. Finally, it is also an objective that all of the aforesaid advantages of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention be achievable without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The disadvantages and limitations of the background art discussed above are overcome by the present invention. With this invention, the operation of the plunger is controlled to optimize the dwell time of the plunger in contact with the parison. It results in the ability to fully automate the pressure switching process without requiring operator input once the process has been initiated. It also prevents the blank molds from being inadvertently forced open due to the occurrence of overpressure situations in the operation of the plunger.
[0015] The dwell time control method and system of the present invention uses three consecutive pressures to operate the plunger to form the parison from the glass gob in the blank mold. The total time for operating the plunger to form the parison is predefined and unchangeable time period since it is established by the operational cycle timing of the I.S. machine, so the timings that are variable are the time that the pressure is changed from the first pressure to the second pressure, and the time that the second pressure is changed to the third pressure. The dwell time control method and system of the present invention bases these times on the observed press curve from one or more previous parison forming cycles.
[0016] The timing of two characteristics of the observed press curve from one or more previous parison forming cycles are determined: the time at which the upper part of the mold becomes filled with glass from the glass gob that causes an increase in the resistance encountered by the parison is detected by the occurrence of a nonlinearity in the press curve; and the time at which the mold becomes completely filled with glass from the glass gob that results in a slowing in the movement of the plunger below a particular level. By ascertaining these times (each of which is measured from the initiation of the parison forming cycle), the times at which pressure changes can be determined.
[0017] The time that the pressure is changed from the first pressure to the second pressure is a first predetermined percentage of the ascertained time at which the upper part of the mold becomes filled with glass, and the time that the pressure is changed from the second pressure to the third pressure is a second predetermined percentage of the time at which the mold becomes completely filled with glass. The two characteristics from one previous parison forming cycle may be used, or more than one previous parison forming cycles may be used by averaging the ascertained times from the previous parison forming cycles. The first predetermined percentage is less than one hundred percent in order to prevent the blow mold from being forced open, and the second predetermined percentage is less than one hundred percent in order to prevent the occurrence of an overpressed finish.
[0018] In a method of implementing the dwell time control method and system of the present invention: the position of the plunger in the blank mold is monitored with respect to time during at least one parison forming cycle beginning at a time t 1 and ending at a time t 4 ; a time t 2 is determined in each monitored parison forming cycle at which a first characteristic of the movement of the plunger during the parison forming cycle is detected; a time t 3 is determined in each monitored parison forming cycle at which a second characteristic of the movement of the plunger during the parison forming cycle is detected; during each parison forming cycle, after a gob is loaded into the blank mold, applying a first pressure from time t 2 to time t p2 , a second pressure from time t p2 to time t p3 , and a third pressure from time t p3 to time t 4 ; wherein the time interval between time t 1 and time t p2 is a first predetermined percentage of a time interval based upon the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 for one or more previous parison forming cycles; and wherein the time interval between time t 1 and time t p3 is a second predetermined percentage of a time interval based upon the time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 for one or more previous parison forming cycles.
[0019] Pursuant to this method: the first characteristic of the movement of the plunger may be a nonlinearity exhibited by the movement of the parison with respect to time which is indicative of an upper part of the mold having been filled with glass from the glass gob, and the time t 2 in each monitored parison forming cycle is the time at which an upper part of the mold has been filled with glass from the glass gob; and the second characteristic of the movement of the plunger may be a movement-related characteristic of the plunger falls below a preselected level which is indicative of the glass from the glass gob has been distributed throughout the entire blank mold to completely fill it, and the time t 3 in each monitored parison forming cycle is the time at which the glass from the glass gob has been distributed throughout the entire blank mold to completely fill it.
[0020] In a system for implementing the dwell time control method and system of the present invention: a position sensor monitors the position of the plunger in the blank mold versus time during at least one parison forming cycle beginning at a time t 1 and ending at a time t 4 ; a control system determines a time t 2 in each monitored parison forming cycle at which a first characteristic of the movement of the plunger during the parison forming cycle is detected, determines a time t 3 in each monitored parison forming cycle at which a second characteristic of the movement of the plunger during the parison forming cycle is detected, and operates the source of a pressurized medium during each parison forming cycle, after a gob is loaded into the blank mold, to apply a first pressure from time t 1 to time t p2 , a second pressure from time t p2 to time t p3 , and a third pressure from time t p3 to time t 4 ; wherein the time interval between time t 1 and time t p2 is calculated by the control system to be a first predetermined percentage of a time interval based upon the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 for one or more previous parison forming cycles; and wherein the time interval between time t 1 and time t p3 is calculated by the control system to be a second predetermined percentage of a time interval based upon the time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 for one or more previous parison forming cycles.
[0021] It may therefore be seen that the present invention teaches an improved dwell time control method and system that results in the ability to control the dwell time (the time that the plunger is in full contact with the parison). The improved dwell time control method and system automates the pressure switching process without requiring operator input once the process has been initiated. The dwell time control method and system also prevents the inadvertent opening of molds due to the occurrence of overpressure situations.
[0022] The dwell time control method and system of the present invention is of a construction which is both durable and long lasting, and which will require little or no maintenance to be provided by the user throughout its operating lifetime. The dwell time control method and system of the present invention is also of inexpensive construction to enhance its market appeal and to thereby afford it the broadest possible market. Finally, all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] These and other advantages of the present invention are best understood with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a blank mold and an associated plunger mechanism illustrating a glass gob in the blank mold with the plunger in the loading position in the blank mold; and
[0025] FIG. 2 depicts two time-aligned plots associated with the dwell time control method and system of the present invention, with the top plot showing the pressure supplied to the plunger mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1 to press it into the glass gob to form a parison, and the bottom plot showing the actual position of the plunger in the blank mold.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] Referring first to FIG. 1 , a blank mold and an associated plunger mechanism are illustrated. The mold includes two mold halves 30 and 32 , which are shown as being closed atop two neck ring halves 34 and 36 . A plunger 38 is shown extending upwardly into the bottom of the mold halves 30 and 32 , with the plunger 28 being in the loading position in the mold halves 30 and 32 . A glass gob 40 is shown loaded into the mold halves 30 and 32 , with a baffle 42 shown atop the mold halves 30 and 32 and closing the top ends thereof.
[0027] The plunger operating mechanism is housed by a lower cylinder 44 , and upper cylinder 46 on top of the lower cylinder 44 , and a cylinder cap 48 that is mounted on top of the upper cylinder 46 . A hollow sleeve 50 has a cylindrical upper portion 52 that extends upwardly through the cylinder cap 48 and into the area between the bottom portions of the neck ring halves 34 and 36 . The sleeve 50 has a central portion that includes an outwardly extending circular flange 54 , and a bottom portion 56 . A guiding ring 58 is located at the top of the upper portion 52 of the sleeve 50 , and the plunger 38 extends through the upper portion 52 of the sleeve 50 and the guiding ring 58 and into the bottom of the mold halves 30 and 32 .
[0028] The bottom of the plunger 38 is mounted onto the top of a plunger base 60 , which is slidably mounted in the interior of the sleeve 50 . The bottom of the upper cylinder 46 has a reduced diameter aperture located therein in which a piston rod 62 is slidably mounted. The piston rod 62 is connected at its top end thereof to the bottom of the plunger base 60 , and at its bottom end to the top of a piston 64 that is slidably mounted in the bottom cylinder 44 . It will be appreciated that movement of the piston 64 in the lower cylinder 44 will drive the plunger 38 .
[0029] A cooling tube 66 extends from the closed bottom of the lower cylinder 44 upwardly through the piston 64 and into the hollow interior of the piston rod 64 to provide cooling fluid thereinto. A spring 68 is mounted in the upper cylinder 46 , and extends between the top side of the bottom of the upper cylinder 46 and the bottom side of the circular flange 54 . The spring 68 functions to bias the plunger 38 to its loading position as shown in FIG. 1 by driving the circular flange 54 of the sleeve 50 into contact with the underside of the cylinder cap 48 in the absence of any downward pressure on the piston 64 in the lower cylinder 44 .
[0030] Pressurized fluid (typically compressed air) may be supplied to drive the piston 64 and the plunger upwardly through a first or lower inlet 70 , and pressurized fluid may be supplied to drive the piston 64 and the plunger 38 downwardly through a second or upper inlet 72 . It should be noted that in order to drive the plunger 38 downwardly from the loading position it is illustrated in FIG. 1 it is necessary to overcome the force of the spring 68 . This will also cause the sleeve 50 and the guiding ring 58 to be lowered from their respective positions illustrated in FIG. 1 to somewhat retract them from the neck ring halves 34 and 36 .
[0031] Pressurized fluid is supplied from a first pressure source 74 with both the flow of pressurized fluid from the first pressure source 74 and the pressure at which the pressurized fluid is supplied to the lower inlet 70 being controlled by a first proportional valve 76 . Similarly, pressurized fluid is supplied from a second pressure source 78 with both the flow of pressurized fluid from the second pressure source 78 and the pressure at which the pressurized fluid is supplied to the upper inlet 72 being controlled by a second proportional valve 80 (although a simple on/off valve will also suffice since the function is simply to drive the piston 64 to retract the plunger downwardly).
[0032] The operation of the first proportional valve 76 and the second proportional valve 80 are controlled by a control system 82 , which stores programmed information and data in a memory 84 . The operation of the control system 82 may be monitored on a display 86 , and controlled using an input control 88 . Information regarding the position of the plunger 38 is provided by a position sensor 90 that monitors the position of the piston rod 62 , the movement of which corresponds with the position of the distal end of the plunger 38 in the mold halves 30 and 32 . The position sensor 90 uses the relative positions of the piston 64 and the piston rod 62 with respect to the cooling tube 66 to provide an input regarding the position of the plunger 38 to the control system 82 .
[0033] Referring next to FIG. 2 , an exemplary use of a three-pressure operation to drive the plunger 38 (shown in FIG. 1 ) from the loading position (in which it is illustrated in FIG. 1 ) to form the parison from the glass gob in the blank mold is illustrated. According to the teachings of the present invention, the three consecutive pressures, referred to herein as p 1 , p 2 , and p 3 , are cumulatively applied during a time period beginning at time t 1 and ending at time t 4 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a single cycle of the blow molding process lasts for a predefined and unchangeable time period that is determined by the operational speed of the I.S. machine (typically one full cycle lasts for approximately four to five seconds). Similarly, the time period beginning at time t 1 and ending at time t 4 is a predefined and similarly unchangeable time period that is established by the timing of the cycle of the operations of the I.S. machine (typically this time period is approximately one second).
[0034] The dwell time control method and system of the present invention detects two events that occur during the time period that begins at time t 2 and ends at time t 4 , with the respective times at which these two events occur being time t 2 and time t 3 . The first of these events, which occurs at time t 2 , is when the plunger 38 (shown in FIG. 1 ) has forced the glass gob 40 (also shown in FIG. 1 ) to hit the baffle 42 (also shown in FIG. 1 ), at which point a non-linear increase in resistance to further movement of the plunger 38 due to the upper part of the mold having been filled with glass from the glass gob 40 .
[0035] This may be seen in FIG. 2 in the bottom plot which shows the position of the plunger 38 in the blank mold at the point identified by the intersection of the plot with the time t 2 . At the point where the upper part of the mold is completely filled with glass from the glass gob 40 , there is a readily observable nonlinear characteristic or “knee” in the plot of the position of the plunger 38 in the blank mold. This time t 2 may be detected by the dwell time control method and system of the present invention by monitoring the first and second derivatives (velocity and acceleration) of the position of the plunger 38 in the blank mold.
[0036] The second of these events, which occurs at time t 3 , is when the first and second derivatives (velocity and acceleration) of the plunger 38 have fallen below preset levels, which generally occurs when the glass from the glass gob 40 has been distributed throughout the entire blank mold, completely filling it. This may be seen in FIG. 2 in the bottom plot showing the position of the plunger 38 in the blank mold at the point identified by the intersection of the plot with the time t 3 . The time period from time t 1 to time t 3 is parison forming time and is also referred to as the “pressing time.” During the time period beginning at time t 3 and ending at time t 4 , the final pressing of the glass in the mold into a parison occurs. This time period, which is commonly referred to as the “dwell time,” is generally at least a certain time period, for example approximately between 400 and 600 milliseconds.
[0037] Thus, what can be varied by the dwell time control method and system of the present invention are the time at which the first pressure p 1 is changed to the second pressure p 2 , which time will be referred to herein as time t p2 , and the time at which the second pressure p 2 is changed to the third pressure p 3 , which time will be referred to herein as time t p3 . The present invention uses the measured times t 2 and t 3 of two detected events from the plot of the position of the plunger 38 in the blank mold during previous cycles as the triggering events to calculate the time t p2 at which the pressure applied to the plunger 38 will change from p 1 to p 2 , and the time t p3 at which the pressure applied to the plunger 38 will change from p 2 to p 3 .
[0038] The first pressure p 1 is highest since higher pressure is needed to overcome initial friction and to accelerate the movement of the plunger 38 . However, this higher first pressure p 1 must be removed before the glass in the glass gob 40 hits the baffle 42 in order to prevent the blow mold from being forced open. In order to ensure that this does not happen, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p2 after which the pressure applied to the plunger 38 will change from p 1 to p 2 is selected to be a percentage of the measured time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 for one or more previous I.S. machine cycles (if this time interval is measured for more than one machine cycle, the measured times may be averaged).
[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p2 can vary from approximately sixty percent to approximately ninety-five percent of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 . In a more preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p2 can vary from approximately seventy percent to approximately ninety percent of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 . In a most preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p2 is approximately eighty percent of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 .
[0040] The number of prior cycles over which the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 can be measured and averaged may be varied from one cycle (in which case no averaging is needed) to one hundred cycles or even more in preferred embodiments, with consideration being given to a balancing of only recent cycles being used and a greater number of cycles being used. In a more preferred embodiment, this balancing uses a number of cycles that is between approximately three cycles and approximately twenty cycles to calculate the average, and in a most preferred embodiment, this balancing uses approximately eight cycles to calculate the average. In each case, the measurements of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 2 are used for the given number of immediately preceding cycles, so that a new average value is calculated for each succeeding cycle.
[0041] The third pressure p 3 may be lower than the second pressure p 2 in order to have a higher pressure p 2 to complete the pressing time of the glass gob 40 in the blank mold quickly and to have a lower pressure p 3 in order to prevent the occurrence of an overpressed finish. In this case, this higher second pressure p 2 should be removed before the glass in the glass gob 40 fills the blank mold in order to prevent the finish from being overpressed. In order to ensure that this does not happen, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p , after which the pressure applied to the plunger 38 will change from p 2 to a lower p 3 is selected to be a percentage of the measured time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 (alternately, it could instead be a percentage of the measured time interval between time t p2 and time t 3 , or even a percentage of the measured time interval between time t 2 and time t 3 , although these alternatives are not the most preferred implementation of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention).
[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p3 can vary from approximately fifty percent to approximately ninety percent of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 . In a more preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p3 can vary from approximately sixty percent to approximately eighty percent of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 . In a most preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t 1 and time t p3 is approximately seventy percent of the time interval between t 1 and t 3 .
[0043] The number of prior cycles over which the time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 can be measured and averaged may be varied from one cycle (in which case no averaging is needed) to one hundred cycles or even more in preferred embodiments, with consideration being given to a balancing of only recent cycles being used and a greater number of cycles being used. In a more preferred embodiment, this balancing uses a number of cycles that is between approximately three cycles and approximately twenty cycles to calculate the average, and in a most preferred embodiment, this balancing uses approximately eight cycles to calculate the average. In each case, the measurements of the time interval between time t 1 and time t 3 are used for the given number of immediately preceding cycles, so that a new average value is calculated for each succeeding cycle.
[0044] If the first alternate embodiment mentioned above is used instead, the time interval between time t p2 and time t p3 can vary from approximately forty-five percent to approximately eighty-five percent of the time interval between time t p2 and time t 3 . In a more preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t p2 and time t p3 can vary from approximately fifty-five percent to approximately seventy-five percent of the time interval between time t p2 and time t 3 . In a most preferred embodiment, the time interval between time t p2 and time t p3 is approximately sixty-five percent of the time interval between time t p2 and time t 3 .
[0045] In some instances (such as, for example, producing wide mouth glass containers) it may be desirable to have p 3 be greater than p 2 (and also to have p 2 be greater than p 1 ). This may be done because during the dwell time the plunger 38 is in contact with the parison in the glass gob 40 in the blank mold, and as such is either not moving or moving at such an exceedingly low rate that it has essentially no momentum. As such, it may be possible for the dwell time pressure to be higher than the second pressure p 2 used during the pressing time, although this alternatives is generally not the most preferred implementation of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention (except perhaps in the production of wide mouth glass containers).
[0046] Since the time period that begins at time t 1 and ends at time t 4 is fixed, and since it is desirable to have a dwell time beginning at time t 3 and ending at time t 4 that is at least a minimum time period long, such as, for example, between approximately 400 and 600 milliseconds long, it is possible in an alternate embodiment to have the objective of defining a desired value for the time t 3 . By varying the values of either the second pressure p 2 only, or by varying the values of both the first pressure p 1 and the second pressure p 2 with them in a fixed relationship (e.g., the first pressure p 1 is equal to 1.12 times the second pressure p 2 ), this objective for a dwell time beginning at a desired value for the time t 3 can be realized in relatively few parison forming cycles.
[0047] Depending upon the specific mold design, various loading possibilities, and the variations possible in other parameters, virtually every possible combination of p 1 , p 2 , p 3 levels could, in some instances, make sense. All possible combinations are thus viewed as being encompassed by the improved dwell time control method and system.
[0048] It may therefore be appreciated from the above detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention that it teaches an improved dwell time control method and system that results in the ability to control the dwell time (the time that the plunger is in full contact with the parison in the gob). The improved dwell time control method and system automates the pressure switching process without requiring operator input once the process has been initiated. The dwell time control method and system also prevents the inadvertent opening of molds due to the occurrence of overpressure situations.
[0049] The dwell time control method and system of the present invention is of a construction which is both durable and long lasting, and which will require little or no maintenance to be provided by the user throughout its operating lifetime. The dwell time control method and system of the present invention is also of inexpensive construction to enhance its market appeal and to thereby afford it the broadest possible market. Finally, all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
[0050] Although the foregoing description of the dwell time control method and system of the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments and applications thereof, it has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments and applications disclosed. It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, variations, or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The particular embodiments and applications were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such changes, modifications, variations, and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
|
A dwell time control system and method for automatically adjusting the selection and timing of a sequence of pressures used to drive the plunger in a parison mold during the parison forming process. The timing of characteristics of the observed press curve from one or more previous parison forming cycles are ascertained and used to control the timing of the changes in pressure during a subsequent parison forming cycle. The timings of these changes of pressure are determined as predetermined percentages of the timings of the characteristics in order to prevent the blow mold from being forced open and in order to prevent the occurrence of an overpressed finish.
| 2
|
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/908,018, filed Mar. 26, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to a method and apparatus for drilling and completing a well for in situ recovery of heavy oil or bitumen from carbonate and sandstone reservoirs. More particularly, the method and apparatus herein uses either concentric drill string or single wall drill string to drill and complete a well. In one embodiment, a portion of the outer tube of the concentric drill string or the wall of the single wall drill string comprises a plurality of temporarily sealed slots and/or induction heaters and may also be used to stimulate the well.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The petroleum industry uses many different methods of in situ stimulation of heavy oil and bitumen present in various carbonate and sandstone reservoirs where the oil is too deeply buried to be mined. In many reservoirs, the heavy oil or bitumen is so viscous that it needs to be warmed in order to flow at economic rates. Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,485 (Butler, Aug. 17, 1982), Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) or “huff and puff”, In situ Combustion, Waterflooding, Miscible carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR), vapor-assisted petroleum extraction (VAPEX), and Downhole Heaters are some of the more common methods. Current drilling methods for drilling wells useful for in situ stimulation and production of heavy oil/bitumen generally use a conventional, single wall drill string that uses a conventional or underbalanced mud system.
Conventional drilling methods using single wall drill string require that the drill cuttings and mud be returned to surface on the outside of the single wall drill string. In certain reservoirs, using single wall drill string can result in formation damage and serious lost circulation problems. Lost circulation is loss of substantial quantities of drilling mud to an encountered formation during borehole drilling. This is evidenced by a total or drastic reduction of returning mud and a reduction in the volume of mud in the mud pits. The following could cause lost circulation: borehole pressure (mud pressure) being in excess of the formation pressure; damaged formations due to reckless drilling; pipe surging at high speeds; fractured, fissured or faulted formations; limestone regions, which are vuggy and very coarse; permeable rocks like pebbles, reefs and irregular limestone, gravels and conglomerates.
The undesirable effects of lost circulation include: loss of drilling energy; sudden undesirable speed increase of the rotary; deflection of the bit along joint planes or even breaking of the bit; drilling fluid may be totally lost, hence increased cost of operation; time wasted in pulling back and/or combating lost circulation; drop in annular level may cause blow out in over-pressured or gas-bearing formations; loss of information from the down-hole; and the chances of stuck-pipe and fishing exercise are increased, if lost circulation occurs in an aquiferous zone, or slightly above it, then completion and development of the borehole may be impaired.
When drilling in formations such as oil sand and oil shale, damage to the formation may also occur when drilling back up the hole to remove the drill string. Hence, removal of the drilling apparatus from the drilled hole may also result in lost circulation. Thus, it would be desirable at the very least to drill and complete a well without having to remove the drill string after drilling the borehole.
Furthermore, borehole cleaning in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs is major problem and requires additional drilling time and money and may result in increased formation damage. Running production casing or a slotted liner may be very difficult when the well bore hasn't been properly cleaned.
The present application uses both single wall drill string and dual wall (concentric) drill string that can remain downhole to now operate as a production well, a stimulation well or both. By eliminating the need to drill back up the hole, the likelihood of lost circulation can be reduced.
Use of dual wall drill pipe or dual wall coiled tubing to drill the well will further reduce drilling damage and lost circulation problems. Hole cleaning is much easier and more effective when using dual wall drill string, as the drill mud and cuttings travel up the inside tube. This avoids contact with the formation and agents such as chemicals and foam can be added to assist in borehole cleaning by delivering them through the annulus formed between the inner and outer tubes of the concentric drill string
The method and apparatus as described in the present application can also be used to produce and/or stimulate the flow of heavy oil/bitumen, either alone or in combination with other well stimulation techniques known in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one broad aspect, a method for drilling, completing and stimulating a heavy oil or bitumen well in a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir is provided, comprising:
providing a concentric drill string having an inner tube and an outer tube defining an annulus therebetween, the outer tube comprising at least one induction heater; drilling a borehole into the reservoir using a drilling member connected at the lower end of the concentric drill string and delivering drilling medium through one of the annulus or inner tube and extracting the exhaust drilling medium through the other of the annulus or inner tube; leaving the concentric drill string in the well after drilling of the borehole is completed; and heating the outer tube of the concentric drill string using the at least one induction heater to stimulate the flow of the heavy oil or bitumen in the reservoir.
In one embodiment, the inner tube of the concentric drill string can also be used as a production tube for removing the flowing heavy oil or bitumen to surface.
In another broad aspect, a method for drilling, completing and stimulating a heavy oil or bitumen well in a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir is provided, comprising:
providing a single wall drill string comprising at least one induction heater; drilling a borehole into the reservoir using a drilling member connected at the lower end of the single wall drill string and delivering drilling medium through the single wall drill string and extracting the exhaust drilling medium through an annulus formed between the single wall drill pipe and the borehole wall; leaving the single wall drill string in the well after drilling of the borehole is completed; and heating the single wall drill string using the at least one induction heater to stimulate the flow of the heavy oil or bitumen in the reservoir.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises inserting a production tube through the single wall drill string once drilling is completed for removing the flowing heavy oil or bitumen to surface. In the alternative, the single wall drill string itself can be used to remove the flowing heavy oil or bitumen to surface.
In one broad aspect, a method for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a heavy oil or bitumen well in a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir is provided, comprising:
providing a concentric drill string having an inner tube and an outer tube defining an annulus therebetween, the outer tube further having a plurality of slots sealed with a temporary filler material; drilling a borehole into the reservoir using a drilling member connected at the lower end of the concentric drill string and delivering drilling medium through one of the annulus or inner tube and extracting the exhaust drilling medium through the other of the annulus or inner tube; leaving the concentric drill string in the well after drilling of the borehole is completed; and removing the temporary filler material to expose the plurality of slots in the outer tube and form a slotted liner.
Slots as used herein refers to openings (e.g., openings in conduits) having a size and shape that allows for the inflow of heavy oil/bitumen while reducing the entrance of sand or other wellbore debris, including, but not limited to, circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, triangles, slits or other regular or irregular shapes.
Temporary filler material as used herein refers to a material that is solid at reservoir temperatures, can withstand pressure during drilling, and will either liquefy when heated above the reservoir temperature or can be dissolved using a solvent material. Examples include, but are not limited to, various solders comprising a metal or a fusible metal alloy such as an alloy of tin, lead and/or silver, polymers, resins (see, for example, fluorine-containing meltable resin compositions as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,840, incorporated hereto by reference), fiberglass and plastics that can be liquefied by heat. In the alternative, resins known in the art can be used that can be dissolved using various hydrocarbon-based solvents. It is understood that the particular temporary filler material that will be used in a particular operation will depend on a number of factors, for example, without being limited, viscosity of the heavy oil/bitumen, operating pressure, temperature of the formation, and the desired method for removing the temporary filler material.
In one embodiment, the concentric drill string comprises a plurality of individual concentric drill pipe joints. In another embodiment, the concentric drill string comprises concentric coiled tubing.
In one embodiment, the well drilled is substantially vertical. In another embodiment, the well drilled is substantially horizontal. In another embodiment, the borehole starts and finishes from two different surface locations so that the drilling member and other downhole tools can be recovered at surface without removing the drill string from the hole.
In one embodiment, the concentric drill string further comprises an electronically driven submersible pump unit at its lower end for pumping the heated heavy oil or bitumen to the surface through the inner tube. Thus, the inner tube acts as a production tube. In the alternative, the heavy oil or bitumen can be removed through the inner tube by any number of alternate means, for example, an artificial lift, a surface pump jack, a progressive cavity pump, or the like.
In one embodiment, the outer tube comprises an electrical cable operably placed along the periphery of the outer tube and at least one induction heater operably associated with the electrical cable for heating the outer tube to liquefy and thus remove the temporary filler material and expose the slots. Thus, in this embodiment, the method further comprises providing electricity through the electrical cables to the at least one induction heater to heat the temporary filler material, thereby exposing the slots, and/or the formation to stimulate the flow of heavy oil or bitumen.
It is understood, however, that the outer tube could also be heated by other heating means known in the art, for example, but not limited to, circulating steam through the concentric drill string and thus liquefy the temporary filler material. For example, without being limiting, two parallel horizontal wells can be drilled using slotted concentric drill string. Steam can then be circulated through both drill strings to liquefy the temporary filler material. The upper horizontal well can then be used as an injector well for continuously injecting steam into the formation and the lower horizontal well can be used as a production well for collecting the heavy oil/bitumen as contemplated by SAGD.
In one embodiment, the temporary filler material is a resin that is removed by dissolving the resin with a hydrocarbon-based solvent. The solvent used will depend on the resin used to make the temporary filler material.
In one embodiment, the outer tube is made from a conductible material such as steel, aluminum or other materials known in the art. In another embodiment, the outer tube is continuously heated to stimulate the flow of the heavy oil or bitumen.
In another broad aspect, a method for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a heavy oil or bitumen well in a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir is provided, comprising:
providing a single wall drill string having a plurality of slots sealed with a temporary filler material; drilling a borehole into the reservoir using a drilling member connected at the lower end of the single wall drill string and delivering drilling medium through the single wall drill string and extracting the exhaust drilling medium through an annulus formed between the single wall drill pipe and the borehole wall; leaving the single wall drill string in the well after drilling of the borehole is completed; and removing the temporary filler material to expose the plurality of slots in the single wall drill pipe and form a slotted liner.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises inserting a production tube through the single wall drill string once drilling is completed.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a wellbore in a heavy oil or bitumen formation is provided, comprising:
a concentric drill string having an inner tube and an outer tube defining an annulus therebetween, the outer tube further having a plurality of slots; and removable temporary filler material for sealing the plurality of slots.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a wellbore in a heavy oil or bitumen formation is provided, comprising:
a concentric drill string having an inner tube and an outer tube defining an annulus therebetween; an electrical cable operably placed along the periphery of the outer tube; and at least one induction heater operably associated with the electrical cable for heating the outer tube.
In one embodiment, the outer tube of the concentric drill string comprises a plurality of slots that are sealed with a temporary filler material.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a wellbore in a heavy oil or bitumen formation is provided, comprising:
a single wall drill string having a plurality of slots; and removable temporary filler material for sealing the plurality of slots.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a wellbore in a heavy oil or bitumen formation is provided, comprising:
a single wall drill string; an electrical cable operably placed along the periphery of the single wall drill string; and at least one induction heater operably associated with the electrical cable for heating the single wall drill string.
In one embodiment, the single wall drill string comprises a plurality of slots that are sealed with a temporary filler material.
It is understood that the method and apparatus described herein can be used to drill both a vertical and a horizontal well. When drilling horizontally, additional directional downhole tools known in the art may be added to the concentric or single wall drill string.
In another broad aspect, either the concentric slotted drill string comprising electrical cable and at least one induction heater or the single wall slotted drill string comprising electrical cable and at least one induction heater can be used solely for stimulating a pre-existing drilled wellbore. For example, a wellbore can initially be drilled by any conventional drilling method and the drill string removed. Then, to stimulate the flow of the heavy oil or bitumen, either the concentric slotted drill string comprising electrical cable and at least one induction heater or the single wall slotted drill string comprising electrical cable and at least one induction heater can be delivered into the wellbore to heat the heavy oil or bitumen formation. With this broad aspect, the slots do not need to be filled with a temporary filler material as the strings are not being used to drill the wellbore and are only being used as slotted casing/production tubing (concentric) or slotted casing (single wall).
It is understood that the slotted concentric drill string need only be used for the portion of the formation that contains the heavy oil or bitumen. Thus, once the appropriate numbers of joints of slotted concentric drill string have been added, one can then switch to adding joints of non-slotted concentric drill string to continue drilling. Switching to non-slotted joints of concentric drill string will not only reduce overall costs, it will also provide a means for any gas produced in the heavy oil or bitumen formation to be removed at surface once the well is completed.
As the heavy oil or bitumen is heated, gas may also be released from the heavy oil or bitumen formation. However, the primary seals of the wellhead will prevent gas from escaping through the annulus formed between the wellbore and the concentric drill string. By providing a portion of the concentric drill string where the outer tube is non-slotted, another annulus will be provided between the inner tube and the outer tube of the non-slotted concentric drill string for the gas to escape. Thus, any gas produced in the heavy oil or bitumen formation can initially go through the slotted portion of the concentric drill string and then go up the annulus of the non-slotted portion of the concentric drill string to be safely removed at surface.
In one embodiment, the electric cable is a heat and oil resistant electrical cable and provides electricity to the induction heaters and other downhole tools. The outside walls of the drill string are slotted and these slots are filled with any material that can melt when heat is applied. For example, the filler material can be a solder or resin type material. Thus, during drilling operations, the slots will be sealed thereby allowing the concentric drill string to maintain pumping pressure for the drilling fluids. Once the drilling operations have been completed, the drill string will set in the slips in the wellhead. The slips are predesigned, tapered rings that have internal teeth. The weight of the drill string will cause the teeth to grip the drill string and hold it in place.
Once drilling is complete, the concentric drill string can remain in the formation and be used as a production string. The outer tube serves as a slotted liner once the filler sealing the slots is melted. The inner tube serves as the production tube for removal of heavy oil or bitumen to the surface of the well. Thus, the present invention allows the heavy oil or bitumen to flow into the slotted liner where it can be pumped up the inner tube to surface. In order to stimulate the flow of heavy oil or bitumen, the at least one electrical operated induction heater provides efficient and effective heat for stimulation of heavy oil and bitumen.
Electricity can be provided to the drill string through the wellhead to the induction heaters. These heaters will melt the solder or resin type material contained in the slots. The outside of the drill string is now transformed into a slotted liner for production purposes.
When required, selected holes may be placed in the center tube to allow inflow of oil or bitumen that is pumped to surface by an artificial lift system. A perforating gun on a wire line or other methods know in the industry, can be used to make the holes in the center tube.
Current technology requires the wellbore to be cleaned so the slotted liner can be run after the drill string has been removed from the well. Many of the slots become plugged while the liner is run into the well bore, particularly in horizontal wells where hole cleaning can be very difficult. Using heat to change the drill string into the production string eliminates plugged slots and reduces the time to complete the well.
The induction heater can stimulate the flow of heavy oil or bitumen into the slotted liner from the reservoir. Other means of stimulation can be applied from surface through the dual completion string as well. Such stimulation method could include steam, gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and propane and various solvents. Combination of induction heating with other methods of stimulation can also be used with this invention.
The invention herein may offer one or more advantages over current conventional drilling and stimulation technology. For example, the drilling process using concentric drill string may reduce formation damage, provide better hole cleaning, and lower the risk of lost circulation. Furthermore, because the concentric drill string may also act as a dual wall completion string, this allows produced sand from the reservoir to be removed from the annulus between the inner tube and the slotted liner. A complete cleanout process using reverse circulation is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,283, incorporated herein by reference.
By way of example, and not meant to be limiting, a concentric drill string as contemplated herein may have an outer tube having an outer diameter of 9⅝″ and an inner tube having an outer diameter of 5″. The annulus formed between the inner tube and outer tube will then be sufficiently large in area that one can then deliver concentric coil tubing having an outer tube having an outer diameter of 2⅞″ and an inner tube having an outer diameter of 1″ through the annulus to clean out any sand that has accumulated in the annulus by using reverse circulation cleanout, as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,283, to lift the sand out with air, mud pumps, and the like.
The same annulus, when required, can also be used to produce gas associated with the heavy oil or bitumen or found in zones directly above these reservoirs as described above.
Thus, the present application provides a concentric drill string that may be used for both drilling and as a dual production string and at the same time may provide a very efficient source of induction heating for stimulating the well. Heavy oil and bitumen require heat to make this oil more moveable and, with induction heating, heat can be provided as needed. This may also allow electricity to be purchased at off—peak demand times, which provides cheaper electrical rates. If enough gas is produced from the formation, it can be used to provide electricity, for example, to run the induction heaters. Further, there may be a reduction in water usage and allows for the use of CO 2 and other gases to provide additional stimulation.
In one broad aspect, the present application may allow a heavy oil or bitumen well to be drilled with less damage, lower risk of lost circulation, and when the drilling is finished, the well is completed and ready for stimulation.
In one embodiment, more that one induction heater is used. These heaters may be strategically located on the outside of the drill string to provide thermal heat for two different purposes. First, the heaters provide enough heat to melt the solder or other filler material that is located inside the many slots on the outer diameter of the concentric drill string. Once the filler material has been melted, the concentric drill string can be used as a concentric production string. Oil or bitumen can enter the production string through the slots and is pumped to surface through the center of the inner tube.
A second purpose of the induction heaters can be to provide thermal energy and heat the heavy oil and bitumen. This heat provides stimulation to the reservoir and allows heavy oil and bitumen to flow in through the slots created in the concentric production string
In another aspect, the present application also allows formation gas and production sand to flow into the slotted concentric production string. The gas will flow up the annulus between the inner tube and the outer tube of the portion of the concentric drill string that is non-slotted. The concentric drill string will have solid outer wall, with no slots, once it is above the last known hydrocarbon producing zones. At this point the gas will flow to surface, to the wellhead, using the annulus between the inner tube and the outer production string. A gas line can be attached to the wellhead to transport the gas to market or to a gas generator.
In another aspect, the present application allows for the removal of any produced sand that may build up on both the inside and the outside of the concentric production string. This problem can be dealt with by using reverse circulation clean out technology periodically to clean both the outside and the inside of the production string. The string does not have to be pulled out of the well to have sand or wax removed. Unlike much of the current technology that uses steam, which requires a lot of water and natural gas to produce, the present application may not require steam, as electrical induction heat may be used to heat the oil or bitumen. While in some instances steam may also be used, much less steam is likely required. Therefore, thinner reservoirs, where steam will not work, can be economically produced with the present invention.
Steam stimulation, for example, SAGD, requires two horizontal wells be drilled, one for steam stimulation and one for production. The present method and apparatus can be used to drill and complete such horizontal wells. In the alternative, the present method and apparatus can be used to drill a single well that can operate as a stimulating well, a production well or both, which is a significant saving on capital, as a wellhead and pumping system are the only surface facilities required, which take up less land and capital than a steam injection facility.
The present application allows special heat conductive drill pipe to be manufactured and used as the production string. Because this drill pipe is only used once and permanently left in the well, it doesn't have to be made to the durable standards of regular drill pipe.
Formation damage and lost circulation problems increase significantly when pipe must be moved in and out of a well bore that has good permeability and porosity. Horizontal wells tend to damage and have hole cleaning problems that may be significantly reduced with the present method and apparatus.
In another broad aspect, a horizontal well pattern that allows the heating of the heavy oil or bitumen reservoir in a controlled manner which is based on the thermal efficiency of the induction heaters is provided. Large diameter concentric drill pipe may be used to drill a long horizontal well from surface. The far end of this well is also returned to surface and this type of horizontal drilling process is called a Two Surface Location System (TSLS). The bottomhole assembly containing various drilling and directional tools may be retrieved using this process. A wellhead is also placed on the far end of the well, the electrical cable is attached to the electrical source at surface and production equipment such as electrical submersible pumps (ESP) can be installed.
The concentric drill string is heated, the slots are opened on the outside diameter of the pipe and the concentric drill string now becomes a concentric production string.
The Two Surface Location System having two wellheads may provide one or more of the following advantages:
(1) It allows for the retrieval of very expensive downhole tools; (2) The well can be produced or stimulated from both ends; (3) The well can be cleaned of sand and other material much easier and more efficiently; (4) Artificial lift equipment located downhole such as ESP's can be installed and serviced much easier; and (5) Well abandonment at the end of the production cycle is much easier and cheaper to do.
Another embodiment allows horizontal wells to be drilled from surface perpendicular to the first long horizontal well drilled into the field. This increases the thermal stimulation and oil or bitumen production in that field. Other methods of stimulation can be used once the concentric drill string has been changed to a concentric production string.
In another embodiment, concentric coiled tubing having both electrical cable and induction heaters on the outside coil is used to heat the heavy oil or bitumen. The coiled tubing is not slotted and is only used as a cheaper method to drill and heat the reservoir. Again the two surface location system may be used to allow the retrieval on the bottom hole well assembly and for ease of well abandonment at a future date. The new hybrid rigs that are being used today have both drill pipe and coiled tubing available on the same rig.
Where formation damage and lost circulation are not a concern, single wall coil or drill pipe equipped with electrical cable and induction heaters can be used to heat the oil or bitumen, in the offsetting perpendicular wells.
The present invention can be used with other stimulation methods involving steam, carbon dioxide and other gases where the concentric drill string is left in the well bore and used as the production string.
In another embodiment, the well may be drilled with a conventional drill string or a concentric drill string that is tripped back out of the well bore. Slotted casing, equipped with induction heaters and an electric cable is then run into the well to stimulate and produce the heavy oil or bitumen.
Finally, both heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs have very low recovery rates compared to light oil and natural gas. Much of this is due to formation damage, loss circulation problems, limited stimulation success and high capital costs. The method and apparatus described herein may resolve these problems and may provide higher recovery rates with less capital employed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the attached diagrams wherein:
FIG. 1 a is a perspective view of one embodiment of a joint of concentric drill pipe of the present invention.
FIG. 1 b is a vertical cross-section of the joint of concentric drill pipe of FIG. 1 a showing a flow pattern of drilling fluid during drilling operations.
FIG. 1 c is a perspective view of another embodiment of a joint of concentric drill pipe of the present invention.
FIG. 1 d is a vertical cross-section of the joint of concentric drill pipe of FIG. 1 c.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of concentric drill string with the electrical cable and induction heaters attached in the vertical position within a well bore.
FIG. 3 a is a horizontal cross section of an embodiment of an electrical induction heater operably associated with a concentric drill string of the present invention.
FIGS. 3 b and 3 c are perspective views of an embodiment of an electrical induction heater showing how the electrical induction heater is operably assembled on the concentric drill string.
FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are a perspective view and cross sectional view, respectively, of concentric coiled tubing drilling string equipped with electrical cable and induction heaters.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the wellhead used to complete a well formed using concentric drill string.
FIGS. 6 a and 6 b are a perspective view and aerial view, respectively, of a horizontal well pattern to stimulate and produce a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir.
FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are a perspective view and a vertical cross sectional view, respectively, of a single wall drill string that can be used as a production tube having electrical cable and induction heaters attached to the outside.
FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are a perspective view and an aerial view, respectively, of a single horizontal well drilled using the Two Surface Location System.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments contemplated by the inventor. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a comprehensive understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
With reference now to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , FIG. 1 a is a perspective view and FIG. 1 b is a vertical cross sectional view of a joint of slotted concentric drill pipe 10 which can be used to form one embodiment of concentric drill string useful in the present invention. It is understood, however, that a continuous length of slotted concentric coil tubing can also be used in the present invention. It is further understood that the entirety of the concentric drill string does not necessarily need to be slotted. Thus, the concentric drill string comprised of concentric drill pipe may include both joints of slotted concentric drill pipe 10 and non-slotted joints of concentric drill pipe.
Concentric drill pipe joint 10 is shown situated inside wellbore 13 . In this instance, wellbore 13 is vertical but it is understood that the wellbore could also be horizontal.
Each joint of slotted concentric drill pipe 10 comprises a threaded pin connection 21 and a threaded box connection 23 , so that additional joints of concentric drill pipe can be added as drilling downhole progresses by threading threaded pin connection 21 into threaded box connection 23 . Concentric drill pipe joint 10 further comprises an outer tube 6 and an inner tube 31 , whereby the outer tube 6 has a plurality of slots 2 that have been cut therethrough. Slots 2 are filled or sealed with a bonding material 4 such as solder or resin that allows the concentric drill string to retain its pressure integrity during drilling operations.
Electrical cable 3 is wrapped around the periphery of concentric drill pipe joint 10 and provides a source of electricity to operate induction heaters 9 which are attached to concentric drill pipe joint 10 by a series of bolts, pins or other attachment means 11 . It is understood that similar electrical cable can be wrapped around the periphery of the entire length of the concentric drill string as described below.
Each time a new joint of concentric drill pipe is threaded to the concentric drill string, electrical cable 3 is joined to the new joint of concentric drill pipe by joining together female plug 5 of the growing concentric drill string with male plug 7 of the new joint of concentric drill pipe. Thus, a continuous electrical connect will be made from the top of the concentric drill string to the bottom of the concentric drill string. This allows electricity conductivity each time a joint of pipe is added to the drill string.
FIG. 1 b is a vertical cross section of FIG. 1 a , showing the flow of drilling medium in one embodiment of the present invention. Drilling medium, which can include drilling mud, drilling fluid, gas such as air, nitrogen and the like, or any combinations thereof, is delivered (shown by arrows 20 ) through annulus 15 , which annulus 15 is formed by the outer wall 27 of inner tube 31 and the inner wall 29 of outer tube 6 . When necessary, a perforating gun or other means known in the art can be run in with a wire line to perforate the inner tube 31 , thereby allowing the inflow of heavy oil or bitumen into the inner tube. Spent or exhaust drilling fluid is removed through the central passageway 17 of inner tube 31 as shown by arrows 22 , where exhaust drilling medium and cuttings are returned to surface. When required, downhole tools such as logging tools, perforating guns, seismic tools, video cameras, and the like can be run in through inner tube 31 on a wire line. It is understood that in addition to drilling medium, stimulation material, production sand, chemicals, kill fluid and other material can be pumped down annulus 15 .
FIGS. 1 c and 1 d , which are a perspective and a vertical cross sectional view, respectively, of a joint of concentric drill string 1 of the present invention, shows another embodiment of a cable that can be used. Unlike the wrapped electric cable 3 shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , metal coated electric cable 25 comprising male plug 27 and female plug 29 runs alone the length of the joint of concentric drill pipe. Each time a joint of concentric drill pipe, for example, concentric drill pipe joint 10 , is added to the growing concentric drill string, male plug 29 is joined to female plug 29 of the previous joint of concentric drill pipe. FIG. 1 d also illustrates how inductor heaters 9 are wired together when using metal coated electric cable 25 as the downhole electric source. Male plug 33 is attached to female plug 31 to provide a continuous electrical current for continuous electrical conductivity.
In operation, slotted concentric drill string whereby the slots are sealed with bonding material such as solder or resin is first used to drill a borehole with minimum damage to the heavy oil or bitumen formation. Once the wellbore is formed, the concentric drill string can now remain in the wellbore to either stimulate the flow of heavy oil and bitumen or collect the heavy oil or bitumen for removal to the surface of the wellbore or both. For example, an electrical current is run through the electrical cables to operate the at least one induction heater. The induction heater heats the concentric drill string thereby melting or liquefying the solder to expose the slots. The induction heater also operates to heat the formation and therefore heat the heavy oil or bitumen so that it can now flow from the formation through the slotted liner (i.e., slotted outer tube) and the bitumen can be removed by an artificial lift through the inner tube, which now serves as a production tube.
In some formations where there may be safety concerns, e.g., blowout concerns, or if required by government regulations, it may be necessary to provide a downhole flow control device for controlling the flow of gaseous hydrocarbons through the inner tube or the annulus or both of the concentric drill string during the drilling operation. Downhole flow control devices that may be used in these situations are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,892,829 and 6,854,534, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of concentric drill string 100 whereby a portion 40 of the concentric drill string 100 in the heavy oil or bitumen formation 39 comprises slots 2 and a portion 50 of the concentric drill string 100 that is not in the heavy oil or bitumen formation does not comprise slots. The non-producing portion of the formation is shown in FIG. 2 as numeral 38 . The last joint 60 of concentric drill string 100 is also shown in FIG. 2 in cross section to illustrate that the outer tube 62 is non-slotted. Thus, by providing a portion of the concentric drill string where the outer tube is non-slotted, another annulus will be provided between the inner tube and the outer tube of the non-slotted concentric drill string for the gas to escape. Hence, any gas produced in the heavy oil or bitumen formation can initially go through the slotted portion of the concentric drill string and then go up the annulus of the non-slotted portion of the concentric drill string to be safely removed at surface.
In FIG. 2 , the drilling member (not shown) used to drill into the formation has been removed, i.e., “shot off”, so that the inner tube can now be used as a production tube if desired. It is understood that the drilling member comprises a drill bit and may further comprise various downhole tools such as bent subs and the like that may be necessary for directional drilling when drilling a horizontal well.
FIGS. 3 a , 3 b and 3 c are a series of horizontal cross sections of a joint of concentric drill pipe 10 showing the various components of an embodiment of an induction heater that can be used in the present invention. The assembly of induction heater 9 is shown in series in FIGS. 3 a , 3 b and 3 c . With reference now to FIGS. 3 a , 3 b and 3 c , induction heater 9 comprises heating coils 41 that are wrapped with an insulation layer 42 to allow the induction heater to initially heat the length of slotted concentric drill pipe 10 to melt the temporary filler material that initially plug the slots. FIG. 3 b shows that in one embodiment, the insulation layer 42 may be further wrapped with protective layer 43 to further maintain the heat in induction heater 9 . Protective layer 43 may be made from any number of materials known in the art, for example, metal or other suitable material. FIG. 3 c show that induction heater 9 may further comprise a protective cover 45 to protect the induction heater from the heavy oil or bitumen or other potentially damaging elements.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an unslotted concentric drill string can be used to drill the borehole and to stimulate the flow of heavy oil or bitumen in the formation. Once the heavy oil or bitumen is heated, the oil can then be removed through the concentric drill string by using an artificial lift, or the concentric drill string can be removed and other production tubing can be used to remove the heated heavy oil or bitumen. The concentric drill string can comprise a plurality of unslotted drill pipe joints or can be a concentric coil tubing drill string as shown in FIG. 4 .
FIG. 4A is a perspective view and FIG. 4B a cross sectional view of concentric coil tubing drill string 200 that has been equipped with induction heaters 9 and electric cable 3 . The concentric coil tubing drill string can be used to both drill the borehole and to stimulate the flow of heavy oil or bitumen.
FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section view of a wellhead 80 that could be used in the present invention when drilling is completed to cap the well. The electrical source cable 35 from the power source (not shown) passes through outlet 51 inside the wellhead. Switchbox 53 connects the electrical source cable 35 to the main electrical cable (not shown) that is wrapped around or otherwise associated with the concentric drill string 1 . Concentric drill string 1 is held in place within wellhead 80 with casing slips 63 . Primary seal 61 isolates the annulus 15 on the outside of annulus 15 from the atmosphere. The central passageway 17 of the inner tube 31 is closed to atmosphere by valve 59 .
When it is necessary to inject steam, gases or other simulation material and chemicals this can be done through side outlet 57 . Check valve 55 will allow material to flow down annulus 15 but not in the upward direction.
The power source is operated from a central control room along with other instrumentation.
FIGS. 6 a and 6 b show a perspective view and aerial view, respectively, of a horizontal well drilling grid that may be used to produce a heavy oil/bitumen reservoir. As shown in FIG. 6 a , a large diameter concentric drill string 1 having filled slots has been placed horizontally in the wellbore using the Two Surface Location System as described above, where drilling starting point 91 and drilling end point 93 can be capped with wellhead shown in FIG. 5 . The large diameter concentric drill string 1 can then be heated with at least one induction heater. The heat will open the slots therein (not shown) and the concentric drill sting 1 can now operate as a production string.
Lateral wells 73 are drilled perpendicular from concentric drill string 1 to provide further stimulation to the reservoir. Lateral wells 73 are also drilled using two different surface locations 95 and 97 , where each surface location may be equipped with a wellhead (not shown). Lateral wells 73 may be drilled with either slotted or non-slotted single wall or concentric drill string, each equipped with at least one induction heater. When drilling is completed, each string remains in the well where the at least one induction heater heats the heavy oil/bitumen reservoir to cause the heavy oil/bitumen to flow and collect in production string 1 . When slotted drill string is used for lateral wells 73 , each of these wells can also act as production strings as described above. FIG. 6 b shows a grid pattern where each grid 75 has the same area to determine the optimum grid pattern for maximum heavy oil/bitumen recovery.
FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are a perspective view and a vertical cross sectional view, respectively, of single wall drill string 200 that can also be used to stimulate heavy oil or bitumen production and be left downhole to be used as a production tube. Single wall drill string comprises electric cable 3 and induction heater 9 .
FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are a perspective view and aerial view, respectively, of a single horizontal well using the Two Surface Location System. As can be seen in FIG. 8 a , the well starts and finishes from two different surface locations. A vertical portion of the well is first drilled starting at surface location 91 . Then the well is drilled horizontally for a predetermined length. Finally, the well is completed by bringing the drilling member back to surface at surface location 93 . Thus, a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir can be developed using a single well as shown here or a multi - well program as shown in FIGS. 6 a and 6 b . A wellhead as shown in FIG. 5 is attached to each surface location 91 and 93 . This type of drilling system allows all of the downhole tools to be retrieved without removing the drill string and the well can be stimulated, produced or serviced from surface locations 91 and 93 .
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular, such as by use of the article “a” or “an” is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more”. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout the disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the elements of the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or “step for”.
|
An apparatus and method for drilling a well in a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir for in situ recovery of heavy oil and bitumen is provided. More particularly, an apparatus and method for drilling, completing and/or stimulating a heavy oil or bitumen well in a heavy oil or bitumen reservoir is provided, comprising: providing a concentric drill string having an inner tube and an outer tube defining an annulus therebetween, the outer tube further having a plurality of slots sealed with a temporary filler material; drilling a borehole into the reservoir using a drilling member connected at the lower end of the concentric drill string and delivering drilling medium through one of the annulus or inner tube and extracting the exhaust drilling medium through the other of the annulus or inner tube; leaving the concentric drill string in the well after drilling of the borehole is completed; and removing the temporary filler material to expose the plurality of slots in the outer tube and form a slotted liner.
| 4
|
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to controlling fires, and, in particular, to oil well fires.
The oil well fires of concern to the present invention are those that exist above the surface wherein the oil and/or gas is exiting from or near the wellhead that has been damaged.
The present process used to extinguish oil well fires involves the application of continuous amounts of water in large volumes in the area about the source of the fire. This serves to cool any structures that could re-ignite the fire and allows personnel to approach the fire area to actually extinguish the fire using explosives. Of course, the oil and gas are still issuing from the well. The personnel must now enter this area and cap the wellhead. Although this process has worked in the past several disadvantages exist. For example, a large source of water must be near the wellhead. Also, the oil and gas may re-ignite.
Another process for controlling the fire is to stop the flow of hydrocarbon fluids by drilling a second well bore adjacent to the problem well bore. The second well bore is slanted to closely meet the first well bore. A shaped charge can open up channels through which cement can be placed to stop the flow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,154 discloses such in a well having two payzones of highly different pressures.
Where the pipe casing is easily reached, for example, at sea, a cryogenic control valve can be installed stop the flow and then direct the flow to another well head.
The need to develop means for controlling oil well fires was documented in a New York Times article by William Broad as related to the oil well fires in Kuwait. It is noted therein that the problem is two fold: (1) putting the fire out and (2) capping the well. Some ideas advanced include putting 100 ton concrete caps on the burning well to stop the flames; using super cold foams; putting explosives collars on the pipes using implosion technology to seal the pipes; putting a cryogenic valve on the wellhead like the above patent.
Thus, there is a need for a process to control oil well fires with a minimum of equipment and time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves processes to control oil well fires.
The first process uses at least one standard bomb having an explosive charge placed thereon with an explosive cord (detonating cord) connected thereto. A detonator is connected to the explosive cord. The bomb is placed underground in a trench or a shaft augered in close proximity of the well pipe. Upon detonation, the force causes either partial or full closure of the well pipe without further damage. Two bombs may be physically placed such that they straddle the well pipe. The bomb may be air dropped or physically placed in position.
In the other process, explosives are placed in augered shafts underground at inclined angles to the well pipe. These explosives accomplish several results: (1) They remove dirt to create a ramp for access to the well pipe; (2) they remove the cellar; and (3) they can crimp the well pipe. These explosives are physically placed in the proximity to the wellhead.
These processes can be applied in the ground, water or air.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a process for controlling oil well fires with high explosives placed in close proximity to the well pipe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process to create a ramp and/or crater about the well pipe to allow access of people and equipment to the well pipe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process of removing the cellar which may be impeding access to the well pipe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process to create a ramp, remove the cellar and to crimp the well pipe in one operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process that minimizes equipment and time to stop oil well fires.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process to either partial close or fully close the oil well pipe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process to remove casings to reach the inner oil bearing tube.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the related drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical oil well pipe in cross section.
FIG. 2 illustrates a single bomb placed near to the oil well pipe.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate two bombs placed astride an oil well pipe.
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate explosives astride an oil well pipe having a cellar assembly thereon.
FIG. 5 illustrates placing the auger shaft near the well pipe.
FIG. 6 illustrates a wellhead.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional oil well pipe 10 being approximately 20 inches in diameter having 5 concentric pipes 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. The space 13 between pipes 12 and 14 is typically filled with a weak sand-cement mixture. During the testing of the present process, the annuli 22, 24 and 26 were filled with water and the inner pipe 20 was filled with a fluid material simulating oil having a density of about 0.25 grams/cc. This arrangement simulates a production oil well pipe.
Referring to FIG. 6, a cellar 28 is typically placed on top of the well pipe 10 and a Christmas tree 40 is connected to the well pipe 10 in the cellar 28.
Referring to FIG. 2, a standard bomb 30 such as a Mark 84, 2000 lbs., a Mark 82, 500 lbs., etc. is placed underground near the well pipe 10. Means for exploding the bomb 30 could include a charge placed in the fuse well, not shown, an explosive cord to the charge, and a detonator connected to the cord. A conventional power source causes the detonator to initiate.
Several factors are determinative of the well pipe closure: the size of the bomb, the distance of the bomb from the well pipe, the orientation of the bomb to the well pipe, the number of bombs, the density of the soil about the well pipe, etc.
The placement of the bomb 30 near the well pipe 10 can be accomplished by drilling a shaft 34. See FIG. 5. A conventional drilling rig 36 would be placed within about two hundred feet of the wellhead and the shaft 34 drilled at an angle of preferably 5 to 10 degrees from the horizontal. This shaft 34 could be augered to a point within a prescribed distance from the well pipe 10. A PVC pipe can be inserted into the shaft 34 for preventing collapse, for ease of the bomb 34 insertion, and for placement of high explosives therein as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
FIG. 2 illustrates a single bomb 30 placed about 10 feet underground at a slant angle to the pipe. The axis of the bomb is perpendicular to the well pipe axis.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the use of two Mark 82 bombs 30 placed astride the well pipe 10 at the distances indicated. The bomb axes are slanted 10 degrees toward the well pipe axis.
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the use of high explosives 32 such as ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) or other commercially available explosives to crimp well pipe 10, remove the cellar assembly 28 and produce an earthen ramp to the wellhead area. In these Figures, 2 PVC pipes 38 are filled with ANFO explosives. The shafts 34 are drilled at appropriate angles and distances and the PCV pipes 38 and explosives 32 are placed therein. Similar detonation techniques are used as in the above.
The testing of the FIG. 3 configuration had pairs of Mark 82 bombs 30 straddling the well pipe 10 at distances of 1.5 feet, 0.5 feet and touching the well pipe. The rear fuse well was packed with 11/2 pounds of C-4 explosive material and fired with a double 54 grain prima cord from a RP 83 detonator.
The greatest degree of closure occurred when the bombs were put in contact with the exterior pipe casing. Other tests at different stand-off distances resulted in 95% to 99% closure without cracking the casings.
The testing of the FIG. 4 configuration indicated that at a distance of 3 feet from a well pipe filled with fluid the pipe would be closed.
The above processes may be used in a water environment to crimp the well pipes.
For excavation purposes, the detonation of either explosives or bombs in the slant holes results in a crater about 15 feet deep and 40 feet across. The well pipe casings is exposed and undamaged. The cellar and other debris is blown away. The tree also remains on top of the well casing.
For crimping the well pipe, the explosives or bombs are placed closer. Unless placed in direct contact, the crimps only partially block the flow of oil and/or gas. If the casing is not crimped during the excavation, it can be done afterwards. Once crimped, the pipe can be capped after the fire is stopped.
Once the well pipe is exposed, the casing layers can be removed with shaped charges allowing access to the inner tube which can be tapped or cut or sealed.
Clearly, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and it is therefore understood, that within the inventive scope of the inventive concept, the invention may be practiced otherwise than specifically claimed.
|
Conventional bombs or commercially available explosives are selectively placed about well pipes and exploded to cause closure of the well pipe and thus resulting in substantial reduction in the flow of oil and gas to facilitate extinguishing the fire thereon. Explosive charges are selectively placed about the well pipes in slanting holes so to remove the cellar assembly, make a ramp to the well pipe, and to close the well pipe.
| 4
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sewage treatment apparatus and method; and, more particularly, to a sewage treatment apparatus which removes nitrogen and phosphorus as well as organic matters by granulating them and forming sludge, and a sewage treatment method thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Conventionally, a sewage treatment apparatus including an anaerobic reactor, an anoxic tank, an aeration tank and a settling tank is used to remove nitrogen and phosphorus biologically using suspended microorganisms. In the anaerobic reactor, microorganisms release phosphorus out of their cells. In the anoxic tank, NO 3 − and NO 2 are reduced into N 2 gas by denitrification microorganisms.
In the aeration tank, organic matters are removed and the phosphorous released from the anaerobic reactor is removed by phosphorous-removing microorganisms that take in the phosphorous overly, and nitrogen is oxidized by nitrogen oxidizing microorganisms. In the settling tank, the suspended microorganisms are settled down to separate the microorganisms from finished water.
To remove phosphorous using the conventional apparatus, a process of transporting the sludge of the anaerobic reactor that has passed through the anoxic tank into the aeration tank, sending the sludge from the aeration tank back to the anaerobic reactor and then passing the sludge through the aeration tank again is repeated. To remove nitrogen, the sludge should pass through the anoxic tank and the aeration tank repeatedly.
The sewage treatment method using suspended microorganisms, however, maintains the concentration of the microorganisms in the anaerobic reactor and the anoxic tank by returning the sludge generated in the aeration tank. Since the suspended microorganisms keep on moving to each tank, the inhabitation environment of the microorganisms is changed continuously. This makes it hard to cultivate a species of microorganism as a dominant species of each environmental condition and limits the efficiency of removing contaminants.
Researchers have made an effort to improve the problems of the conventional biological sewage treatment apparatus and method. One of such efforts is Korean Patent No. 0357042, which is incorporated herein by reference, that discloses a method of granulating suspended microorganisms to thereby form granulated activated sludge and remove nitrogen and phosphorous, instead of using conventional suspended microorganisms.
To be more specific, the Korean Patent No. 0357042 provides a sewage treatment apparatus including an indirect aeration tank for supplying air, and a biological granulation reactor with an agitator for granulating the suspended microorganisms. According to its technology, sewage is treated by supplying aerated mixture of the indirect aeration tank, which has abundant dissolved oxygen to the biological granulation reactor, in the form of upward streams. The suspended microorganisms collide with each other by the irrigation force of the upward streams and the agitation power of the agitator in the biological granulation reactor under an aerobic condition full of dissolved oxygen, and they are transformed into granulated microorganisms due to a bridging reaction between gelatin materials produced by the microorganisms.
The technology of the above patent does not require an additional solid-liquid separation apparatus, because the granulated microorganisms have excellent flocculation property. Moreover, since the microorganisms are granulated in one biological granulation reactor which is full of dissolved oxygen, aerobic microorganisms inhabit on the surface of the granulated activated sludge where the chances for contacting the dissolved oxygen are relatively high, while anaerobic microorganisms inhabit in the inside of the granulated activated sludge where oxygen exists scarcely or anaerobic condition is maintained. Therefore, organic matters, nitrogen and phosphorous can be removed by cultivating microorganisms in one biological reaction tank.
This method can remove contaminants by granulating suspended microorganisms in the aerobic condition full of dissolved oxygen and growing aerobic microorganisms on the surface of the activated sludge as well as growing anaerobic microorganisms within the granular activated sludge. In the prior art, however, only the aerobic microorganisms with faster growth rate become a dominant species. So, the anaerobic microorganisms for removing nitrogen and phosphorous hardly take the place of the dominant species. Also, due to the competition between the microorganisms in and out of the granulated activated sludge, the method does not remove nitrogen and phosphorous efficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for treating sewage by granulating suspended microorganisms to form granulated activated sludge which is dominated by anaerobic microorganisms under an anaerobic condition. The method of the present invention is different from a prior art which uses aerobic microorganisms to treat granulated activated sludge under an aerobic condition.
After repeated research and experiments to achieve the technological object described above, a new sewage treatment method, which is described herein, is invented. The method of the present invention can remove contaminants included in sewage, such as organic matters, nitrogen and phosphorous, at a high efficiency by adding an anaerobic granulation tank to the elements of Korean Patent No. 0357042, which are an aerobic granulation tank and an indirect aeration granulation tank, granulating activated sludge in each granulation tank, and making, respectively, aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms become a dominant species in the environment of each granulation tank without transporting the microorganisms.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for processing sewage, the apparatus including an anaerobic granulation tank, an indirect aeration tank, and an aerobic granulation tank.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for treating sewage by using granulated activated sludge, including: an anaerobic granulation tank for granulating suspended microorganisms with irrigation force of influent sewage or returned water and agitation power by an agitator, the anaerobic granulation tank including the agitator; a first transport pipe for transporting supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank except the sludge granulated in the anaerobic granulation tank; an indirect aeration tank for supplying oxygen to the supernatant transported through the first transport pipe; a second transport pipe for transporting aqueous solution saturated with dissolved oxygen by receiving oxygen in the indirect aeration tank; an aerobic granulation tank for granulating suspended microorganisms with irrigation force of the aqueous solution transported through the second transport pipe and agitation power by an agitator, the aerobic granulation tank including the agitator; a third transport pipe for transporting supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank to the anaerobic granulation tank except the sludge granulated in the aerobic granulation tank; and a discharge pipe for discharging supernatant of finished water which is obtained after circulating a series of the anaerobic granulation tank, the first transport pipe, the indirect aeration tank, the second transport pipe, the aerobic granulation tank, and the third transport pipe repeatedly.
Preferably, the first transport pipe connects the upper part of the anaerobic granulation tank with the lower part of the indirect aeration tank, and the second transport pipe connects the lower part of the indirect aeration tank with the lower part of the aerobic granulation tank, and the third transport pipe connects the upper part of the aerobic granulation tank with the lower part of the anaerobic granulation tank.
It is also preferable that the third transport pipe is connected with a pump for controlling a flow rate of the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank which returns to the anaerobic granulation tank.
The anaerobic granulation tank further may include a pump for controlling a flow rate of the influent sewage that flows into the anaerobic granulation tank. The indirect aeration tank can is connected with an oxygen supply device for providing oxygen to the indirect aeration tank.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for treating sewage by using granulated activated sludge, including the steps of: a) agitating influent sewage that flows in through the lower part of an anaerobic granulation tank or returned water with an agitator to granulate suspended microorganisms and thereby form granulated sludge in the anaerobic granulation tank; b) transporting supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank to an indirect aeration tank through a first transport pipe, except the granulated sludge in the anaerobic granulation tank; c) supplying oxygen to the supernatant transported to the indirect aeration tank; d) transporting aqueous solution saturated with dissolved oxygen by receiving oxygen in the indirect aeration tank to the lower part of an aerobic granulation tank through a second transport pipe; e) agitating the aqueous solution transported to the aerobic granulation tank with an agitator to granulate suspended microorganisms and thereby form granulated sludge in the aerobic granulation tank; f) transporting supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank to the anaerobic granulation tank through a third transport pipe, except the granulated sludge in the aerobic granulation tank; and g) discharging supernatant of finished water which is obtained after circulating a series of the anaerobic granulation tank, the first transport pipe, the indirect aeration tank, the second transport pipe, the aerobic granulation tank and the third transport pipe repeatedly through a discharge pipe.
Preferably, water flow is induced based on gravity by forming the first transport pipe to connect the upper part of the anaerobic granulation tank with the lower part of the indirect aeration tank, the second transport pipe to connect the lower part of the indirect aeration tank with the lower part of the aerobic granulation tank, and the third transport pipe to connect the upper part of the aerobic granulation tank with the lower part of the anaerobic granulation tank.
It is preferable that the third transport pipe is connected with a pump and controls a flow rate of the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank that returns to the anaerobic granulation tank by using the pump.
It is also preferable that a flow rate of the influent sewage that flows in through the lower part of the anaerobic granulation tank is controlled by using a pump.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram describing a sewage treatment apparatus using granulated activated sludge in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an illustrative diagram of an embodiment of a sewage treatment system disclosed in Korean Patent No. 0357042.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which is set forth hereinafter. A drawing and description provided in the present specification do not restrict the spirit and scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a diagram describing a sewage treatment apparatus using self-granulated activated sludge in accordance with the present invention. When an aqueous solution receiving oxygen from an oxygen supplying unit such as a compressor 107 in an indirect aeration tank 102 and thus saturated with dissolved oxygen is sent to an aerobic granulation tank 103 , irrigation force caused by the flow of the aqueous solution and agitation power by an agitator 109 in the aerobic granulation tank 103 are applied to activated sludge particles.
The activated sludge particles collide with each other to be granulated due to gelatin material which is a by-product of a reaction between microorganisms. The aerobic granulation tank 103 becomes aerobic due to the aqueous solution full of dissolved oxygen, and oxidation microorganisms for removing nitrogen and microorganisms for removing organic matters that use the dissolved oxygen as electron acceptor are granulated by the irrigation force and the agitation power.
As shown above, the microorganisms for removing organic matters under the aerobic condition of the aerobic granulation tank 103 removes the organic matters by oxidizing them. However, the nitrogen-oxidizing microorganisms oxidize ammoniac nitrogen (NH 4 + ) in sewage into NO 3 − or NO 2 − . So, these nitrogen oxides remain dissolved in the sewage. Therefore, it is desirable to send the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank 103 back to the anaerobic granulation tank 101 for re-treatment, because the supernatant still includes the nitrogen oxides, e.g., NO 3 − and NO 2 − .
In prior arts using suspended microorganisms, both sludge and supernatant are sent back to remove the nitrogen oxides. However, in accordance with the present invention, only the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank 103 is sent back to the anaerobic granulation tank 101 and the granulated activated sludge is not sent back but remains where it is. As a result, the microorganisms for removing organic matters and the nitrogen oxidizing microorganisms which inhabit in the granulated activated sludge become a dominant species in the aerobic granulation tank 103 .
When the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank 103 is sent back to the anaerobic granulation tank 101 , it should flow upward with the help of a pump 111 . Here, another pump 105 controls the flux of the supernatant in the aerobic granulation tank 103 in agreement with the flux of the influent sewage, i.e., the supernatant, flowing in upward to the anaerobic granulation tank 101 .
When the irrigation force of the upward flowing and the agitation power by the agitator 104 in the anaerobic granulation tank 101 are applied to the activated sludge in the anaerobic granulation tank 101 , activated sludge is granulated through a bridging reaction between gelatin materials, which are by-products of a reaction between the microorganisms.
Meanwhile, the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank 103 that flows in to the anaerobic granulation tank 101 contains little oxygen because most of the dissolved oxygen is consumed by the microorganisms granulated in the aerobic granulation tank 103 . Influent sewage, also, is contaminated by organic matters so it has a low degree of dissolved oxygen saturation.
Accordingly, in the anaerobic granulation tank 101 where such influent sewage and the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank 103 are held, an anaerobic environment is formed. In the anaerobic granulation tank 101 , the microorganisms that can remove nitrogen and phosphorous and thrive in such anaerobic environment are granulated by the irrigation force and the agitation power.
The microorganisms for removing nitrogen become a dominant species on the surface of the granulated activated sludge in contact with NO 3 − and NO 2 − . The NO 3 − and NO 2 − are reduced into N 2 gas to be removed by using the NO 3 − and NO 2 − included in the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank 103 as electron acceptors and using the carbons of the organic matters in the influent sewage as proton donors. The phosphorous-removing microorganisms becomes a dominant species in the inside of the granulated activated sludge, which is anaerobic. Liquefactive phosphorous liquated out of the microorganisms inside the granulated activated sludge and the phosphorous included in the influent sewage are removed, as they are excessively absorbed into the granulated activated sludge in the nitrogen removal process.
The supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank 101 in which the nitrogen oxide generated in the aerobic granulation tank 103 is denitrified, and the supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank 101 in which phosphorous included in the influent sewage is removed go into the indirect aeration tank 102 again by gravity.
The supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank 101 which is supplied with air in the indirect aeration tank 102 flows in into the aerobic granulation tank 103 . Then, the organic matters and the nitrogen components that are not removed in the anaerobic granulation tank 101 are oxidized in the aerobic granulation tank 103 .
According to the principle and method of the present invention, which are described in the above, sewage circulates a series of the anaerobic granulation tank 101 , the indirect aeration tank 102 and the aerobic granulation tank 103 repeatedly, and the supernatant of finished water which is free from organic matters, nitrogen and phosphorous is discharged through the discharge pipe 112 of the aerobic granulation tank 103 .
EXAMPLE
In accordance with the present invention, an anaerobic granulation tank, an indirect aeration tank and an aerobic granulation tank were installed sequentially, and sewage was drawn into the anaerobic granulation tank by using a pump. The sewage stayed in the anaerobic granulation tank for more than two hours to granulate activated sludge.
The supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank except the granulated activated sludge stayed in the indirect aeration tank for 30 minutes, and air is supplied with a compressor so that the concentration of oxygen could reach supersaturation. Then, the supersaturated supernatant of the anaerobic granulation tank stayed in the aerobic granulation tank for four hours, which was the final step.
Here, the operation rates of an agitator installed in the anaerobic granulation tank and the aerobic granulation tank were all controlled to be 5 to 10 rpm. The irrigation force (area-based load) was controlled to be 30 to 40 m 3 /m 2 .d. When the supernatant of the aerobic granulation tank was sent back to the anaerobic granulation tank, its flow rate was controlled to be about 10 times as much as that of the influent sewage flowing in into the anaerobic granulation tank.
In the above-described method, about 200 L of the sewage was processed a day. In the example of the present invention, the pump was used only when the influent sewage or the sidestream flows into the anaerobic granulation tank, and the other flowing was activated by gravity. In this example, the finished water from the aerobic granulation tank was discharged by using gravity as much as the influent sewage flows in into the anaerobic granulation tank, and the remaining extent of organic matters, nitrogen and phosphorous is examined.
Comparative Example
FIG. 2 shows is an illustrative embodiment from Korean Patent No. 0357042 of a water treatment system, wherein the various components are identified as follows:
(a) An indirect aeration tank ( 3 ) for supplying a flow of air (f 2 ) to a mixed solution of inflowing sewage (f 1 ), and inflowing granular sludge (f 3 ), wherein an aerated mixed solution results. (b) A supply line ( 4 ) including a plurality of spout pipes ( 5 ), having spouts ( 5 a ) at one side of each such pipe, for transporting the aerated mixed solution from the indirect aeration tank ( 3 ). (c) An aerobic granulation tank ( 6 ), wherein sludge particles in the aerated mixed solution from the aeration tank ( 3 ) are provided to the granulation tank ( 6 ), and wherein such particles are suspended within the aerobic granulation tank for contacting one another, and thereby resulting in a granulation reaction. Note that the granulation reaction produces a sludge layer at the bottom of the aerobic granulation tank ( 6 ), the sludge layer shown as dots in the lower ⅓ of the tank ( 6 ). (d) A sludge contact medium ( 7 ) in the aerobic granulation tank ( 6 ) for enhancing the contact between the suspended sludge particles in the tank ( 6 ), and thereby enhance granulation of such particles resulting in the sludge in the tank ( 6 ). (e) A discharge pipe ( 9 ) for discharging from the aeration tank ( 6 ), to the indirect aeration tank ( 3 ), at least a portion of the solution mixed with sludge granulations. (f) A pump (denoted “P” on the discharge pipe ( 9 )) for driving the discharge from the aeration tank ( 6 ) to the indirect aeration tank ( 3 ). (g) A membrane module ( 8 ) provided in the aeration tank ( 6 ) above the granular sludge layer, wherein the membrane module ( 8 ) filters water exiting the aeration tank ( 6 ) via pipe 20 and the pump denoted “P” on pipe 20 .
An indirect aeration tank and a granulation bioreactor according to FIG. 2 which, however, does not include the membrane module ( 8 ) were installed sequentially according to Korean Patent No. 0357042 as above-described, and the other conditions were given the same as the above example of the present invention. Then, sewage treatment was performed.
Table 1 shows how much organic matters, nitrogen and phosphorous are removed in the example of the present invention and the comparative example.
TABLE 1 COD BOD SS TKN NO 3 —N T-N T-P Example Influent Water 350 168 120 39 1 40 8 (mg/l) Finished Water 18 10 2 1 2 3 0.5 (mg/l) Sewage Treatment 95 94 98 97 — 93 94 Efficiency (%) Comparative Influent Water 350 168 120 39 1 40 8 Example (mg/l) Finished Water 25 15 5 5 12 17 2.5 (mg/l) Sewage Treatment 93 91 96 90 — 58 69 Efficiency (%)
In Table 1, COD stands for chemical oxygen demand; BOD, biological oxygen demand; SS, suspended solids; TKN, total kjeldahl nitrogen; NO 3 —N, nitrate nitrogen; T—N, total nitrogen; and T—P, total phosphorous.
As shown in Table 1, both of the results of the example and the comparative example show excellent efficiency in removing organic matters, such as COD, BOD and SS. However, when the extents of nitrogen and phosphorous removal of the two examples are compared with each other from the processing efficiencies of T—N and T—P, the comparative example shows processing efficiencies of 58% and 69%, respectively, while the example of the present invention yields processing efficiencies of 93% and 94%, respectively.
The method of the present invention shows higher efficiency in removing nitrogen and phosphorous because it makes nitrogen-removing microorganisms and phosphorous-removing microorganisms become dominant species by installing an anaerobic granulation tank additionally, while the method of the comparative example removes the contaminants such as organic matters, nitrogen and phosphorous simultaneously by using the depth-based aerobic and anaerobic states of the granulated activated sludge in the aerobic granulation tank and thus induces competition between different microorganisms.
In accordance with the present invention, the efficiency of removing nitrogen and phosphorous can be increased remarkably by installing an anaerobic granulation tank additionally to an aerobic granulation tank and circulating the components dissolved in water repeatedly with maintaining activated sludge granulated in each tank as it is to thereby making nitrogen-removing microorganisms and phosphorous-removing microorganisms in the anaerobic granulation tank.
While the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
|
Provided is an apparatus for processing sewage by granulating activated sludge and a method thereof. The sewage processing apparatus includes an anaerobic granulation tank for granulating suspended microorganisms; an indirect aeration tank for supplying oxygen to the supernatant transported through a first transport pipe; an aerobic granulation tank for granulating suspended microorganisms; and a discharge pipe for discharging supernatant of finished water obtained after circulating a series of the anaerobic granulation tank, the first transport pipe, the indirect aeration tank, the aerobic granulation tank repeatedly.
| 2
|
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/848,559, filed on Aug. 2, 2010, which claims priority both to U.S. provisional patent application 61/213,959 filed Aug. 3, 2009, and further to U.S. provisional patent application 61/308,951 filed Feb. 28, 2010. All three of these applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to accesses to web pages, and more specifically to the acceleration and/or optimization of access speed to such web pages from the user's experience perspective.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The traffic over the world-wide-web (WWW) using the Internet is growing rapidly as well as the complexity and size of the information moved from sources of information to users of such information. Bottlenecks in the movement of data from the content suppliers to the users, delays the passing of information and decreases the quality of the user's experience. Traffic is still expected to increase faster than the ability to resolve data transfers over the Internet.
[0004] Prior art suggests a variety of ways in an attempt to accelerate web page content delivery from a supplier of the content to the users. However, there are various deficiencies in the prior art still waiting to be overcome. It would be advantageous to overcome these limitations, as it would result in a better user experience and reduction of traffic load throughout the WWW. It would be further advantageous that such solutions be applicable with at least all popular web browsers and/or require neither a plug-in nor a specific browser configuration.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Certain embodiments of the invention include a system for acceleration of access to web pages. The system comprises a network interface enabling communication of one or more user nodes with one or more web servers over a network for accessing web pages stored in the one or more web servers; an acceleration server coupled to the network interface for modifying web pages retrieved from the one or more web servers using at least one acceleration technique, the modified web pages accelerating access to the web page to one or more user nodes; a first cache connected to the acceleration server and the one or more user nodes and operative to cache information associated with requests directed from the one or more the user nodes to the acceleration server; a second cache connected to the acceleration server and the one or more web servers and operative to cache information associated with requests directed from the one or more web servers to the acceleration server; and a memory coupled to the acceleration server and containing a plurality of instructions respective of the at least one acceleration technique.
[0006] Certain embodiments of the invention further include a method for acceleration of access to a web page. The method comprises receiving a web page responsive to a request by a user; analyzing the received web page for possible acceleration improvements; generating a modified web page of the received web page using at least one of a plurality of acceleration techniques; providing the modified web page to the user, wherein the user experiences an accelerated access to the modified web page resulting from the execution of the at least one of a plurality of acceleration techniques; and storing the modified web page for use responsive to future user requests.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for acceleration of web pages access;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the data flow in a system for acceleration of web pages access;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed for the purpose of generating web pages that accelerate access; and
[0011] FIGS. 4A , 4 B, 4 C and 4 D are exemplary scripts of an acceleration technique.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The embodiments disclosed by the invention are only examples of the many possible advantageous uses and implementations of the innovative teachings presented herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts through several views.
[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a web access acceleration system is placed in the path between the user nodes and the web servers and is responsible for integrating the acceleration mechanisms to the web pages selected for acceleration. The methods for web access acceleration include, for example, parallel loading of a Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) style of a web page, postponement of execution of Javascript code of a web page, maintaining script context when modifying the DOM, causing items to be pre-fetched into a browser's cache, web-site and browser transparent pre-fetching, pre-fetching of resources of subsequent or other pages of a web site, pre-fetching of resources of the same web page, fetching linked pages on demand prior to link access, a path dependent delivery of a web page to a user, automatic generation of combined image containers, caching of dynamic data, intelligent caching of resources, processing links in the background, and postponing of iframes.
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary and non-limiting schematic block diagram of a system 100 for acceleration of web pages access in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. To a network 110 there are connected one or more web page servers 120 , each providing content typically using formatted documents using, for example, the hypertext markup language (HTML). The network may be a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metro area network (MAN), the Internet, the world-wide-web (WWW), the like, and any combination thereof. One or more user nodes 130 that are viewers of such web pages content are also connected to the network. A user of a user node 130 typically browses the content using a web browser that is enabled to display the web pages. By using, for example but not by way of limitation, a uniform resource locator (URL) the browser is capable of accessing a desired web page.
[0015] The network 110 is also connected a web page access accelerator (WPAA) 140 . In accordance with the invention instead of providing web page content directly from a web page server, for example, a web page server 120 - 1 , to a user node, for example, a user node 130 -I, traffic is directed through the WPAA 140 , when applicable, i.e., when configured for accelerated access. Accordingly, a request for web page content is directed through the WPAA 140 that is equipped with various acceleration mechanisms as further detailed herein below. In one embodiment of the disclosed invention, the web servers 120 are part of a server farm (not shown). In a further embodiment thereof, the WPAA 140 is provided as part of the server farm. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the WPAA 140 is integrated as an integral part of a web page server 120 .
[0016] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary and non-limiting schematic diagram of the data flow in a system for acceleration of web pages access in an embodiment of the invention. In addition, the details of the structure of the WPAA 140 are also shown. For simplicity reasons and without limiting the scope of the invention, the network interface is removed. However, a network type interface is the typical way for components of the network to communicate with each other.
[0017] The WPAA 140 comprises an acceleration server 142 that is connected to the storage 148 . The storage 148 typically holds instructions for the execution of methods, described herein below in more detail, that result in accelerating the transfer of web pages content to a user wishing to access such content. Under the control of the acceleration server 142 , there is a hack-end cache (BEC) 144 connected to the acceleration server 142 and to the one or more web page servers 120 - 1 through 120 - n . The BEC 144 handles requests directed from the acceleration server 142 to the one or more web page servers 120 - 1 through 120 - n . By caching information associated with web servers' requests in the BEC 144 , the overall access to web page content is accelerated. Under the control of the server 142 , there is a front-end cache (FEC) 146 , connected the acceleration server 142 and to the one or more user nodes 130 - 1 through 130 - m . The FEC 146 handles requests directed from the one or more user nodes 1304 through 130 - m to the acceleration server 142 . By caching information associated with user nodes' requests in the FEC 146 , the overall access to web page content is further accelerated.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary and non-limiting flowchart 300 of the processing performed for the purpose of generating web pages that accelerate access in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In 5310 , a page is received, for example by the WPAA 140 , in response to a request to receive a web page from, for example, web page server 120 . Optionally, in 5320 , the received web page is stored in a cache, for example, in the BEC 144 . In S 330 , the received web page is analyzed by the acceleration server 142 to determine whether acceleration improvements may be achieved. In 5340 , it is checked whether improvements were determined to be achievable, and if so execution continues with 5350; otherwise execution continues with S 360 . In 5350 , the received web page is modified into a modified web page that contains one or more acceleration techniques discussed herein below in more detail. In S 360 , the modified or the received web page is provided to the user node 120 that requested the web page. Optionally, in S 370 the modified web page or the received web page, as may be appropriate, is stored in a cache, for example FEC 146 . In S 380 , it is checked whether additional pages are to be handled, and if so execution continues with S 310 ; otherwise, execution terminates.
[0019] While reference is made hereinabove to web pages, it can equally refer to portions of web pages, resources of a web page, and the like, without departing from the scope of the invention. In one embodiment of the invention, the method disclosed above may be performed by the WPAA 140 . In other embodiments of the invention, the method can be integrated in a web page server such as web page server 120 .
[0020] While the description hereinabove was made with respect to one particular system, other systems may be deployed to benefit from the teachings hereinabove and herein below. In one exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a system that works as a plug-in/filter/extension to one or more web servers is used. The flow of data through the system is the same as described with respect of the system in FIG. 1 , however, it may also utilize knowledge about the data stored on the web site, such as but not limited to, page templates and images. In yet another exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the system is a plug-in for web site integrated development environment (IDE). Using the plug-in, the inventions herein are integrated into the web site during its development. The plug-in therefore enables at “compilation” or “build” process of the IDE, changes to the web site coding made by the user of the web site developer according to the inventions. This may take place during development or automatically implemented during development. In yet another exemplary and non-limiting embodiment a utility containing, for example and without limitation, a command line component, a user interface (UI) component or any other interface, is run on the designed web site code after it is ready, and/or in one or more points-in-time during the development thereof, to transform the web site code by employing the inventions herein.
[0021] Following are descriptions of acceleration techniques used with respect to, for example, S 350 , discussed above. However, the use of such techniques may be a part of other embodiments which are specifically included herein.
I. Parallel Loading of a CSS Style of a Web Page
[0022] Web pages may include one or more style parts, which allow the separation of the content of the web page from its presentation. The style can be changed and cause the page to look entirely differently, despite the fact that it contains the exact same content. The Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is the mechanism that allows doing so in HTML documents. CSS is a “language” that a browser can interpret to render the display the page. Attaching a style to a HTML page can be done by either embedding the text of the style inside the HTML document, in one place or dividing the text to several parts and embedding them in different places of the HTML document or putting the text of the style in an external file and putting a directive inside the HTML document to load this file and to use the style definitions in it. Style definitions can be very large (e.g., hundreds of kilobytes), especially if a third-party standard file is used and both abovementioned ways have the same disadvantage. While the data of the style is being loaded, the parsing and processing of the page is halted and resumed only after the style data has been loaded and processed. Separating style definitions to several parts helps to spread this delay all over the document, but the overall delay remains.
[0023] In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the problem is overcome by forcing the style data to load in parallel to the rest of the data. This is achieve by moving the style data from their original position, embedded into the HTML and/or taken from external file(s), to one or more external files which can be located anywhere. The HTML is then changed to load these new external files in any asynchronous way, as further discussed in “Techniques of bringing Items to the Browser's Cache” herein below. During the loading process, after such a change, the browser of a user node 130 , is unaware that the external files contain style data and treats the external files as merely containing raw data. For every one of these external files, after its loading is finished, which is determined differently for every fetch alternative, a new tag is dynamically inserted into the document. The tag is not inserted into the text of the document, but into the logical representation thereof, which is kept by the browser as a document object model (DOM). This tag instructs the browser to apply a new style, which is located in the same file loaded previously, in parallel to other loads, thereby saving on access time. It should be noted that the application of the style remains serial, however, as this file was already loaded and resides in the browser's cache on user node 130 , it is being read from there and a new request is not being sent to fetch it. This way, the loading of the style data is done in parallel to fetching other data items and, though it does occupy some of the bandwidth, it does not delay the loading and processing of the HTML page and its resources, by increasing parallelism of the operation. Resources of an HTML page include, but are not limited to, stylesheet files, Javascript and other script files, images, video and any other parts of the pages which are not embedded in the HTML.
[0024] In one embodiment of the invention, a post processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer and transforms it into a parallel loading capable web page based on the principle described above. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to the user. The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The acceleration server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and provides to the user a parallel loading capable web page, which may also be stored in FEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130 .
II. Postponing Execution of Javascript Code in a Web Page
[0025] Typical web browsers are capable of handling scripting languages which allow them to make the web pages more interactive, rather than just contain text and media. One of the more popular scripting languages, supported by practically all known browsers, is Javascript. Javascript code may be embedded into the HTML page in one or more places, and/or loaded from one or more external files. Just like with stylesheets, discussed hereinabove, loading and running Javascript is done serially to the rest of the processing of the web page. Thus, loading and running Javascript code decreases the speed in which the whole webpage is loaded.
[0026] Realizing that most of the Javascript code is used for “behind the scenes” functionality and does not contribute to the way the webpage looks like. Thus, it would be better to load and run the Javascript after the visible portion of the web page has been downloaded and shown. According to an embodiment of the invention, the HTML page is scanned for script tags and then moved to a later place in the HTML page. This location can be at the end of the document, but is not limited thereto. Moving of the tags can be done by actually moving them, or otherwise, adding a “defer” attribute on the tags, which defers the respective Javascript execution to a later point. When moving the tags, it is important to keep the order between them to ensure proper execution. Many times a Javascript tag relies on pieces of code that were defined or executed in one or more of the tags before it.
[0027] It should be noted that the Javascript code may be sensitive to its location in the HTML page, thus a straightforward movement of the script tag may not be suitable. In such a case, the original position of the script in the page is marked by either a tag with a unique “id” attribute or in any other way. At a later position in the page, the respective code is “injected” into its original position, i.e., in the DOM.
[0028] A non-limiting sequence for postponing the execution of Java script code would be: while processing the page, for example, by the WPAA 140 , marking the script tag location by a marker and moving the script tag content, which can be a code or a link to an external file containing the code, to a later position, wrapped by additional code, and while maintaining the order of the tags; and when the page is processed by the browser of a user node 130 , the original position of the script is processed without a delay and when the browser reaches the new position of the code, it triggers the wrapper previously inserted there. The wrapper writes the original code at its original position in the DOM. This automatically causes the browser to run the code, but in the context of its original position.
[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, a post-processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer for Javascripts and moves them in accordance with the principle described above. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to a user node 130 . The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The acceleration server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and moves Javascripts of the modified web page, which may also be stored in the FEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130 .
[0030] While the description above was made with respect to Javascript, it should not be viewed as restricting the scope of the invention which is relevant for any browser scripting language, including but not limited to, VBscript, Silverligh'™, and Flash.
[0000] III. Maintaining Script Context when Modifying the DOM
[0031] Executing scripts may introduce new content into the web page by modifying the respective DOM. Many times this is performed under the assumption that when the script runs, the parsing of the page by the browser reached only the script's position. Thus, the script may use browser functions like “document.write( )” and “document.writeInO” to introduce the new content. Typically, these functions write the new content to the current parsing position of the browser just after the position of the script tag which is reached. However, if these functions are executed from another location, they modify the DOM in a different way than originally intended. If they are run after the web page has finished loading, they overwrite the entire web page, as the parsing position these functions use is brought to the beginning of the page once it finished loading.
[0032] According to an embodiment of the invention, the problematic functions are overwritten so that instead of writing the new content into the current parsing position, the new functions write it into, or after if applicable, the original position of the script tag. Inside these new functions, the text passed to the function is converted to a subtree of the DOM. The original document.write( ) and other similar functions do it themselves. Then, the new sub-tree is inserted into the DOM to the required location previously marked, for example, by a unique “id” attribute. For some browsers, the original script content is inserted but not executed, so in one embodiment an additional step is required where the browser is instructed to execute the code.
[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, a post-processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer for tagging the scripts in accordance with the principle described above. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to a user node 130 . The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The acceleration server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and tags scripts in the modified web page, which may also be stored in the FEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130
IV. Acceleration Technique for Running Scripts Outside of Their Positions in a Web Page File
[0034] One of the web time loading acceleration techniques is to move <script> tags to the end of the document. This way running of scripts, which can take a long time, does not slowdown the rendering of the page. Many scripts are written to be aware of their position in the web page. For example, some scripts create images and Flash components at the same place where they are located. Thus, moving such scripts to another location, thereby stopping them from slowing down the page loading, causes these components to be written to the page in the wrong place.
[0035] According to an embodiment of invention, the script writes everything to the new position and then copies everything that was written in this new location to the original location. Part of what is written can contain additional scripts that can write data of their own, this data should also be copied to its correct position.
[0036] Following is an example of the principles of the invention that parses an HTML page and postpones the script to the end of the page, while making sure anything the scripts writes to the web page is then written to the original position. With this aim, the exemplary script code provided in FIGS. 4A and 4B is added at the end of the <body> tag. In addition, every <script> tag in the page is identified. If the <script> tag is an external script, i.e., it has a “src” attribute, then this attribute is saved to the variable SOURCE and deleted from the element. If the <script> tag already includes an “id” attribute, the “id” attribute is saved to the variable ID. The SOURCE and ID variables are kept in the memory when and where the page is being processed. If not, a unique id is generated, the “id” attribute is set to be this value and saved to the variable ID. Then, the exemplary code shown in FIG. 4C is added at the end of the <body> tag. For an internal script, i.e., the script has content and does not have a “src” attribute, then the script's content is saved to the variable CONTENT and then deleted. If the script tag already includes an “id” attribute, it is saved in the variable ID. If not, a unique id is generated, the “id” attribute is set to the generated value and then saved in the variable ID. Then, the exemplary code shown in FIG. 4D is added at the end of the <body> tag.
[0000] V. Acceleration Technique for Causing Items to be Fetched into a Browser's Cache
[0037] By having data pre-stored in a browser's cache access time to the data item is reduced. Therefore, a need arises, at times, to bring data items to the browser's cache in advance or in anticipation of their future use. This pertains, for example and without limitation, to prefetching/preloading of a subsequent page or resources thereof, fetching resources of the same page earlier or fetching resources in parallel to the loading of the page, and the likes. Once the resources are in the cache of the browser, the browser rather than accessing the data item remotely could fetch them from the browser's cache without connecting to an external server to read data times, hence be exposed to delays.
[0038] A couple of solutions are shown to achieve the desired results. A first approach is used with respect to AJAX, which is a mechanism supported by typical browsers to read from a server asynchronously. The code which initiates an AJAX request receives an event once a page's resource is loaded or, otherwise, in case of an error. Using this mechanism, any resource required in the future or that needs to load in parallel can be fetched. If the purpose is to load the resource in parallel, the resource is used upon the completion event. While appropriate in some cases, this mechanism is limited to fetching resources from the original domain only, that is, resources located in a different domain cannot be fetched. A second approach is to use HTML tags which load external resources. These tags are placed in the text of the HTML, or any referenced external resource, or otherwise inserted dynamically into the DOM using a scripting language. The tags can be, but are not limited to, “link”, “script” and “image”. If anything needs to be done when a resource finishes loading, an event handler, e.g., “onload” or “onerror” handlers, respective of these tags is used. When using a tag to load a resource it was designed to use, e.g., using SCRIPT tag to load a Javascript file or using a LINK tag to load a stylesheet, the tags must be configured to load only that resource and do nothing else. For a script tag, it can be achieved, among others, using its TYPE attribute; for a link tag, its MEDIA attribute, and others, may be used. Some of these tags stop the processing of the document when used, so they are inferior when used for the required purpose. However, all these tags let the page load a resource from any domain and is therefore a more flexible solution. Instead of creating tags, the same technique may be used by creating script objects. For example, instead of creating an “image” tag, a new Image object can be created. Pointing the Image source to the relevant file achieves the same purpose without actually introducing new tags to the DOM.
[0039] In one embodiment of the invention, a post-processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer for tagging the scripts in accordance with the principle described above. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to a user node 130 . The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The acceleration server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and tags the scripts in a modified web page, which may also be stored in the FEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130 .
VI. Pre-Fetching Resources of the Same Page
[0040] The sequence of loading a web page, along with its resources is inefficient. The protocols do not utilize the network to use the entire available bandwidth at all times. Thus, as the page is parsed and scripts executed, every resource is read from the network only immediately prior to its use. However, in many cases it is possible to bring data much earlier in the page load process. This is specifically useful during periods where the network's bandwidth is not fully utilized.
[0041] In accordance with the principles of the invention, the web page's resources are fetched earlier during the load sequence of the web page using one or more of the “Techniques of Bringing Items to the Browser's Cache” discussed herein. This way, the network is better utilized and when the resource is needed, it is already in the cache, thus it is not necessary to read it from the network again.
[0042] In one embodiment of the invention, a post-processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer and inserts the code which loads page's resources to the cache earlier in the page in accordance with the principle described above. The decision about which resources to prefetch and where in the HTML to put the prefetch code can be hard coded, configurable, or deduced by the tool. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to a user node 130 . The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The acceleration server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and inserts the code which loads it to the cache earlier in the page, which may also be stored in the FEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130 .
VII. Automatic Generation of Image Containers
[0043] In many web pages, most of the requests to the server are made to bring images. As every request includes a “handshake” with the web server and many times TCP connection time, every such a request has an overhead. One way to deal with the problem is to combine two or more images in a single image container, then a browser can fetch the two or more images using only one request. One known technique to create such a container is typically referred to as CSS sprite. This technique is to combine several images into one “tapestry” image, referred to as a “sprite” and to bring it in a single request. Then, a CSS is used to define different regions in the combined image and enable the use of each such a region as a standalone image. This technique has been used till today in several ways: a) manually combining images into a sprite as part of the design on a web site; or, b) there are web sites which allow a user to upload a series of images and download the combined image and the CSS file which the browser will use to separate it back to the original images. Combining images can be also done by using the MHTML, format (understood by the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser), the data:uri format (understood by most web-kit based browsers such as Mozilla Firefox), and others.
[0044] Existing solutions automatically combine every a few images in a web page into a sprite. This combination is created by in the web server, thus the web page is transformed before it ever leaves the server on its way to the end-user. There are two problems with the mechanism: a) for web pages with dynamic data, many times only part of the images is common to all the instances of the web page and other images change. For example, the home page of Facebook contains different images for different users, but the images that create the background are always the same. Thus, images cannot be blindly combined. When designing a web site, sprites can be designed to automatically separate between the different kinds of images (as it knows the structure of the web site). A system which is placed outside the web server does not have this knowledge; and b) there is a conflict between the need to put as many images as possible in the sprite (to reduce latency) and the fact that no image will be displayed until the entire sprite is brought from the server and thus there is a need to put fewer images in the sprite.
[0045] In accordance with the principles of the invention, the solution is a mechanism that decides which images should be placed in every image container. The factors are, but not limited to, which images are common to all instances of a web page and what images are visible on a common display when the web page is loaded. In the case of images that are common to every instance of a page a hard coded approach may be used, a configuration notification, or otherwise learned by the system over time by analyzing the web pages passing though it and/or images passing through it. In the case of images visible on a display the size of the display can be determined automatically by analyzing the incoming headers, heuristically, by assuming common display sizes or both. Once the display size was determined, one or more containers can be generated. For example, one container may be generated for the visible items and one container for the items outside the immediate or initial display boundaries, i.e., those display items that the user needs to scroll to. Alternatively, a container may be generated for the visible images and no container at all for the ones outside the visible area. Other criteria may be used, for example, all the images which create the background should be part of one container and all the other images may be divided between other containers/left alone (even if other images are common to all instances of the page and are in the visible area). Another embodiment may use a criterion of placing the images common to all users in one container and then placing the images which change among requests from different users into another container.
[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, a post-processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer for creating the sprites in accordance with the principles described above. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to a user node 130 . The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and generates the sprites for the modified web page. The modified web page may also be stored in the FEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130 .
[0000] VIII. Postponing of iframes
[0047] iframes are pieces of a HTML page which are other HTML pages. Every iframe has its own address, so every iframe requires one or more requests, iframes are supposed to load and run in parallel to the parent document, but in practice it is not always so and many time they introduce a delay to the loading of the page.
[0048] In most cases, the content inside the iframe is not the primary content of the web site, and many times not even in the area that is visible when the site is loaded. Thus, the iframe tags in the <html> tag can be replaced by placeholders, for example without limitations, tags with a unique id, and a code can be inserted further in the html which puts an iframe tag into its original placeholder. The placeholder can be an empty iframe tag and the code just directs the tag to the address the original iframe pointed.
[0049] In one embodiment of the invention, a post-processing tool parses a web page prepared by a developer for tagging the iframes in accordance with the principles described above. In another embodiment, the WPAA 140 intercepts the web page and parses it prior to sending it out to a user node 130 . The original web page may reside in the BEC 144 . The acceleration server 142 based on instructions contained in the storage 148 parses the web page in accordance with the invention described above and for tagging the iframes for the modified web page. The modified web page may also be stored in the BEC 146 for future use by other user nodes 130 .
IX. Splitting Combined Web Page Resources
[0050] Many of web page load time optimization techniques include combining web page's resources such as, but not limited to, images, style sheets, Javascripts, and others. The aim is to reduce the impact of latency and server side request processing time. However, the farther a client is from a server, the worse the bandwidth between them is. Therefore, though the impact of latency and request processing time is reduced, the entire data may be transferred more slowly than it would otherwise be sent in its non-combined state.
[0051] According to an embodiment of the invention, the combined resource is split into several, but not many, containers that are downloaded at the same time. The number of containers is between a predefined range (upper limit and lower limit) that is set to a value to overcome a connection-per-domain limit of a user's browser. In some cases, the containers should be downloaded from different domains/sub-domain to overcome the browser's connection-per-domain limit. For example, combining two hundred small images into four CSS sprites would be more efficient than either leaving the two hundred images as is or combining all of them into one big sprite. It should be noted that this embodiment may be performed by a post-processing tool or the WPAA 140 .
X. Viewport Prioritization
[0052] Once a webpage is loaded, only a part of it is immediately visible. The visible part is called “viewport”, which basically is everything that is viewable “above the fold”, and to increase the speed a web page is loaded, as far as the user experience is concerned, this part should be fully loaded before the invisible part starts loading. Many times, the order of page's resources, e.g., iframes, Javascript files, CSS files, images, and so on, as they are defined in the HTML web page, does not correspond to their actual location on the screen. The browser requests the resources in the order they are placed in the HTML file, due to the sequential nature of the parsing of the HTML file. However, in many cases, this causes resources appearing lower in the screen, and typically resources that do not appear in the viewport at all, to be fetched before they are needed. This causes some resources in the viewport to be fetched later than actually would be beneficial to the user, reduces utilization of bandwidth, and unnecessarily uses connections whose number is limited by the browser.
[0053] According to an embodiment of the invention, the viewport prioritization solution consists of two parts. The first part is a script that runs on the web page and collects information about the location of every element of the web page, including elements that are defined inside iframes. This script reports to the server the collected data, in either raw or processed form. The second part is a component which analyzes the collected data. For the combined resources, the order of the resources in the combined files is defined according to their position in the screen, sorted by their position with respect of the Y-axis. For the regular resources, a script is added to the beginning of the web page which asynchronously preloads the resources according to their position in the screen. Thus, when the browser tries to fetch the resource during rendering, the resource is already in the cache. Also, all the resources which are not in the viewport are postponed until all the resources in the viewport are loaded. The viewport is typically determined separately for every user during the rendering of the page, or defined heuristically for all clients/groups of clients. It should be noted that this embodiment may be performed by the post-processing tool or the WPAA 140 .
XI. Background Image Management for Web Pages
[0054] On a typical web page, part of the images are actual images defined by <img> tags on a page and part of the images are background images defined in various styles. All the images from the <img> tags are fetched when the page is loaded, but not all the images defined in the style are fetched. Only when an element uses the style is the image fetched. When statically analyzing the web page (for pre-fetch, image combining or any other purpose), it is difficult to understand which images are actually part of the page and which images are just defined in the styles but are not actually used by the page.
[0055] The solution is based on a client side script (Javascript, for example) which scans, according to predefined criteria, some or all elements in the DOM. This script reads the effective style of every such element and checks whether this style contains a background image and if it does which image is it. Then, the script sends the gathered information to the server where it can be used for optimization techniques, such as image combining, sorting image loading according to the visual position on the page and pre-fetching. It should be noted that this embodiment may be performed by a post-processing tool or the WPAA 140 .
XII. Progressive Loading of Combined Resources of a Web Page
[0056] When combining resources trivially, every one of these resources is available only once the entire combined resource is loaded. This postpones the rendering of the first resource in the file until later resources are loaded.
[0057] According to an embodiment of the invention, the combined file is loaded progressively. For example, when loading a resource using AJAX, browsers read the resource chunk by chunk, returning the control to the AJAX callback function after each chunk. Thus, the following process can be used in the AJAX callback function to achieve progressively loading:
1) Checking that the function is called after a chunk and not because of an error; 2) Adding the new chunk to the existing chunks' buffer; 3) Parsing the chunks' buffer; 4) If new resources were found in the updates buffer then:
4a) For every one of the new resources:
Finding all elements which use the new resource, for example, image tags which point to the resource, now a part of the combined file; and Replacing the address the elements point to by the new resource is fully loaded and is now in the cache.
[0065] One example of using such a method is for the data:uri mechanism in modern browsers. Using it naively causes the browser to wait until the entire combined file is loaded. When applying the disclosed method, every time a resource finishes loading, it can be used by any elements, and placed by the script for use.
[0066] An addition to the process is to progressively load background images. Background images do not include any element, thus cannot be used in the manner described above. However, the following process can be applied:
1) Combining the style sheet definitions that contain background URLs to, for example one combined file, which also contains the data of the images. It should be noted that in some cases several combined files may be created; 2) Reading the combined file using AJAX; 3) Every time the control returns to the AJAX callback function the following is performed:
3a) Adding the new chunk to the read data array; 3b) Parsing the read data array to identify if any new classes were added; and 3c) For every new class added, preferably in full, the new class is applied to the web page.
It should be noted that this embodiment may be performed by a post-processing tool or the WPAA 140 .
[0073] The principles of the invention can be implemented as hardware, firmware, software or any combination thereof. Moreover, the software is preferably implemented as an application program tangibly embodied on a program storage unit, a non-transitory computer readable medium, or a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that can be in a form of a digital circuit, an analogy circuit, a magnetic medium, or combination thereof. The application program may be uploaded to, and executed by, a machine comprising any suitable architecture. Preferably, the machine is implemented on a computer platform having hardware such as one or more central processing units (“CPUs”), a memory, and input/output interfaces. The computer platform may also include an operating system and microinstruction code. The various processes and functions described herein may be either part of the microinstruction code or part of the application program, or any combination thereof, which may be executed by a CPU, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown. In addition, various other peripheral units may be connected to the computer platform such as an additional data storage unit and a printing unit.
[0074] The foregoing detailed description has set forth a few of the many forms that the invention can take. It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be understood as an illustration of selected forms that the invention can take and not as a limitation to the definition of the invention. It is only the claims, including all equivalents that are intended to define the scope of this invention.
|
A method for acceleration of access to a web page. The method comprises receiving a web page responsive to a request by a user; analyzing the received web page for possible acceleration improvements; generating a modified web page of the received web page using at least one of a plurality of acceleration techniques; providing the modified web page to the user, wherein the user experiences an accelerated access to the modified web page resulting from the execution of the at least one of a plurality of acceleration techniques; and storing the modified web page for use responsive to future user requests.
| 6
|
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/247,277 filed Nov. 10, 2000, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention herein described relates generally to axial piston pumps and, more particularly, to an internally supercharged axial piston pump.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An axial piston pump has a barrel rotatably mounted within a pump housing. The barrel includes a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced bores in which pistons reciprocate. Each piston bore has a port in the end of the barrel that lies against a port plate that contains delivery and exhaust ports. As the barrel rotates, each piston bore port sequentially traverses the delivery and exhaust ports. As each piston bore port traverses the delivery port low pressure fluid is drawn into the piston bore. When the piston bore port traverses the exhaust port, fluid is expelled at an increased pressure.
The speed at which an axial piston pump may be run is limited by the rate at which fluid at the delivery port fills the piston bores during the pumping operation. If the piston bores are not filled with fluid as they traverse the delivery port, cavitation occurs, power is lost and severe damage to the pump may occur. Heretofore, booster pumps have been used to pressurize the fluid at the pump inlet in order to increase the filling speed of the piston bores and thereby increase the speed at which the pump may be operated. Booster pumps, however, add to cost and also occupy space which may be at a premium. Furthermore, booster pumps are commonly operated to increase the fill rate of the incoming fluid to a level sufficient to fill the barrel bores at the maximum operating speed of the pump. However, since a pump is not always operated at its maximum speed, the booster pump is providing supercharged fluid at a greater pressure than is necessary for a portion of the time the pump is operating, which results in wasted energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an axial piston pump that enables fluid entering the pump to be pre-charged without the addition of an auxiliary pumping mechanism or other type of external fluid precharge. The axial piston pump comprises a housing having a cylindrical inner wall surface surrounding a barrel chamber, a barrel mounted for rotation within the barrel chamber in the housing and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced piston bores therein, and a plurality of pistons reciprocally movable in the piston bores for pumping fluid from a delivery passage to an exhaust passage. In accordance with the invention, the barrel has at least one and preferably plural impeller vanes projecting radially outwardly and terminating at a radially outer vane edge adjacent the inner wall surface of the barrel chamber. Upon rotation of the barrel, the impeller vanes function to supercharge the fluid supplied to the piston bores.
In a preferred embodiment, the piston barrel comprises a core including the piston bores, and a sleeve surrounding the core, the sleeve including a cylindrical hub portion, and the impeller blade or blades projecting radially outwardly from the hub portion. The hub portion and the impeller blade or blades preferably are formed as a unitary piece, as by molding from plastic.
More particularly, the present invention provides an axial piston fluid pump comprising a housing having an inner wall surface surrounding a barrel chamber and a port surface at a first end of the barrel chamber, the port surface including a delivery port and an exhaust port circumferentially spaced apart in relation to a center axis of the barrel chamber; a barrel rotatably mounted within the barrel chamber in the housing and having a plurality of axially extending; circumferentially spaced piston bores therein, each piston bore having associated therewith a cylinder port in an end wall of the barrel located adjacent the port surface which cylinder port sequentially communicates with the delivery and exhaust ports during rotation of the barrel in the barrel chamber; a plurality of pistons disposed in the piston bores for reciprocation; and a drive shaft for rotatably driving the barrel in the barrel chamber. The housing further includes an inlet passage for delivering low pressure fluid to a second end of the barrel chamber opposite the port surface. In accordance with the invention, the barrel has a radially outer surface radially inwardly spaced from the inner wall surface of the barrel chamber to form an impeller pump chamber, and at least one and preferably a plurality of impeller vanes project radially outwardly from the outer wall surface of the barrel and terminate at a radially outer vane edge adjacent the inner wall surface of the barrel chamber. The impeller pump chamber has an inlet end in fluid communication with the second end of the barrel chamber and an outlet end in fluid communication with the delivery port, whereby upon rotation of the barrel in the barrel chamber, low pressure fluid from the second end of the barrel chamber is supercharged by the impeller vane prior to passage through the delivery port.
In a preferred embodiment, the drive shaft passes through the center of the barrel. The barrel may be axially slidable on the shaft and axially biased against the port surface. The drive shaft may be rotatably supported in the housing by bearings at opposite ends of the housing, which bearings carry the hydraulic loading acting on the barrel as is preferred.
In a preferred embodiment, the impeller vanes are circumferentially equally spaced around the barrel. Each vane preferably has a helical portion and an axial portion, and none of the vanes axially overlap an adjacent vane, as is desirable to facilitate molding of the vanes. According to another embodiment, each vane may be helical and of progressively increasing circumferential width going from the inlet to the outlet end of the impeller pump chamber, whereby the circumferential spacing between relatively adjacent vanes progressively decreases going from the inlet to the outlet end of the impeller pump chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the port surface further has an annular discharge groove at the outlet end of the impeller pump chamber for receiving supercharged fluid and directing the supercharged fluid to the delivery port. The discharge groove preferably is connected to the delivery port by a volute, and the discharge groove preferably progressively increases in cross-sectional area in the direction of rotation of the barrel.
According to another aspect of the invention, a piston barrel for an axial piston pump comprises a core including a plurality of circumferentially spaced piston bores, and a sleeve surrounding the core, the sleeve including a cylindrical hub portion and at least one impeller blade projecting radially outwardly and termination at a radially outer vane edge.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail one or more illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, of but one or a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away in section, of a piston pump according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pump of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the pump of FIG. 1, taken along the line 3 — 3 of FIG. 2 .
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another form of cylinder barrel used in the pump of FIG. 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now in detail to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary piston pump according to the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10 . The pump 10 includes a housing 12 and a rear port cover 13 fastened to the housing by bolts 14 . The housing and rear port cover 13 together enclose a cavity 16 which houses a rotatable cylinder barrel 17 .
The cylinder barrel 17 is mounted on a drive shaft 18 which is supported at its rear end by a bearing 20 fitted in a bore 21 in the rear port cover 13 and at its front end by a bearing 22 fitted in a bore 23 in an end wall 24 of the housing 12 . Any suitable bearings may be employed, although in the illustrated pump the bearing 20 is a sleeve bearing or bushing while the bearing 22 is a self-aligning rotary bearing. As will be appreciated, the hydraulic loading is taken on the shaft bearings, this being in contrast to the piston pump shown in U.S. Pat No. 3,774,505 where hydraulic loading is taken on a barrel bearing journal.
The inner race of the rotary bearing 22 is retained on the drive shaft 18 and against a shoulder 25 on the drive shaft 18 by a retainer 26 . The outer race of the bearing 22 is retained in the housing 12 between the bottom of the bore 23 and a seal and plug assembly 28 . The seal and plug assembly 28 is retained in the bore 23 by a retainer 31 . The seal and plug assembly closes the bore 23 which is open to the interior cavity 16 and seals against leakage along the drive shaft 18 . As will be appreciated, the drive shaft may be extended through and beyond the rear port cover 13 for coupling to another component, such another pump. Thus, the present invention enables through-drive capability.
The drive shaft 18 has an external end portion 30 that is splined (as shown), keyed or otherwise configured for coupling to a prime mover (not shown) which rotatably drives the shaft for pumping fluid through the pump 10 . The drive shaft also has an intermediate splined portion 33 in driving engagement with an internally splined hub portion 34 of the barrel 17 for transfer of rotary motion from the drive shaft to the barrel. The barrel, which is free to shift axially on the drive shaft, is biased by a spring 35 against a port plate 36 interposed between the barrel and port cover 13 . As shown, the spring 35 is housed in a center bore in the barrel and is interposed between a retainer clip 37 fitted in a slot in the inner diameter wall of the barrel and a plunger 39 which for example consists of a washer and circumferentially spaced apart pins extending axially through the barrel hub portion.
The barrel 17 has a plurality of parallel bores 40 equally spaced circumferentially about its rotational axis. Each bore 40 receives a piston 41 that has a ball-shaped head 42 which is received in a socket of a shoe 43 . Each shoe 43 is retained against a thrust or swash plate 45 by a shoe retainer plate 46 . The shoe retainer plate 46 has a number of equally spaced holes, equal to the number of pistons 41 , which passes over the body of each piston and engages a shoulder on each shoe. The retainer plate has a central opening at which it slidably engages a spherical outer surface of a guide hub 44 . The guide hub 44 is telescopically supported on a forwardly projecting portion of the barrel hub 34 for relative axial movement. The spring 35 acts on the guide hub via the plunger 39 , the plunger having a base portion upon which the spring acts and plural posts, for example three posts, which extend through holes in the barrel hub and protrude forwardly for engagement with the guide hub. Accordingly, the spring functions to bias not only the barrel against the port plate but also the retainer plate towards the swash plate.
The swash plate 45 may be fixed or formed integrally with the housing 12 . However, usually the swash plate 45 is mounted in the housing for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to that of drive shaft. In the illustrated embodiment, the swash plate is supported by two half bearings in.the housing in a well known manner. This enables the angle of inclination of the swash plate to be varied with a corresponding change in the stroke or displacement of the pistons. In the illustrated embodiment, an adjustment mechanism 55 and preload mechanism 56 cooperate to hold the swash plate at a set inclination which may be varied by rotating an adjustment pin 57 accessible outside the housing 12 . Other mechanisms may used as desired.
Referring additionally to FIG. 3, each cylinder bore 40 ends in a cylinder port 60 , that conducts fluid between the piston bore and delivery and exhaust ports 61 and 62 in the port plate 36 . Each cylinder port sequentially communicates with the delivery and exhaust ports during rotation of the barrel in a cylindrical barrel portion of the cavity 16 . The exhaust port is in communication with an outlet port 65 formed in the port cover 13 . The delivery port 61 is in communication with an inlet port 66 in the housing 12 via a front end portion of the barrel cavity 16 and an impeller pump chamber hereinafter discussed in detail.
Rotation of the drive shaft 18 by a prime mover, not shown, will rotate cylinder barrel 17 . If swash (thrust) plate is inclined from a neutral position, i.e., normal to the axis of shaft, the pistons 41 will reciprocate as the shoes 43 slide over the thrust plate. As the pistons move away from port plate 36 , low pressure fluid from the delivery port enters the cylinder bores. As the pistons move toward the port plate, they expel high pressure fluid into the exhaust port.
Rotation of the barrel 17 also imparts additional energy to the fluid in the delivery port by means of an impeller 69 which is integral with the barrel. As will be appreciated, the additional energy imparted by the impeller to the fluid in the delivery port prevents cavitation when the pump is driven at higher speeds than are normally possible on conventional pumps when the fluid in the inlet is not supercharged.
The barrel 17 has a radially outer surface 70 which is radially inwardly spaced from the cylindrical inner housing wall surface 71 (surrounding a barrel chamber) to form therebetween an impeller pump chamber 72 . At least one and preferably a plurality of impeller vanes 74 (six in the illustrated embodiment) project radially outwardly from the outer wall surface 70 of the barrel and terminate at a radially outer vane edge adjacent the inner wall surface 71 of the barrel chamber. When the barrel rotates, axial fluid flow in the impeller pump chamber is induced by the impeller vanes. The inlet end of the impeller pump chamber is in fluid communication with the front end (inlet) portion of the barrel chamber and an outlet end of the impeller pump chamber is in fluid communication with an annular discharge groove 77 in the port cover 13 that is axially aligned with and receives the output of the impeller pump chamber. The discharge groove 77 terminates at a relatively short volute that directs the fluid to the delivery port 61 in the port plate 36 , whereby upon rotation of the barrel in the barrel chamber, low pressure fluid from the front end portion of the barrel chamber is supercharged by the impeller vane prior to passage through the delivery port. The discharge groove progressively increases in depth (or more generally in cross-sectional area) going towards the volute that leads to the delivery passage. This is advantageous for several reasons including the provision of a bigger reservoir that the fluid is pulled from, a decrease in the velocity of the fluid and improved flow compaction.
In the illustrated embodiment, each vane 74 extends the length of the barrel 17 and has a helical segment 74 a and a straight segment 74 b . The straight segment, which preferably is shorter than the helical segment, provides for axial redirection of the fluid flow towards the discharge groove 77 .
In the illustrated embodiment, the barrel 17 includes a cylindrical core 80 including the piston bores 40 and an outer impeller sleeve 81 on the cylindrical core. The impeller sleeve includes the impeller vanes 74 and a hub 82 from which the vanes extend radially outwardly. The impeller sleeve may be molded as a unitary piece from a plastic material. Preferably, there is no axial vane overlap so the impeller can be molded in a two-part mold. The impeller sleeve may be secured to the barrel core by any suitable means.
In FIG. 4, another embodiment of a barrel is indicated 89 . The barrel 89 has an alternative form of vane 90 . Each vane is helical and of progressively increasing circumferential width going from the inlet to the outlet end of the impeller pump chamber. Consequently, the circumferential spacing between relatively adjacent vanes progressively decreases going from the inlet to the outlet end of the impeller pump chamber. This decrease in spacing aids in accelerating the fluid through the impeller pump chamber.
As further illustrated in FIG. 4, the barrel core 94 may have on the radially outer side thereof a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, axially extending grooves 95 for weight and material reduction. The impeller sleeve may be secured to the barrel core by any suitable means. For example the impeller sleeve may have a corresponding arrangement of ribs (not shown) on its radially inner diameter surface which circumferentially interlock mechanically with the grooves. The ribs may closely fit within the grooves to preclude any axial flow between the impeller sleeve and core.
In comparison to the piston pump shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,505, which includes an internal precharger, a piston pump according to the present invention can attain a pressure boost of 9-10 psi relative to 0.5 to 1 psi for the prior art design of comparable size. The present invention also enables the impeller to be made of low cost materials that may have a lower strength than the barrel, whereas the impeller fins in the prior art design had to carry hydraulic loading. The present invention also enables enhancement of the flow configuration without the impeller is not a loading member.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described integers (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such integers are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any integer which performs the specified function of the described integer (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
|
An axial piston pump that enables fluid entering the pump to be pre-charged without the addition of an auxiliary pumping mechanism or other type of external fluid precharge, comprises a housing having a cylindrical inner wall surface surrounding a barrel chamber, a barrel mounted for rotation within the barrel chamber in the housing and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced piston bores therein, and a plurality of pistons reciprocally movable in the piston bores for pumping fluid from a delivery passage to an exhaust passage. The barrel has at least one and preferably plural impeller vanes projecting radially outwardly and terminating at a radially outer vane edge adjacent the inner wall surface of the barrel chamber. Upon rotation of the barrel, the impeller vanes function to supercharge the fluid supplied to the piston bores.
| 5
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an analytical shell-model producing apparatus for producing a shell-model for use in analyzing from a solid-state model of a thin-plate structure, and it relates to, in particular, the analytical shell-model producing apparatus, being suitable to be used in a CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) for simulating physical phenomenon by means of numerical values, through the numerical analysis with using a computer.
In the numerical analysis, being represented by, such as, the finite-element method, for example, a model is made up with aggregation of elements, such as, a hexahedron and/or a tetrahedron, for example, as the material to be a target of analyzing (i.e., an analysis target). Also, in a case where the target material of analyzing has a thin-plate structure, a load on computing thereof can be reduced by utilizing a tetragon element and/or a triangle element, to which is given thickness as an attribute value thereof. When using a three(3)-dimensional CAD system, since a material (i.e., a configuration model) was already produced as for the analysis target, therefore even the configuration model of the thin-plate structure is defined to be a solid having thickness.
Conventionally, in a method for producing such a shell-model for use in analyzing from the solid-model of thin-plate structure, as is described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-259505 (1994) <JP-A 6-259505>, for example, a thin plate-like configuration portion is designated as the configuration model to be the target of numerical analysis, and then a surface is extracted, which has a geometric feature of being parallel to the surface, among surfaces connecting to the configuration designated. The surfaces, being in parallel with the surface extracted and also being shortest in the distance therebetween, are specified as a pair, and a medial-surface is produced with respect to the pair of surfaces, thereby producing the analysis model.
Also as one of other methods, being described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-207777 (2002) <JP-A 2002-207777>, for example, a hollow mesh model having a two(2)-layer structure is produced for the configuration model to be the target of numerical analysis. And, upon basis of a moving vector set up upon the shape, it is moved while deciding whether a node of the model is in contact with or not, on an element opposing thereto. With this, the nodes of the model are gathered at a neutral point, thereby producing a neutral surface model. However, the neutral surface indicates a surface, being a thin plate-like and located at a neutral position, and it is an equivalent of the shell-model for use in analyzing.
However, in the method for producing the shell-model for use in analyzing, which is described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-259505, for example, since an operator must give an instruction to the thin film-like configuration part, and also only the surface contacting in parallel with the configuration instructed comes to be a target of producing the neutral surface, the operator must give instructions a number of times to that configuration, in particular, if it is a complicated configuration model, and/or a configuration having a rib, for example, and therefore it is not easy to produce the shell model for use in analyzing.
Also, in the method for producing the shell-model for use in analyzing, which is described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-207777, for example, since the medial-surface model is not produced in the form of the configuration model, but in that of the configuration model, it is necessary to re-produce the configuration model from the mesh data when changing the configuration, such as, for the purpose of parameter survey, etc. Also, sometimes there are cases where the configuration model cannot be produced if trying to produce it again, since the configuration is too complicated.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, according to the present invention, is to provide an analysis shell-model producing apparatus, being able to produce a shell-model for use in analyzing, with ease and in the form of the configuration model.
For accomplishing the object mentioned above, according to the present invention, there is provided an analytical shell-model producing apparatus for producing an analytical shell-model to be use in numerical analyzing, for a configuration model, which is produced by a three-dimensional configuration modeler, comprising: a reference-plate thickness inputting means for inputting a reference-plate thickness size to be used when specifying a thin-plate portion from the configuration model; a pair-surfaces acknowledging means for acknowledging two (2) surfaces, being equal or less than the reference-plate thickness size, which is inputted by said reference-plate thickness inputting means, in face-to-face distance between the arbitrary two (2) surfaces constructing the configuration model; a top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging means for acknowledging the pair of surfaces acknowledged by said pair surface acknowledging means to be one of a top side surface, a bottom side surface, and a rib surface; an offset-surface producing means for producing an offset-surface by offsetting a group of surfaces of either the top or the bottom side, which are acknowledged by said top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging means, and the rib surface, respectively, in direction of a normal line directing in an inside of the configurations thereof; a seam-surface producing means for seaming between the offset-surface, which is produced from either the top or the bottom surface by means of said offset-surface producing means, and the offset-surface produced from the rib surface; and an internal-surface producing means for registering the offset-surface seamed by said seam-surface producing means, as in a form of an internal-surface model. With this apparatus, it is easy to produce an analytical shell-model from a configuration model.
Preferably, according to the present invention, there is also provided the analytical shell-model producing apparatus, as described in the above, further comprising a top/bottom rib attribute emphatic displaying means for displaying the top side surface, the bottom side surface and the rib surface, which are acknowledged by said top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging means, with making emphasis thereon, or further comprising a dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending means for amending the top side surface, the bottom side surface and the rib surface, which, are acknowledged by said top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging means, in a manner of dialog, or wherein said internal-surface model producing means calculates the plate thickness on each of the internal-surface models as targets from the face-to-face distance between two (2) surfaces of the pair, to which a composite surface of the configuration model belongs, being as an original for producing the each internal-surface model, thereby giving this plate thickness value as to be the thickness attribute of the internal-surface model of target.
Further, according to the present invention, for accomplishing other object mentioned above, there is provided an analytical shell-model producing apparatus, for producing an analytical shell-model for use in numerical analyzing from a configuration model, which is produced by a three-dimensional configuration modeler, comprising: a reference-plate thickness size inputting means for inputting a reference-plate thickness size to be used when specifying a thin-plate portion from the configuration model; and means for making two (2) surfaces, being narrower therebetween than the reference-plate thickness size, which is inputted from said reference-plate thickness inputting means, in a pair of surfaces, producing an offset-surface between the pair of surfaces, and producing an internal-surface model by seaming on an outer periphery portion of the offset-surface.
Moreover, according to the present invention, for accomplishing other object mentioned above, there is provided an analytical shell-model producing apparatus, for producing an analytical shell-model for use in numerical analyzing from a configuration model, which is produced by a three-dimensional configuration modeler, comprising: a reference-plate thickness size inputting means for inputting a reference-plate thickness size to be used when specifying a thin-plate portion from the configuration model; and means for producing a thickness attribute of said internal-surface model from face-to-face distance between the surfaces of said pair and a value of the plate thickness.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a system structure view of an embodiment of an analysis shell-model producing apparatus, according to the present invention; and FIGS. 2 to 17 are views for explaining functions of various parts of the analytical shell-model producing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , and in particular,
FIG. 2 is a view of a size-designation screen for thickness of a reference plate, in a reference plate thickness size-designation portion;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are views for showing a flowchart of processing of pair-surface acknowledging, and for explaining the pair-surface acknowledging process by means of a pair-surface acknowledging portion;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are views for showing a flowchart of processing for acknowledging a rib by means of a top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion, and for explaining the acknowledge processing of the rib;
FIGS. 7 to 9 are views for explaining a neighboring graph, which is used in the rib acknowledging process by means of the top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion, a flowchart of the top/bottom side rib acknowledging process, and the top/bottom side rib acknowledging, respectively;
FIGS. 10 and 11 are views for showing a flowchart of the processing for producing offset-surface by means of an offset-surface producing portion, and for explaining the offset-surface producing process;
FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B) are views for explaining the offset-surface producing process by means of a seam-surface producing portion;
FIGS. 13(A) to 13(D) are views for explaining an emphatic displaying process on the top/bottom side rib attribute, by means of a top/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion;
FIGS. 14 to 16 are views for showing amending processing with using a dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending portion, and in particular, FIG. 14 is a view for showing the amending processing of the top/bottom side rib attribute, and FIGS. 15(A) to FIG. 16(C) are views for explaining the amending process of the top/bottom side rib attribute, in more details thereof; and
FIG. 17 is a view for explaining an internal-surface model, which is displayed by an internal-surface model displaying portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, explanation will be given about the structure and operation of an analytical shell-model producing apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by referring to FIGS. 1 to 17 . Herein, FIG. 1 is a view for showing the system structure of the analytical shell-model producing apparatus. The analytical shell-model producing apparatus, according to the present embodiment, comprises an input/output device 101 , a reference plate thickness designating portion 105 , a pair-surface acknowledging portion 107 , a top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging portion 109 , an offset-surface producing portion 111 , a seam-surface producing portion 113 , an internal-surface model producing portion 115 , a top/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion 116 , a dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending portion 117 , and an internal-surface model displaying portion 118 .
The input/output portion 101 is used for a system user to make an input therewith or a display thereon, and it comprises a keyboard, a pointing device, and/or a display, etc. A configuration model inputting portion 103 inputs a configuration model therewith, and it also registers it in the form of a configuration model data 102 .
The reference-plate thickness designating portion 105 inputs a size of reference-place thickness, for acknowledging as a thin-plate portion from the configuration model, and then registers this reference-plate thickness size as in the form of a reference-plate thickness size data 104 . An example of the reference-plate thickness designation portion 105 will be mentioned by referring to FIG. 2 , later.
The pair-surface acknowledge portion 107 acknowledges two (2) surfaces as a pair of surfaces from arbitrary two (2) surfaces building up the configuration model data 102 , which is equal or less than the reference-plate thickness size data 104 in the face-to-face distance between those surfaces, and then registers it in the form of a pair-surface data 106 . A method for acknowledging the pair-surface by means of the pair-surface acknowledging portion 107 will be mentioned later.
The top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging portion 109 acknowledges a top-side surface, a bottom-side surface and also a rib surface from the configuration model data 102 and the pair-surface data 106 , and registers them as in the form of a top/bottom side rib attribute data 108 . The offset-surface producing portion 111 produces offset-surfaces, offsetting one of the surface groups, i.e., the top-side surfaces or the bottom-side surfaces, in a direction of the normal line directing into an inside of each of the configuration thereof, and then registers them as in the form of an offset-surface data 110 .
The seam-surface producing portion 113 produces a seam-surface, which seams between the offset-surface data 110 produced from either the top or bottom surface and also the offset-surface data 110 produced from the rib surface, and then registers it as in the form of a seam-surface data 112 . The internal-surface model producing portion 115 registers the seam-surface data 112 as in the form of internal-surface model data 114 . In addition to the seam-surface data, a value of plate thickness of the each target internal-surface model is calculated from the face-to-face distance between the surfaces in the pair-surface data 106 , to which the component surface of the configuration model belongs, being an original of each internal-surface model, and then this plate thickness value is given as a thickness attribute of the target internal-surface model.
The top/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion 116 displays the surface, which is registered in the top/bottom side rib attribution data 108 , on a display of the input/output device 101 with making emphasis thereon. An example of the emphatic display by means of the top/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion 116 will be mentioned by referring to FIGS. 13(A) to 13(D) , later. The dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending portion 117 amends the top/bottom side rib attribute data 108 , by using the input/output device 101 .
The internal-surface model producing portion 118 displays the internal-surface model stored in the internal-surface model data 114 on the display of the input/output device 101 . The internal-surface model is data of the three-dimensional model, being same to the configuration data (a solid model), such as, the CAD data, for example.
By referring to FIG. 2 will be explained a method for designating the reference-plate thickness size by means of the reference-plate thickness size designating portion 105 of the analytical shell-model producing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a view of the screen structure of a screen designated for the reference-plate thickness size by means of the reference-plate thickness size designating portion 105 . The reference-plate thickness size designating portion 105 displays an operation screen for the purpose of designation of the reference-plate thickness size, as shown in FIG. 2 , on the display of the input/output device 101 . A user of the apparatus inputs the size of the reference-plate thickness, for acknowledging to be the thin-plate portion, into the reference-plate thickness size inputting field 201 on the operation screen, by using the input/output device 101 .
The size of the reference-plate in the thickness thereof is the thickness size to be referred as a reference for deciding the thin portion among the configuration model data. For example, if there are places where the plate thickness is defined to be 2 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm, and if it is desired to determine such the potions to be the thin-plate portion, for example, the maximum value among them, i.e., 5 mm is inputted into the reference-plate thickness size inputting field 201 , for example. When the user of the apparatus pushes an execute button 202 , the numerical data inputted in the reference-plate thickness size inputting field 201 is registered into the reference-plate thickness size data 104 . Or if pushing a cancel button 203 , the designation will be released.
Explanation will be given on the processing in the pair-surface acknowledging process by means of the pair-surface acknowledge portion 107 , in the analysis shell-model producing apparatus, by referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 . Herein, FIG. 3 is a flowchart for showing the processing by means of the pair-surface acknowledging portion 107 . FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the pair-surface acknowledging process by means of the pair-surface acknowledging portion 107 .
In a step s 301 , the pair-surface acknowledging portion 107 reads therein the configuration model data 102 and the reference-plate thickness size data 104 . In a step s 304 , two (2) surfaces (i.e., the surface A and the surface B) are selected, sequentially, from all of the surfaces constructing the configuration model data 102 , and determines whether an angle defined by those surfaces A and B is smaller than a predetermined angle α or not. It is assumed that the predetermined angle α is 30 degree, for example. If being equal or less than the predetermined angle α, they can be determined to be the surfaces being parallel to each other or the surface formed with a taper thereon, and then the process advances to a step s 303 . If not, it jumps to a step s 306 .
In the case when the angle defined between the surfaces A and B is equal or less than the angle α, the face-to-face distance is calculated out between those two (2) surfaces, in a step s 303 . In a step s 304 , this face-to-face distance is compared to the reference-surface thickness size data 104 , and if the face-to-face distance between those surfaces is smaller than the reference-surface thickness size data 104 , then those two (2) surfaces are determined to the pair-surface in a step s 305 . For example, with respect to the configuration model shown in FIG. 4 , if the reference-plate thickness size is designated to be 5 mm, for example, then the surfaces; i.e., (surface 401 )-(surface 402 ), (surface 403 )-(surface 404 ), and (surface 405 )-(surface 406 ) are the pair-surfaces. Herein, wave-like broken lines indicating the surfaces 402 , 404 and 406 show the surfaces on the bottom side. Thus, the surface 402 is the surface opposing to the surface 401 , the surface 404 opposing to the surface 403 , and the surface 406 opposing to the surface 405 .
In the step s 305 , the processes in the above steps s 302 -s 305 are repeated on all of the surfaces A. For example, if the surface 401 is selected to be the surface A, while the surface 402 to be the surface B, in FIG. 4 , then the surfaces 403 , 404 , 405 and 406 are changed sequentially to be as the surfaces A while keeping the surfaces B fixed, and the pair-surface is selected, judging from viewpoints of the angle defined between the surfaces each other and the face-to-face distance of surfaces.
In a step s 306 , the similar processing to that in the step s 305 is repeated. However, in this step s 306 , the processing is made on all of the surfaces B. Namely, it is assumed that the surface 401 is selected to be the surface A and the surface 402 to be the surface B, in FIG. 4 . Then, in this step s 306 , after selecting the pair-surfaces from the angle defined between the surfaces each other and the face-to-face distance therebetween, by changing the surfaces 403 , 404 , 405 and 406 , sequentially, into the surface A, then the pair-surface is selected from the angle defined between the surfaces each other and the face-to-face distance therebetween, while changing the surfaces 403 , 404 , 405 , 406 and 401 , sequentially, into the surface B. With doing this, a mutual relationship can be checked on all of the surfaces shown in FIG. 4 , and thereby enabling detection of all the pair-surfaces, without omitting.
Explanation will be given about the processing in the acknowledging process, on the top and bottom sides and also the rib, by means of the top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion 109 in the analytical shell model producing apparatus, by referring to FIGS. 5 to 9 . By using FIGS. 5 to 7 , the processing in the acknowledging process on the rib, by means of top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion 109 will be explained. Herein, FIG. 5 is a flowchart for showing the processing in the acknowledging process on the rib, by means of the top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion 109 . FIG. 6 is an explanatory view for the acknowledging process on the rib, by means of the top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion 109 . And, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a neighboring graph, which is used in the rib acknowledging process by means of the top/bottom side rib-acknowledging portion 109 .
In a step s 501 shown in FIG. 5 , the top/bottom side rib acknowledging portion 109 produces a graph, in which nodes to the surfaces neighboring with each other are connected with each other at edges thereof, assuming the surface to be a node, for the configuration model data 102 . This graph is called by “neighboring graph”, hereinafter. FIG. 7 shows the neighboring graph with respect to the configuration model shown in FIG. 6 .
In the configuration model shown in FIG. 6 , the surfaces, i.e., (surface 601 )-(surface 603 )-(surface 605 )-(surface 607 ), are neighboring with each other, respectively, therefore (node 601 )-(node 603 )-(node 605 )-(node 607 ) shown in FIG. 7 are connected with each other at the edges thereof. Herein, a character “neighboring” is attached on a side of the edge, and thereby indicating that both nodes are in a relationship of the surfaces neighboring with each other. Also, the surfaces, i.e., (surface 602 )-(surface 604 )-(surface 606 )-(surface 608 ) shown in FIG. 6 , are neighboring with each other, respectively, and therefore they are the nodes, i.e., (node 602 )-(node 604 )-(node 606 )-(node 608 ) shown in FIG. 7 , and are connected with, at neighboring edges thereof. Further, since the surface 609 is also neighboring with the surfaces 603 and 605 , then the node 609 is connected with the nodes 603 and 605 at the neighboring edges thereof. Also, since the surface 601 is neighboring with the surfaces 603 and 605 , the node 610 is connected with the nodes 603 and 605 at the neighboring edges thereof.
In a step s 502 , for this neighboring graph, the surfaces are connected at the edges thereof, which are in a relationship of the pair-surface. In the configuration model shown in FIG. 6 , the surfaces, i.e., (surface 601 )-(surface 602 ) constitute the pair-surface, and therefore the nodes, i.e., (node 601 )-(node 602 ) in FIG. 7 are connected at the edges thereof. Herein, the character “pair” is attached on a side of the edge, and it indicates that both nodes are in relationship of the pair-surface between them. In the similar manner, the surfaces, i.e., (surface 601 )-(surface 602 ), (surface 603 )-(surface 604 ), (surface 605 )-(surface 606 ), (surface 607 )-(surface 608 ), and (surface 609 )-(surface 610 ), constitute the pair-surfaces, respectively, and then they are connected with at pair-edges.
In a step s 503 , search is conducted on a loop from the neighboring graph, including at least two (2) or more of the edges of pair attributes. For the loop, since there is a condition that it includes at least two (2) or more pair attributes, the loop made up with the nodes, i.e., (node 601 )-(node 602 )-(node 604 )-(node 603 ), is that which is searched out. On the other hand, the loop made up with the nodes, i.e., (node 609 )-(node 603 )-(node 605 )-(node 610 ), contains only one pair attribute, therefore it comes off from the loops to be the searching target. However, the loop made up with the nodes, i.e., (node 9 )-(node 603 )-(node 604 )-(node 606 )-(node 605 )-(node 610 ), includes two (2) pair attributes therein, therefore it comes to be the target of the searching.
In a step s 504 , calculation is made on the number of the nodes, which lie within this loop. In a step s 505 , a determination is made on whether the number of pieces of the nodes is less than five (5) or not. If the number of pieces of the nodes is less than five (5), the nodes within the loop are determined to have the rib attribute in a step s 506 . If the number of pieces of the nodes is equal to five (5) or more, the nodes within the loop are determined to have no such the rib attribute in a step s 507 .
For example, in the configuration model shown in FIG. 6 , the number of nodes is less than five (5) lying within the loop << 601 - 602 - 604 - 603 >>, and then it is decided to be “not the rib”. And, a flag, “not the rib” is attached to the surfaces 601 , 602 , 603 and 604 . On the other hand, the number pieces of the nodes exceeds for (4) laying within the loop << 609 - 610 - 605 - 606 - 604 - 603 >>, then the process advances to the step s 507 .
In the step s 507 , the processes in the steps s 505 and s 506 mentioned above are executed on all of the loops. The surface that was not determined to be “not the rib”, i.e., that not attached with the flag “not the rib” is determined to be the “rib”, in a step s 508 . For example, within the loop << 609 - 610 - 605 - 606 - 604 - 603 >>, since the surfaces 603 , 604 , 605 and 606 are determined to not the rib, therefore it is determined that the surfaces 609 and 610 are the ribs.
Explanation will be given on the processing of the acknowledging process on the top/bottom side surface, by means of the top/bottom sided rib acknowledging portion 109 in the analytical shell-model producing apparatus, by referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 . FIG. 8 is a flowchart for showing the processing of the acknowledging process on the top/bottom side surface, by means of the two-sided rib acknowledge portion 109 . FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the acknowledging process on the top/bottom side surface, by means of the two-sided rib acknowledge portion 109 .
In a step s 801 , the top/bottom rib acknowledge portion 109 makes a grouping on the surfaces, which are themselves in the neighboring relationship, for each of the pair-surfaces that are not acknowledged to be the rib. For example, in FIG. 9 , the respective surfaces 901 , 902 , 903 and 904 are not in such the neighboring relationship therebetween therefore they are grouped in the flowing manner, thereby to be included into the independent groups, respectively:
Group 1 : the surface 901 ;
Group 2 : the surface 902 ;
Group 3 : the surface 903 ; and
Group 4 : the surface 904 .
In a step s 802 , if the groups are equal or more than two (2) in pieces thereof, an arbitrary one of the group is extracted from all of the groups, and then the surfaces are combined with each other, which are in the relationship of the pair, thereby to be unified into one group, for each of the surfaces included in that group. In an example shown in FIG. 9 mentioned above, for example, the surface 901 is in the pair with the surface 903 of the group 3 , and the surface 902 is also in the pair, then the surfaces 901 and 902 are unified together. In the similar manner, since the surface 903 is also in the pair with the surface 902 of the group 3 , and the surface 904 is also in the pair, then the surfaces 903 and 904 are unified with each other. As a result of this, i.e., repeating this unifying of the groups in accordance with the relationships of the pairs, the groups are as follows:
Group 1 : the surface 901 and the surface 902 ; and
Group 2 : the surface 903 and the surface 904 .
In a step s 803 , the process of the step s 802 is repeated on all of the groups. Further, in a step s 804 , it is repeated until when the number of the groups comes down to be two (2), remaining as a result of the unifying. When the group comes down to two (2) in the number of pieces thereof, then the group of surfaces in one group is made to be a top side surface, while that of the other group a bottom side surface. For example, in the example mentioned above, it is as follows:
Top side surface: the surface 901 and the surface 902 ; and
Bottom side surface: the surface 903 and the surface 904 .
Explanation will be given on the processing of the offset-surface producing process, by means of the offset-surface producing portion in the analytical shell-model producing apparatus, by referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 . Herein, FIG. 10 is a flowchart for showing the processing of the offset-surface producing process, by means of the offset-surface producing portion 111 in the analytical shell-model producing apparatus. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the offset-surface producing process, by means of the offset-surface producing portion 111 in the analytical shell-model producing apparatus.
In a step s 1101 in FIG. 10 , the offset-surface producing portion 111 takes either the top or the bottom side surface, as to be a target of the offset-surface. Though it is possible to automatically determine this offset-surface on the apparatus side, but it is also possible to determine through designation on which side surface should be the target, by an operator. For example, in FIG. 11 , the surface 601 is selected to be the target of the offset-surface if assuming the surfaces 601 and 602 form the pair-surfaces.
In a step s 1102 , a surface is produced, being offset in the direction of the normal line directing into an inside of a solid, while keeping the target surface of offsetting in a relationship with the surface. The CAD data, as to be the configuration data, has information in the solid, therefore it is possible to determine the inside direction of the solid by means of this CAD data. Herein, an amount of the offsetting is assumed to be ½ of the face-to-face distance between the surfaces, which form the pair. Further, if the face-to-face distance is changed, gradually, between the surfaces thereof, such as, in the case of the tapered surface, for example, it is determined to be ½ of an averaged value thereof. Regarding such the tapered surface, it may be determined to be ½ of the maximum value or the minimum value of the face-to-face distance between the surfaces. In this manner, in the example shown in FIG. 11 , it is possible to obtain the offset-surface 1101 with respect to the surfaces 601 and 602 .
In a step s 1103 , the process of the step s 1003 is executed on the rib surface, in the similar manner, thereby producing the offset-surface of the rib. Hereinafter, the offset-surface produced from either the top or the bottom side surface is called by a “general offset-surface”, while the offset-surface produced from the rib is called by a “rib offset-surface”. In FIG. 11 , the general offset-surfaces are the surfaces 1101 , 1102 , 1103 and 1104 , and the rib offset-surface is the surface 1105 , in the configuration model shown by broken lines.
Explanation will be given on the processing of the seam-surface producing process, by means of the seam-surface producing portion 113 in the analytical shell-model producing apparatus, by referring to FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B) . As was shown in FIG. 11 , on the configuration having the rib therein, the rib offset-surface and the general offset-surface are separated from. Then, the seam-surface producing portion 113 elongates the rib offset-surface to the general offset-surface, thereby treating the processing for seaming them together and registering as in the form of a seam-surface.
With respect to the offset-surface 1201 shown in FIG. 12(A) , lines 1202 and 1203 are elongated up to the general offset-surface, thereby connecting between the general offset-surface and the rib offset-surface. A result of this is as shown in FIG. 12(B) . As is shown in FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B) , the surface 1201 is constructed with four (4) lines (sides), in general. Since one side of the surface 1201 can be defined by two control points C 1 and C 2 at both ends and a control point C 3 at a middle portion thereof, first the points C 1 , C 2 and C 3 are elongated up to the general offset-surface 1204 , thereby determining control points C 1 a , C 2 a and C 3 a . Though it is also possible to define the second side of the surface 1202 by the control points C 2 and C 4 on both sides and the control point C 5 at a middle portion thereof, however since a new control point C 2 a is defined newly, the control points C 2 a , C 4 and C 5 are elongated up to the general offset-surface 1205 , thereby determining control points C 2 b , C 4 b and C 5 b . With this, the sides of the surfaces 1201 and 1202 are elongated up to the sides 1201 a and 1202 a , to form a new surface, thereby combining the general offset-surface and the rib offset-surface together.
Hereinafter, explanation will be given on the processing of the internal-surface model producing process, by means of the internal-surface model producing portion 115 . The internal-surface model producing portion 115 registers the seam-surface, which is produced in the seam-surface producing process by means of the seam-surface producing process portion 113 , in the form of the internal-surface model data 114 . Next, search is made on the pair-surfaces, to which belongs the component surface of the configuration model, being the original, from which this internal-surface model is offset as the offset-surface, for each of the internal-surface models. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the surfaces 601 and 602 are searched out as the pair-surfaces, to which this offset-surface belongs, for the offset-surface 1101 .
The face-to-face distance between the two (2) surfaces, which are registered in that pair-surfaces is calculated out, and the internal-surface model data 114 is given with this face-to-face distance between the surfaces, as an attribute of thickness of the target internal-surface model. Herein, if the pair-surfaces are in a plural number thereof, which belong thereto, an averaged value of the face-to-face distances between the surfaces is given as the thickness attribute, or the minimum one or the maximum one. Also, for the pair-surfaces having a tapered surface, being not constant in the face-to-face distance therebetween, changes in the thickness are given to the internal-surface model, distributedly. Also, the thickness attribute given to the each internal-surface model is automatically distributed to each element when producing a mesh.
Explanation will be given on the processing of emphatic displaying process of the top/bottom side rib attribute, by means of the tip/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion 116 , by referring to FIGS. 13(A) and 13(B) . The top/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion 116 displays a display screen emphasized, as is shown in FIG. 13(A) , on the input/output device 101 . The user of the apparatus selects an attribute, which she/he wishes to display with making emphasis thereon, on an operation screen shown in FIG. 13(A) , by using the input/output device 101 . When wishing to display the top side surface, she/he selects a top side surface display button 1301 , while when wishing to display the bottom side surface, a bottom side surface display button 1302 , and when wishing to display the rib surface, a rib surface display button 1303 .
The top/bottom side rib attribute emphatic displaying portion 116 searches a surface, which is coincident with in the attribute, among the top/bottom side rib attribute data 108 , and displays the surface, being coincident with in the search, on the screen with making emphasis thereon, as shown in FIGS. 13(B) , 13 (C) and 13 (D). For example, when the top side display button 1301 is selected, it is displayed in a manner as is shown in FIG. 13(B) . When the bottom side surface display button 1302 is selected, it is displayed in a manner as is shown in FIG. 13(C) . And, if the rib surface display button 1303 is selected, it is displayed in a manner as is shown in FIG. 13(D) .
Explanation will be given on the processing of amending process of the top/bottom side rib attribute, which is conducted by means of the dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending portion 117 in the producing apparatus, by referring to FIG. 14 . As is shown in FIG. 14 , on the screen of the input/output device 101 , there is displayed a perspective view of the solid model in the right-hand side, while selection buttons are disposed, such as, a top side surface selection button 1401 , a bottom side surface selection button 1402 , and a rib surface selection button 1403 , for example, on an operation screen disposed in the left-hand side. The user of the apparatus selects the surface, on which she/he wishes to make an amendment on the operation screen of the input/output apparatus 101 . Next, the attribute after making the amendment therein is selected among those selection buttons 1401 - 1403 . Finally, at the time when an execution button 1404 is pushed, the top/bottom side rib attribute being amended is registered into the top/bottom side rib attribute data 108 . Or, if a cancel button 1405 is pushed down, the designation is released.
Explanation will be given on the processing as a whole of producing an analytical process model, while using examples in more details thereof, by referring to FIGS. 15-17 . Herein, FIGS. 15 and 16 are detailed explanatory views of the amending process on the top/bottom side rib attribute, by means of the dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending portion 117 . And, FIG. 17 is a view for explaining the internal surface model, which is displayed by means of the internal-surface model displaying portion 118 .
In the case of producing the analytical shell-model of a housing portion, as shown in FIG. 15(A) , the user of the apparatus designates the reference-plate thickness size of the housing portion 1501 . The thickness of this model is 3-5 mm, for example, it is designated to be 5 mm, herein. Then, the pair-surfaces are acknowledged by means of the pair-surface acknowledging portion 107 , while the top/bottom side rib attribute is acknowledged by means of the top/bottom side rib attribute acknowledging portion 109 , and the data acknowledged are stored into the top/bottom side rib attribute data 108 . A meshed portion (i.e., actually, being displayed by changing the color thereof on the display) shown in FIG. 15(B) displays the top side surface, while that shown in FIG. 15(C) the bottom side surface, and FIG. 15(D) the rib surface, for example.
Herein, since the rib between the surfaces 1505 and 1506 is a small or minute rib, and if it is not desired to be acknowledged to be the rib, then the rib surface attribute can be released, by pushing the cancel button with designating the surface 1506 under the condition of the display shown in FIG. 15(D) , with using the dialog top/bottom side rib attribute amending portion 117 . Further, that case of not desiring to acknowledged it to be the rib is, for example, when it is the small or minute rib, so that no ill influence will be given on intensity if not acknowledging it to be the rib; such as, a small projection, for example. Not acknowledging this portion to be the rib enables reduction in the number of the meshes, and thereby shortening the time for strength analyzing, as well.
FIGS. 16(A)-16(C) show the attribute amended by means of the dialog top/bottom side rib amending portion 117 . FIG. 16(A) displays the top side surface, FIG. 16(B) the bottom side surface, and FIG. 16(C) the rib surface, for example. The offset-surface producing portion 111 produces the offset-surface data. In the example in FIGS. 16(A)-16(C) , the bottom side surface shown, in particular, shown in FIG. 16(B) , is the offset target surface. Next, the seam-surface is produced by the seam-surface producing portion 113 , and the internal-surface model data 114 is outputted by means of the internal-surface model producing portion 115 .
FIG. 17 shows an example of the internal-surface model, which is displayed on the displaying portion of the input/output apparatus 110 , by means of the internal-surface model displaying portion 118 . The thickness attributes given to the internal-surface model are as below:
The surface 1701 : 5 mm;
The surface 1702 : 3 mm; and
The surface 1703 : 3 mm.
However, in this example, it is assumed that the averaged value of the face-to-face distances is given as the thickness attribute.
In this manner, for the user of the apparatus, it is possible to produce the internal-surface model, as well as, to amend the internal-surface model in a manner of dialog, only by inputting the reference-plate thickness size, thereby enabling to produce the analyzing shell-model effectively.
As was explained in the above, according to the present embodiment, in case of producing the analytical shell-model from the configuration model of thin-plate structure, for the user of the apparatus, it is possible to produce the internal-surface model, as well as, to control and amend the internal-surface model, in the dialog manner, thereby enabling to produce the analyzing shell-model effectively.
Conventionally, since the thin-plate like configuration portion is designated by an operator, she/he must input designations of the configuration a number of times, in particular, when it has a rib or is the complicated configuration model, however according to the present embodiment, the internal-surface model can be produced, only by inputting the reference-plate thickness, easily. Also, conventionally, the neutral surface model is produced, not as the configuration model, but as the mesh data, therefore it is necessary to re-produce the configuration model form the mesh data when changing the configuration for a parameter survey, etc. However, according to the present embodiment, since the internal-surface model is produced as the configuration model, it is possible to change the configuration, easily, on the configuration of the internal-surface model produced, by conducting the operations, such as, the bending process and the drilling process, for example. Accordingly, it is possible to produce the analytical shell-model, easily.
|
An analytical shell-model producing apparatus for converting a three-dimensional model into internal surfaces, wherein an internal surface is used to represent each three-dimensional element of the three-dimensional model. Each internal surface comprises a bounded plane and an associated width attribute, wherein the bounded plane is located internal to the three-dimensional element which it represents, and wherein the associated width attribute represents the width of the three-dimensional element in a direction normal to the bounded plane.
| 6
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/277,767 filed on Oct. 20, 2011 which application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/525,390, filed Aug. 19, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to optical cables and a method of manufacture thereof, and more particularly, includes an optical cable having waveguide layer.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Optical data communications technology has a number of advantages over wire technology, such as increased bandwidth, data rate and response characteristics superior to those of conventional wire technology. Also, optical technology is essentially immune to radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues associated with wire technology. Optical data communication is therefore desirable in a variety of applications such as multi-chip modules (MCMs), printed circuit board (PCB) technologies, and integrated backplanes.
[0004] In conventional optical connectors, electronic circuitry, optical source and optical detectors are typically mounted on PCBs which are received in card guides mounted to an equipment frame. A backplane mounted to the rear of the frame includes board edge connectors aligned with the card guides and electrical conductors interconnecting the board edge connectors. The circuit boards are provided with board edge electrical contacts which are received in the board edge connectors when the circuit boards are inserted in the card guides to electrically connect the circuitry to the electrical conductors on the back plane. The electrical conductors provide the required electrical connections between circuit boards.
[0005] The circuit boards also include optical connector parts which are optically coupled to the optical sources and to the optical detectors of the receivers and transmitters. The board mounted optical connector parts must be mated with frame mounted optical connector parts to optically connect the optical sources and the optical detectors to optical fibers terminating on the frame mounted optical connectors. The optical fibers are typically a glass fiber manufactured from glass.
[0006] In the current board edge optical connector arrangements the circuit board mounted optical connector parts are mounted at leading edges of the circuit boards. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that the leading edges are already congested with board edge electrical contacts. In addition, in the board edge optical connector arrangements the frame mounted optical connector parts are mounted at the back plane, which is already congested with electrical board edge connectors and electrical conductors. In current systems, optical fibers may be left to hang loose between packs or bundles of fibers which tend to create a messy (“rat's nest”) entanglement of fibers. Further, what is needed is a method to reorder the layers within an optical cable without increasing its thickness (or bulkiness), without twisting or bending the waveguide layers, and without using optical vias.
[0007] Another approach is to use polymer waveguide optical backplanes, which can contain thousands of optical channels. A polymer waveguide may be composed of two different polymer materials, for instance, a lower index cladding material and a higher index core material. Light is guided in a core (optical channels) due to the index contrast between the core and clad regions. The optical backplane may interconnect multiple server drawers, distributing and reordering the optical channels between the drawers as necessary. To facilitate the reordering within a multi-layer optical cable, it is necessary to reorder the individual waveguide layers from the input connector to the output connector. The waveguide layer reordering may be achieved by twisting and bending individual waveguide layers. This approach can result in excessive cable bulk. Further, current waveguides are difficult to bend to achieve cable reordering of the optical fibers between two connection points. Another approach is to introduce optical vias between waveguide layers to facilitate the layer redistribution, however, optical vias introduce additional loss and are costly to fabricate. Another difficult and undesirable approach is to bend (or twist) layers to realize layer reordering
[0008] In view of the shortcoming in the prior art, there is a need to provide an apparatus and method to connect large numbers of optical fibers to an optical backplane and avoid the entanglement of wires associated with multiple fiber-to-fiber connections and/or routing systems. Additionally, there is a need for a device and/or method of reordering the layers within an optical cable without increasing its thickness (or bulkiness), without twisting or bending the waveguide layers, and without using optical vias.
[0009] Referring to FIGS. 1-2 , a prior art optical cable 10 includes four waveguides 14 . Each of the waveguides 14 includes a plurality of optical fibers 22 (shown in FIG. 3 ) encased in a polymer such that the waveguide 14 is planar and has a defined width. Each of the waveguides 14 and optical fibers 22 have a first and a second end connected to respective first and second connectors 30 , 32 . Each of the first and second connectors 30 , 32 include connector holes in columns and rows, or connection points, i.e., for receiving optical fibers, which may also include, for example, electrically conductive sleeves, pins, or other connection points. Each of the ends of the waveguides, i.e., the optical fiber 22 ends, correspond to waveguide connection points, collectively designated as connection points 31 , 33 , respectively, on the first and second connectors 30 , 32 . Each of the first ends of the optical fibers 22 of the waveguides 14 are connecting to columns and rows of the first connector, and each of the second ends of the optical fibers 22 of the waveguides are connected to corresponding columns and rows of the second connector. Each of the ends of the optical fibers 22 of each of the waveguides 14 are connected to specified waveguide connection points 31 , 33 on each of the first and second connectors 30 , 32 resulting in a connection pattern (alternatively called a pin pattern) on the first and second connectors 30 , 32 . The connection pattern is a geometric pattern, for example, as shown in the connectors 30 , 32 of FIG. 2 , which depicts a rectangular grid of connection points 31 , 33 arranged in waveguide fiber columns 1 - 4 and rows 5 a - 5 l, as shown in greater detail in the generic connector 75 in FIG. 5 . Waveguide fiber connection points in column 1 are the outermost column on both connectors 30 , 31 . Rows 5 a - 5 l, which are grouped as rows 5 , form the rectangular grid of connection points 31 , 33 with the columns on each of the connectors 30 , 32 . Each of the first and second connectors 30 , 32 , include four connector columns 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, as shown in generic connector 75 in FIG. 5 , from outside to inside, as shown in a generic connector 75 having connectors holes 78 , shown in FIG. 5 . The connection holes 78 form a connection hole pattern in one or more connectors which is identical, and is generally a grid pattern as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 .
[0010] The connector 75 of FIG. 5 is equivalent to, in the orientation of the related figures, the left side connector, for example, connectors 30 , 60 , 130 , and its mirror image applies to the right side connectors 32 , 64 , 140 of the figures. However, the optical fiber column, i.e., the optical fibers at one end of each of the waveguides which correspond to the optical fibers at the other end of each of the waveguides, may be positioned in a different connector column in the opposite connector. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3 , and discussed more extensively below, fiber column 1 on the first connector, corresponding to fiber column 1 on the second connector, may be physically located at a different connector column on each of the connectors 30 , 31 .
[0011] As shown in FIG. 2 , the connection point pattern of the first connector 30 geometrically corresponds to the connection point pattern of the second connector 32 . Further, the optical fiber connection pattern, i.e., the waveguide connection points 31 , 33 , geometrically correspond between the first and second connectors. Specifically, the first end of the same optical fiber of the same waveguide is connected to a connection point of the first connector 30 located at connector column 1 , row 5 a of the first connector, and the second end of the same optical fiber is connected to a connection point of the second connector 32 located at connector column 1 , row 5 a of the second connector, wherein the connectors have the same geometric connector pattern (or pin pattern). Thus, each optical fiber at one end of the wave guide 14 is connected to a corresponding row on the opposite connector, which also is the same physical location on the connector for each of the connectors 30 , 32 . Any reordering of the waveguide optical fibers is difficult due to the semi0rigid nature of the waveguides, and individual reordering of each of the optical fibers is difficult and tedious.
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , an alternative prior art optical cable 50 includes a wave guide 54 having optical fibers 22 connected from a first connector 60 to a second connector 64 , as shown in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 4 , first connector 60 has a different fibber connection point geometry than the second connector 64 . Specifically, the second connector 64 has a fiber connection point 66 fiber column sequence of 2 , 1 , 4 , 3 , from outside to inside, opposed to the first connector 60 having a fiber connection point 62 fiber column sequence of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 . Thus, the second connector 64 does not have the same waveguide fiber connection column geometry as the first connector 60 . In the optical cable 50 shown in FIG. 3 , an optical fiber 22 is shown individually connected at one end to connector column 1 on the first connector 60 , and to connector column 1 on the second connector 64 . As can be seen, the optical fiber in fiber row 1 of the first connector 60 , corresponds to connector hole row 8 a, and fiber row 1 is shifted to connector hole row 8 b in the second connector 64 . As shown in FIG. 4 , on the second connector 64 , fiber column 1 , at physical location connector column 8 b, corresponds to fiber column 1 on the first connector 60 , at physical location connector column 8 a. This is because, for example, one end of the optical fibers 22 (thereby one end of a waveguide) are connected to connection points at connector column 8 a of the first connector 60 , thereby being designated as fiber column 1 , and the other end of the same optical fibers 22 (thereby the opposite end of the waveguide) are connected to connection points at column 8 b on the second connector 64 , which is designated as fiber column 1 for the second connector 64 , which is physically shifted over one column, that is connector column 8 b, from outside to inside of the second connector 64 . Therefore, the fiber 22 connected at column 1 on the first connector 60 , is connected to column 1 on the second connector 64 , however, column 1 on the second connector 64 is physically located where column 2 is on the first connector 60 .
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] An optical cable including connectors includes a plurality of waveguides each including a plurality of optical channels encased in a polymer, and each of the waveguides and optical channels have a first end and a second end. First and second connectors each include a plurality of electrically conductive pins, and each of the plurality of optical channels of each of the waveguides, at their first and second ends, are connected to a specified pin on each of the first and second connectors, respectively. A first optical channel connection pattern on the first connector is formed by the first ends of the optical channels of the plurality of waveguides which are connected to the first connector. A second optical channel connection pattern on the second connector is formed by the second ends of the optical channels of the plurality of waveguide layers which is connected to the second connector. The first optical channel connection pattern on the first connector is a different pattern than the second optical channel connection pattern on the second connector in relation to a connection hole pattern which is the same for both the first and second connectors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The various features of the drawings are not to scale as the illustrations are for clarity in facilitating one skilled in the art in understanding the invention in conjunction with the detailed description. In the drawings:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a prior art optical cable including waveguides being connected to connectors at each of their ends;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the prior art optical cable and connectors shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of another prior art optical cable wherein connection points on the connectors are different from each other;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the prior art optical cable and connectors shown in FIG. 3 ;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a generic connector showing in detail, depicting the connector hole pattern and optical channel connection points therein;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an optical cable according to an embodiment of the invention which includes waveguides connected to connectors at each of their ends;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the optical cable shown in FIG. 6 ;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the separated waveguides shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 ;
[0023] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the optical cable shown in FIGS. 6-7 ;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a plan view of two waveguides according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of an optical cable according to an embodiment of the invention using the waveguides shown in FIG. 10 ;
[0026] FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the optical cable shown in FIG. 11 ;
[0027] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the optical cable shown in FIGS. 11-12 ;
[0028] FIG. 14 is a plan view of a generic connector showing in detail, depicting the connector hole pattern and optical channel connection points therein;
[0029] FIG. 15 is a plan view of an opposing generic connector for a waveguide in relation to the connector shown in FIG. 14 , depicting the connector hole pattern and optical channel connection points therein; and
[0030] FIG. 16 is an isometric view of an optical backplane for use with the optical cables of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 5-7 , an optical cable 100 according to one embodiment of the invention is shown which includes the same reference numerals for like elements as shown in FIGS. 1-4 . The optical cable 100 comprises four waveguides 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 ), and also may be referred to as waveguide flex, or waveguide flex cable, are collectively referred to as waveguides 110 . Each of the waveguides 110 flex, and include a plurality of optical channels 23 (shown in FIGS. 5 , 14 and 15 ) encased in a polymer such that the waveguide is planar and has a defined width. A polymer waveguide flex cable may be substantially plastic, and may include multiple optical channels. A waveguide layer of the polymer waveguide flex cable may be composed of two different polymer materials as discussed above, such as a lower index cladding material and a higher index core material, wherein light is guided in the core (optical channels) due to the index contrast between the core and clad regions. The optical channels 23 are shown in FIGS. 5 , 14 and 15 for illustrative purposes.
[0032] Each of the waveguides 110 are molded to have a center portion which is off center from a longitudinal axis passing through both ends of the waveguides 110 . This is illustratively shown in FIG. 8 , for waveguide 112 which has an axis 111 extending longitudinally through the center of both ends of the waveguide 112 , but a center portion of the waveguide 112 is off center in relation to the axis 111 . Waveguide 114 is in mirror image relation to waveguide 112 . Similarly for the remaining waveguides 116 , 118 , are in minor image relation as waveguides 112 , 114 . In this way, the route of each waveguide is altered, and the waveguides may be overlaid and interweaved or interwoven to be juxtapositioned as shown in FIG. 7 , which depicts the longitudinal axis 111 passing through substantially the center of the first and second connectors 130 , 140 .
[0033] Each of the waveguides 110 and optical channels 23 have a first and a second end, connected to respective first and second connectors 130 , 140 . Each of the first and second connectors 130 , 140 include a plurality of connection points 132 , 142 . Each of the first ends of the optical channels 23 of the waveguides 110 are connecting to columns and rows of the first connector 130 , and each of the second ends of the optical channels 23 of the waveguides 110 are connected to corresponding columns and rows of the second connector 140 .
[0034] More specifically, each of the optical channels 23 of each of the waveguides 110 are connected to a specified waveguide connection points on each of the first and second connectors 130 , 140 resulting in a connection pattern (or pin pattern) on the first and second connectors 130 , 140 . The connection pattern is a geometric pattern, for example, as shown in the connectors 30 of FIG. 2 , and the first connector 130 of FIG. 7 , which depicts a rectangular grid of connection points arranged in columns and rows. Referring to the first connector 130 , connection columns 1 - 4 are sequentially arranged on the first connector 130 , with column 1 being the outermost column on connector 130 , and column 4 being the innermost column. Rows 5 a - 5 l, which are grouped as rows 5 , form the rectangular grid of connections with the columns on the connector 130 .
[0035] Referring to FIG. 7 , the waveguide layers 110 (which include waveguides 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) are overlaid and interwoven which results in a route for each waveguide layer with which a detour along its path to the opposite connector as its center portion is off-center from its longitudinal axis, as described above. The rerouting and interweaving of the waveguide layers enable reordering of each layer to provide reordering of the connections of the optical channels at the connectors 130 , 140 . The resulting waveguide optical cable 100 is advantageously thin, and does not contain twists or strong bends, as can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 9 .
[0036] The second connector 140 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 ) also depicts a rectangular grid of connectors arranged in columns and rows. The second connector columns 8 a - 8 d (shown in FIG. 5 ) correspond to waveguide channel connection point columns 2 , 1 , 4 , 3 , respectively, from outside to inside of the connector 140 . Thus, the waveguide channel connection point columns 1 - 4 are not the same physical order for the second connector 140 , as for the first connector 130 . In other words, the first and second connectors have different respective first and second orders of the waveguide channel connection point columns. As discussed above regarding FIGS. 2 and 4 , the connector columns and rows correspond to holes in the connectors 130 , 140 , however, the waveguide channel connection column order corresponds to the ends of the optical channels for each of the waveguides, and thus can be coupled to the connector columns and rows, i.e., the holes in the connectors, in varies configurations. The connection holes form a connection hole pattern in each of the connectors 130 , 140 , which is the same for both connectors, and is generally a grid pattern as shown in FIG. 7 .
[0037] For example, the pattern of holes 78 of columns 8 a - 8 d on the first connector 130 and the pattern of holes of columns 8 a - 8 d on the second connector 140 are the same, however, the connector columns 1 - 4 , which correspond to where the ends of each of the channel of the waveguides are connected to each column of the first and second connectors, are not the same for each of the first and second connectors 130 , 140 . In one example, the four connector columns can be re-ordered to result in up to 24 different orders of connector columns, for example, connector columns in the following orders: 1234 , 2134 , 2314 . . . etc., for example, N!, wherein N=(number of rows).
[0038] Referring to FIG. 7 , the connector pattern of the first connector geometrically corresponds to the connection points of the second connector, (similarly shown in FIG. 2 ). In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7 , the optical channel connection pattern geometrically corresponds between the first and second connectors. That is, the first end of the same optical channel of the same waveguide is connected to the connection points located at column 1 , row 1 of the first connector, as the second end of the same optical channel which is connected to the connector located at column 1 , row 1 of the second connector, when the connectors have the same geometric connection pattern.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 10-13 , in another embodiment according to the disclosure wherein like elements have the same reference numerals as the previous embodiments, an optical cable 200 is shown in FIGS. 11-13 . The optical cable 200 includes two waveguides (shown in FIG. 10 ) 210 a, 210 b which have a predetermined angular displacement in relation to a longitudinal axis along their lengths. The optical cable 200 is shown with two waveguides connecting to one column on each of the connector for illustrative purposes, additional waveguides and connection can be added to use four columns as in the previous embodiment of the disclosure. Each of the waveguides 210 a, 201 b are connected at their opposite ends to first and second connectors 230 , 240 , respectively. As shown in FIG. 11 , the waveguides 201 a, 201 b cross such that the ends of the waveguides are connected to different connection points on each connector 230 , 240 . The first connector 230 includes connector column 232 a, and the second connector 240 includes connecter column 242 a.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15 , first and second connecters 230 , 240 includes connector points 9 a - 9 l (which are labeled partially on each connector for illustrative purposes), and waveguide channel connection points 251 - 262 . As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , waveguide channel connection points 251 - 256 correspond to connection holes 9 a - 9 f on the first connector 230 . However, waveguide channel connection points 251 - 256 , which are the opposite ends of the optical connections of waveguide 210 b, correspond to connection holes 9 g - 9 l on the second connector 240 . Similarly, waveguide channel connection points 257 - 262 (only connection points 257 and 262 are shown for illustrative purposes) correspond to connection holes 9 g - 9 l on the first connector 230 . However, waveguide channel connection points 257 - 262 (only connection points 257 and 262 are shown for illustrative purposes), which are the opposite ends of the optical channels of waveguide 210 a, correspond to connection holes 9 a - 9 f on the second connector 240 . Thereby, the angular displacement of the waveguides 210 a, 210 b enables the placement of the waveguide channel ends of the waveguides on each of the first and second connectors 230 , 240 as shown in FIGS. 13-15 .
[0041] Referring to FIG. 16 , an optical backplane 300 for a high performance computer is shown which implements the present invention. The optical backplane 300 includes multiple server draws or blades 304 (or computer boards) connected by multiple optical waveguide cables (jumper cables) 308 , which include thousands of optical channels for distributing and reordering the optical channels between the drawers as necessary, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0042] One advantage of the present disclosure includes using the optical cables as disclosed above on a high performance optical backplane. A high performance optical backplane benefits from the simplified wiring of the present disclosure, by simplifying the wiring and eliminating potentially thousands of individual optical fibers.
[0043] Thereby, a method is provided for reordering any input waveguide channel location within an N×M waveguide array bundle using 2D planar waveguide lengths, connected to any output waveguide channel location, without going to a 3D structure, such as optical vias. Optical vias or pathways that interconnect the layers of a multi-layer optical flex cable are undesirable because of the additional optical loss caused by the turning minors of the optical vias. Further, in another advantage of the invention, the disclosure provided herein preserves any input channel location within a given row of waveguides (planes), but reorders row location (inter-row) while preserving the 2D planarity of each row (without going to a 3D structure, such as optical vias). Additionally, any input channel location within a row (plane) can be re-ordered (intra-row, or waveguide cross-throughs), to any output channel location while preserving the 2D plane of the row. Further, the optical cable and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of reordering options.
[0044] An example of inter-row re-ordering combinations for an optical cable as in the embodiments discussed above, is shown below in Table 1. In Table 1, the number of possible rows is designated by “n”, and the input row ordering is shown in relation to possible output row ordering in the corresponding columns.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Inter-Row re-ordering combinations for an example of 4 rows
Possibilities
(n! where
n = # of rows)
Input row ordering
Output row ordering
1
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
2
1 2 3 4
1 2 4 3
3
1 2 3 4
1 3 2 4
4
1 2 3 4
1 3 4 2
5
1 2 3 4
1 4 2 3
6
1 2 3 4
1 4 3 2
7
1 2 3 4
2 1 3 4
8
1 2 3 4
2 1 4 3
9
1 2 3 4
2 3 1 4
10
1 2 3 4
2 3 4 1
11
1 2 3 4
2 4 1 3
12
1 2 3 4
2 4 3 1
13
1 2 3 4
3 1 2 4
14
1 2 3 4
3 1 4 2
15
1 2 3 4
3 2 1 4
16
1 2 3 4
3 2 4 1
17
1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2
18
1 2 3 4
3 4 2 1
19
1 2 3 4
4 1 2 3
20
1 2 3 4
4 1 3 2
21
1 2 3 4
4 2 1 3
22
1 2 3 4
4 2 3 1
23
1 2 3 4
4 3 1 2
24
1 2 3 4
4 3 2 1
[0045] An example of intra-row re-ordering combinations for an optical cable as in the embodiments discussed above, is shown below in Table 2. In Table 2, the number of possible rows is designated by “n”, and the input row ordering is shown in relation to possible output row ordering in the corresponding columns.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Intra-Row re-ordering combinations for an example of 12 rows
Possibilities
(n! where
n = # of
rows)
Input row ordering
Output row ordering
1
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
2
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-12-11
3
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-11-10-12
4
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-11-12-10
5
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-12-10-11
6
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-12-11-10
7
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-9-11-12
8
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-9-12-11
9
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-11-9-12
10
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-11-12-9
11
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-12-9-11
12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-12-11-9
. . .
. . .
239500800
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
7-8-9-10-11-12-1-2-3-4-5-6
. . .
. . .
479001584
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-3-4-2-1
479001585
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-1-2-3
479001586
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-1-3-2
479001587
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-2-1-3
479001598
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-2-3-1
479001599
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1-2
479001600
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-3-2-1
[0046] While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. It is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details described and illustrated herein, but falls within the scope of the appended claims.
|
A method of manufacturing an optical cable including plural waveguides each including plural optical channels and each of the waveguides and the optical channels having a first end and a second end. A central portion of each of the waveguides is displaced along a central longitudinal axis of the waveguides which traverses a central bifurcation line of the first and second connectors. A first optical channel connection pattern is formed on the first connector by the first ends of the optical channels of the waveguides connected thereto; and a second optical channel connection pattern formed on the second connector by the second ends of the optical channels of the waveguides connect to the second connector. The first optical channel connection pattern is a different pattern than the second optical channel connection pattern in relation to a connection hole pattern which is the same for both the first and second connectors.
| 6
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to anti-slipping devices adapted to be secured to the underside of a shoe or boot to facilitate ambulation on a slippery surface, such as ice. In its particular aspects, the present invention relates to an anti-slipping device in which a portion adapted to underlie the sole includes a pair of at least partially overlapped plates which are pivotted together at their rear ends to enable adjustment of the width of the front end of the device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
While there have heretofore been suggested numerous adjustable ice creepers, anti-slipping devices and crampons for attachment to the underside of a shoe or boot within a range of sizes, each of these prior art devices have been complicated of construction and relatively expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, prior art devices in many cases, have been composed of an inordinate number of parts, have been excessively heavy, have been difficult to adjust and have not had sufficient strength to withstand the stresses experienced in the many applications of the devices.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, inexpensive, easily manufactured, adjustable anti-slipping device adapted to be secured underlying a shoe or boot.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anti-slipping device which is composed of a minimal number of sheet metal parts which are produced from a minimal number of types of blanks.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an anti-slipping device having a sole portion in the nature of a pair of relatively rotatable overlapped plates, which plates include integral teeth, and integral guide and stop means for defining a maximum width of the front of the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the aforementioned and other objects of the present invention are satisfied by providing an anti-slipping device including a portion adapted to be secured to the sole of a shoe or boot, which is formed by a pair of overlapped plates pivotted together at their rear ends for relative rotation along each other to permit adjustment of the degree of overlap of the plates and the resultant width of the front end of the device.
The pair of plates are formed from identical sheet metal blanks with downwardly directed integral teeth and an upwardly directed integral appertured ear for receiving a strap means being formed by perpendicularly bending portions of the blanks. Prior to bending, one of the blanks is turned over so that the resultant pair of plates are mirror images of each other.
In order to maintain the plates against each other an integral tab or guide means projecting from the front of one plate is bent in a U-shape about the other plate and the tab portions of the other plate is cut off. An integral stop portion on the other plate is bent perpendicularly for the purpose of contacting the tab and limiting further relative rotation of the plates at a position which is predetermined to be the maximum width of the front of the device.
The means which pivot together the pair of plates also retains a relatively small apertured member for receiving another strap means for engaging the ankle.
In an embodiment adapted to provide anti-slipping means for the heel as well as the sole, the ears of the pair of plates are secured to a U-shaped bail for encircling the rear of the shoe or boot and a second pair of relatively pivotted plates having integral teeth and integral ears are also secured to the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a first embodiment of the anti-slipping device of the present invention adapted to underlie the sole and heel of a shoe or boot;
FIG. 2 is an upside down side view of the device in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross section view taken on line 3--3 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which members at the front of the device in FIG. 1 are formed;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank from which members at the rear of the device in FIG. 1 are formed; and
FIG. 6 is a bottom view, similar to FIG. 1, but of a second embodiment of the anti-slipping device of the present invention which is adapted to underlie the sole alone.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A first embodiment 10 of the anti-slipping device of the present invention, adapted to underlie the sole 12 and heel 14 of a shoe or boot 16, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawing, and shall hereafter be referred to as the "full foot" design. Full foot design 10 includes a pair of generally sector-shaped sole plates 18 and 20, made from stampings or blanks 22 illustrated in FIG. 4 and a pair of heel plates 24 and 26, made from the stampings or blanks 28 illustrated in FIG. 5. The sole plates 18 and 20 and heel plates 24 and 26 are of preferably 15 gauge steel for reasonable lightness with adequate strength.
Sole plates 18 and 20 partially overlap each other and are secured by a rivet 30 which passes through a hole 32 proximate the apex of each sole plate. The fit of rivet 30 in holes 32 is such that each sole plate may be angularly moved about the rivet as an axis. Thus, the angle of overlap of the sole plates 18 and 20 may be changed to vary the width of the front of the full foot design 10 to facilitate accommodation of shoes or boots 16 of various sizes.
The blank 22 has triangular shaped integral teeth 34 projecting along one straight side 36 and along the one half of the arcuate side 38 which adjoins straight side 36. Further features of the blank 22 are a rectangular tab 40 projecting proximate the center of arcuate side 38, an integral rectangular ear 42 projecting from a point between straight side 36 and arcuate side 38, and a notch 44 in the other straight side 46 forming a small tab 48 between the notch and arcuate side 38. In addition, holes 47, 49 are provided in blank 22, for the purpose of recuding the weight of the sole plates 18, 20.
In the formation of sole plates 18 and 20 from an identical pair of blanks 22, one of the blanks is first turned over so that it is the mirror image of the other. Then the teeth 34 of each blank 22 are bent perpendicularly in one direction and the ear 42 of each blank 22 is bent perpendicularly in the opposite direction along fold line 50. In the blanks for sole plate 18, tab 40 is cut off essentially flush with the arcuate side 38, while in the blank for sole plate 20, the tab 40 is bent in a U-shape about sole plate 20 which is underneath plate 18, as illustrated in FIG. 3, as a guide means to retain the plates 18 and 20 against each other while permitting relative angular movement of the plates. Furthermore, the small tab 48, only on the blank 22 for the sole plate 18, is bent perpendicularly in the same direction as teeth 34 as a stop for engaging the U-shaped tab 40 of plate 20 to define a minimum amount of angular overlap between plates 18 and 20, and consequently, a maximum width to which the front end of "full foot" design 10 may be adjusted.
The heel plates 24 and 26 are also constructed from identical blanks 28 in a similar manner. The blank 28 is generally in the shape of a strip having at least one tooth 34 projecting from each side. In the formation of heel plates 24, 26 one of the identical blanks 28 is first turned over. Then, for each blank 28, teeth 34 are bent perpendicularly in one direction and an ear 52 at one end is formed by bending perpendicularly in the opposite direction along the inclined fold line 54. Thereafter the heel plates are secured together by means of a rivet 56 through each hole 58 proximate the end of blank 28 opposite ear 52. The fit of rivet 56 in hole 58, is also such as to permit relative angular movement of heel plates 24, 26 about rivet 56 as an axis.
In the "full foot" design 10, a U-shaped flexible sheet metal bail 60 of preferably 16 gauge steel, is utilized to encircle the sides and rear of shoe or boot 16 and the ears 42 of sole plates 18 and 20 are each attached at the open end of bail 60 by means of rivets 62 through holes 64 provided in blank ears 52 of heel plates 24 and 26 are secured to the sides of bail 60 by means of pairs of rivets 66 through holes 68 in blank 28 and matching holes (not shown) in bail 60.
It should be appreciated that in the adjustment of "full foot" design 10, the sides of bail 60 flex toward or away from each other to permit the adjustment of relative angular overlap between sole plates 18 and 20, and consequent adjustment of the wideth of the front end of design 10. This flexing action of the bail 60 is aided by relative angular movement of heel plates 24, 26 about rivet 56.
The "full foot" design 10 is secured to the shoe or boot 16 by means of a front strap 70 which passes through slots 72 in the ears 42 of sole plates 18, 20 and is buckled over the toe portion, and a rear strap 74 which is buckled over the ankle portion of shoe or boot 16. Front strap 70, when buckled, serves to urge the sole plates 18 and 20 toward maximum overlap so that ears 42 contact the sides of shoe or boot 16 for a secure fit and binding of the sole plates against the sole of the shoe or boot. Rear strap 74 passes through a pair of parallel slots 76 in a small rearwardly directed plate 78 retained by rivet 30 to sole plates 18, 20 and through slots 80 in ears 52 of heel plates 24, 26. The small plate rearwardly directed plate 78 bends upward in response to tension in rear strap 74 to engage the shank of the sole of shoe or boot 16 for the purposes of aiding in preventing forward slippage of "full foot" design 10 relative to the shoe or boot. Furthermore, small plate 78, terminates just in front of heel 14 in manner that it serves as a stop for contacting the front of the heel to limit rearward slippage of "full foot" design 10.
In FIG. 6, there is illustrated the "front foot" design 82 which consists of the same sole plates 18 and 20, small plate 78, rivet 30, front strap 70 and rear strap 74 as in the "full foot" design 10. In place of the bail 60 and heel plates 24, 26 of the "full foot" design 10, there is utilized a heel strap 84. Heel strap 84 is terminated at opposite ends with slider elements 86, 88 through which rear strap 74 pass respectively on opposite sides of small plate 78. Heel strap 84 is utilized by placing it about the back of shoe or boot 16 in approximately the same position that the rear of bail 60 would be located in the "full foot" design 10. The rear strap 84 is then engaged over the ankle portion of shoe or boot 16. As rear strap 74 is tensioned, heel strap 84 tightly engages the rear of shoe or boot 16.
It should be appreciated that while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in specific and complete detail, numerous modifications in, additions to, and ommissions of said details are possible within the intended spirit and scope of the invention.
|
An anti-slipping attachment for shoes is disclosed in two embodiments, one for both the sole and heel and the other for the sole alone. The sole portion of each embodiment includes a pair of overlapped plates pivotted together at their rear ends permitting adjustment of the width of the device at its front end. One plate includes an integral tab bent over the other plate to serve as a guide and the other plate includes an integral stop which cooperates with the tab to limit the maximum angular displacement of the plates. The plates, which have integral teeth and integral apertured ears for receiving a strap, are each formed by bending from identical sheet metal blanks.
| 0
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved electrical circuit for use in disinfecting contact lenses and more particularly an electrical circuit for use in providing dry heat primarily for heat transfer by conduction to a contact lens carrying case to disinfect the contact lenses carried therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
IT IS APPRECIATED THAT THE APPLICATION OF HEAT IS AN IDEAL WAY TO DISINFECT CONTACT LENSES PARTICULARLY THOSE HAVING HYDROPHILIC PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICS. The most satisfactory practice has been to disinfect contact lenses through the use of devices which heat fluids, particularly water, to a state of vaporization. By means of convection the vaporization and steam generated, heat the exterior of a contact lens carrying case to bring and maintain the temperature of the interior of the case and the fluids and lenses within the case at a disinfecting temperature for a minimum period of time.
One device of this nature is described in the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,362, entitled PORTABLE ELECTRICAL HEATING DEVICE, for inventors Paul A. Hoogesteger and Charles R. McDougal, issued June 15, 1971. These types of prior art devices require the presence and use of a fluid, principally water, and are frequently inconvenient to use and generally require that special care be exercised in their use and that the unit be regularly wiped dry and cleaned before and after use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an electrical circuit exceptionally suitable for use in disinfecting contact lenses. One which overcomes the inconveniences of prior art devices and provides for an indicating device to identify throughout the operation, the state of the disinfecting cycle in order to insure completion of the cycle and provide safety of operation to the user.
A full operational cycle for the care of hydrophilic contact lenses within a disinfecting unit basically consists of a heat build-up period, a disinfecting period for destroying pathogenic microorganisms and a cool-down period. For the preferred embodiment, the disinfecting period commences before the completion of the heat build-up period and terminates after the start of the cool-down period.
The heating device is energized by the user manually setting a switch to complete an electrical circuit and provide electrical current to a heater and to commence the heat build-up period. Simultaneously with the energization of the heater, an indicator device is energized to provide a visible indication to the operator that the unit is operating and that the heater is turned on and in a heating mode. As the temperature of the heating device increases and before it reaches a desired maximum, a second switch is automatically closed to insure that the indicator device operates throughout the complete lens care cycle. Although somewhat arbitrary, at about the time the second switch closes, the disinfecting period commences. When the heater reaches the maximum selected temperature, the first switch automatically opens to break the electrical circuit and deenergize the heater. A predetermined level of temperature is maintained within the disinfecting unit for a sufficient period of time to disinfect the contact lenses.
During the lens care cycle the indicator device continually provides an indication that the unit is in operation. At a temperature far below the disinfecting temperature, the second switch automatically opens and the indicator device is turned off, the cool-down period terminates and the cycle is complete. The system is then ready for a repeat operation when necessary for the care of the contact lenses.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an electrical circuit for use in the care of contact lenses according to the principles of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a time/temperature graph identifying the time and temperature points for operation of the switches, indicator and heater of the electrical circuit of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
This patent specification is cross referenced to patent specifications and disclosures of concurrently filed and copending U.S. Patent Applications entitled Apparatus and Process for Disinfection of Hydrophilic Contact Lenses, Ser. No. 597,125 for inventors J. Kadlecik and W. Manning; Design For Contact Lens Disinfection Apparatus, Ser. No. 597,126 for inventor P. Hoogesteger and Switching Means for Contact Lens Disinfecting Apparatus, Ser. No. 597,127, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,362, Sept. 28, 1976 for inventors P. Hoogesteger and J. Kadlecik. In the first of the beforementioned cross referenced patent applications is a description of an inventive preferred embodiment for a contact lens disinfecting unit. That description is inclusive of the physical aspects of the disinfecting unit and the thermal aspects of disinfecting contact lenses. The preferred embodiment described herein will set forth principles of an invention which is ideally suited for use in combination with the inventions of the beforementioned patent applications.
In a disinfecting process, which is sometimes referred to as an asepticizing process for contact lenses having hydrophilic properties and characteristics, it is appreciated that the temperature of the lenses must be raised to a specific temperature and maintained at or about that temperature for a minimum period of time.
In FIG. 1 there is schematically illustrated an electrical disinfecting circuit and specifically an electrical heater element 10 for providing the heat to raise the temperature of the contact lenses to be disinfected and carried within a lens storage case 11. Since contact lenses are opthalmic vision aids which normally require daily care such as being disinfected, the lens care unit is one which is generally used in a household environment. In such an environment the electrical energy necessary to cause the electrical heater element 10 to heat is available at standard household electrical receptacles. Electrical connection is made to such household receptacles through the use of any standard and convenient means such as an electrical cord. In is appreciated that the cord may be permanently connected to the internal electrical circuit of the care unit or, as a matter of design choice or convenience, be detachable from the unit. The schematically illustrated electrical circuit of FIG. 1 provides for connection to the electrical energy source at terminals 12 and 14.
Further, the circuit attachment to the electrical source and the other circuit elements are adaptable to energize the heater regardless of the frequency, voltage level or type of electrical energy available at the source. It will be appreciated that requirements of electrical codes or standards, such as separate electrical grounding, can easily be accommodated.
The heater 10 is electrically energized when a thermostatic switch 16 has been closed by manual actuation, as set forth, for example, in the beforementioned Apparatus and Process for Disinfection of Hydrophilic Contact Lenses patent application. When the thermostatic switch 16 completes the electrical circuit, alternaitng current from the source connected to terminals 12 and 14 provides electrical energy to serially connected thermal fuse 18 and parallel electrical paths for the heater and indicator. One leg of the parallel path includes the heater 10 and the other leg of the parallel path includes first and second current limiting resistors 20 and 22 and a lamp indicator 24 in direct electrical contact with circuit terminal 14.
FIG. 2 illustrates, by means of a time-temperature graphical curve, the heat build-up within the heater 10 and identifies points along the curve, which describe the status of operation of the circuit elements on a time-temperature basis. Specifically, Point A indicates when the thermostat 16 is manually set, the heater 10 is electrically energized and the lamp indicator 24 is illuminated.
Responsive to the temperature build-up of the heater 10 is an automatic thermostat 26 which energizes only after its thermal element reaches a specific temperature identified by somewhat arbitrarily located Point B on the graph of FIG. 2. When the thermostat 26 automatically closes, it provides a less electrically resistant path for the current and current limiting resistor 20 is effectively bypassed. Even when thermostat 26 is closed, it will be appreciated that electrical current is still energizing heater 10 and the temperature of heater 10 will continue to increase. At some predetermined temperature the thermal element of the manually set thermostat 16 will automatically break the electrical circuit to thereby electrically disengage the heater 10 and discontinue its heating operation. Point C of FIG. 2 illustrates, relatively, the time and temperature point at which the heater 10 is shut off. It will be appreciated that after that time the heater 10 will slowly dissipate its thermal energy into and through the body of the lens care unit and slowly into the atmosphere.
The heater and thermostatic switches cool down at a time-temperature rate typical of that described by the curve of the graph in FIG. 2 from Point C to Point D. After sufficent cooling down has transpired and the thermal element of thermostat 26 has reached a sufficiently low predetermined temperature, thermostat 26 will automatically open thereby opening the electrical current path to the indicator lamp 24 and the lamp will no longer be illuminated. The lens care unit has then completed a full operational cycle over a controlled period of time, having gone from an ambient room temperature at Point A, to a minimum disinfecting temperature at approximately Point B, to and through a maximum heater temperature at Point C and finally down to a temperature slightly above normal ambient at Point D where the unit is turned off.
It will be appreciated that the time period represented by the time duration from Point B to Point E is at least the minimum time for disinfecting contact lenses at the minimum temperature identified by the temperature level of Point B and E. Further, it will be appreciated that the lens care unit temperature cool down occurs over a time period identified by the time from Point C to Point D and specifically that the time from Point E to Point D is a cool-down time period to insure that the contact lens carrying case has reached a comfortable touching temperature identified at the temperature level of Point D.
It will be further appreciated that the absolute temperatures of Point C and D are somewhat arbitrary and are considered and generally selected in conformance with available products and design standards. In addition, it will be appreciated that Pint B could possibly be located anywhere betwen Points A and C along the graph curve of FIG. 2. After thermostat 26 is closed the slope of the temperature curve between Points B and C of FIG. 2 is lessened. It is of course necessary that the disinfecting circuit insure that the contact lenses within the carrying case are maintained at at least a minimum temperature for a minimum period of time to disinfect. The thermal fuse 18 is provided as a safeguard to prevent damage to the contact lenses and the lens care unit.
Although not particularly critical to the typical schematic design of the inventive electrical thermal circuit embodiment of FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that the following exemplary thermal values are instrumental in selecting the type, rating and accuracy values of the electrical components of the circuit. The minimum disinfecting temperature is approximately 80° C maintained for a minimum period of approximately 10 minutes and the thermostate 16 is designed to shut off the heater at approximately 120° C. Complete shut down of the system is provided for at approximately 52° C as identified by Point D of FIG. 2. The thermal fuse 18 will automatically break the electrical circuit if, for example, a temperature of 150° C is reached. It will be appreciated that the electrical elements schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 can either be electrically connected by typical electrical wire which is circular in diameter or flat electrical wire or, for example, some can be incorporated on a printed circuit board assembly for convenience of manufacturing and servicing.
The circuit elements can typically be elements readily available. The heater may have a capacity of approximately 25 watts and a heat density of about 9.5 watts per square inch. It is generally desirable to insulate the heater 10 with any suitable insulation material such as silicone rubber and fiber glass material. The manual reset thermostat 16 is selected to have an open temperture at approximately 120° C and has an 8 ampere rating. The automatic thermostat 26 closes at approximately 80° C and opens when the temperature is reduced to approximately 50° C and also has an 8 ampere rating. The lamp 24 for the convenience of assembling into the schematic circuit of FIG. 1 can have incorporated with it, the current limiting resistor 22.
|
An electrical circuit for use in a contact lens care unit for disinfecting lenses includes two thermostats one of which is manually set to electrically energize a heating device for disinfecting lenses and an indicator element for providing visible representation of the operational state of the unit. The second of which thermostats automatically energizes to provide a parallel electrical energizing path to the indicator for a period of time after the first thermostat automatically deenergizes the heating device. The indicator is thereby continually energized throughout a complete contact lens care cycle to provide prominent representation of the operational state of the unit.
| 0
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Disclosed is a personal hygiene cleaning brush. The brush includes a plurality of brush surfaces that facilitate a more efficient and thorough cleaning of oral and body piercings, dental implants, dental implant supported dentures, a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments, and surrounding tissues.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Oral and body piercings have become an increasingly popular form of self-expression in today's society. Piercings are commonly placed without sterile techniques or anesthetic, and healing takes upwards of four to six weeks. Piercings of the tongue, lip, uvula, frenum, as well as areas outside of the mouth can become easily infected and irritated not appropriately cleaned. Secondary infections are common and cases have been reported where hospitalization was necessary. For a complete discussion of intraoral/perioral piercing and tongue splitting and associated adverse oral and systemic conditions, see American Dental Association Positions and Statement, as adopted by the ADA House of Delegates October, 1998 and amended October. 2004, http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/piercing.asp.
[0003] Dental implants have also become increasingly popular as the aging population becomes more interested in alternatives for dentures and fixed bridge restorations. Many types of implant support prosthesis are available, including “bar retained” dentures and “ball retained” dentures, however, the ability to clean under and around the implants is difficult even if the dentures are removed. Currently. patients are instructed to brush, floss, or use interdental brushes to clean around the prosthesis.
[0004] Proper care after the placement of the piercing is a crucial component of avoiding pain, swelling and infection. Once an oral piercing is placed, cleaning instructions are limited to brushing gently with a toothbrush or rinsing with salt water. Similar instructions are given once dental implants are in place. An interdental toothbrush essentially serves two main purposes, which are removing plaque and debris from the tooth and massaging the tissue. Currently, there are no specific products on the market that are designed specifically for the cleaning of oral and body piercings or dental implants.
[0005] Most toothbrushes of the prior art include one handle and one brush. There have been variations on both the handle and their brushes. For example, curved and angled handles have been suggested. Other toothbrushes of varied shapes and designs have also been advanced. In more recent times, hygienist and dentist groups have recognized the inadequacies of prior art brushes. For instance, many brushes do not properly access all difficult to reach areas for total teeth cleaning and gum massage. Because of these needs, brushes with cone shape bristles, some with straight or angled handles, and other variations in brushes have been presented to the public. However, most users resist using more than one brush for a single cleansing.
[0006] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved device to clean oral and body piercings, dental implants, dental implant supported dentures, a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments, and surrounding tissues, in order to maintain personal hygiene and prevent infections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device.
[0008] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the furcated end of an illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device shown in FIG. 1 approaching a user's tongue.
[0009] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the opposite non-furcated end of the illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device shown in FIG. 1 showing brush bristles approaching a user's lips.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device.
[0011] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the furcated end of the illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device approaching a user's tongue shown in FIG. 3 .
[0012] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the opposite non-furcated end of the illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device showing brush bristles approaching a user's lips shown in FIG. 3 .
[0013] FIG. 4C is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the personal hygiene device showing brush bristles approaching a user's dental implants and dental implant supported dentures shown in FIG. 3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Disclosed is a personal hygiene device. The device includes an elongated handle having opposite ends. Brushing or cleaning heads or regions are located at one or more of the opposite ends of the elongated handle of the device. At least one end of the handle is furcated to provide more than one cleaning head or region that carries a plurality of brush bristles.
[0015] The furcated regions of the personal hygiene device are designed to overcome the limitations of a traditional toothbrush or oral hygiene brush for the cleaning of oral and body piercings, dental implants, dental implant supported dentures, and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments. Each end of the device is specifically designed for clinical effectiveness, simplicity, and for a wide variety of designs of piercings, implants, prosthetics and ornaments.
[0016] The personal hygiene device allows for unobstructed movability of the brush cleaning heads down onto the epithelial or gum tissue lining oral and body piercings, dental implants, dental implant supported dentures, and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornament, which results in reduced debris collection areas and thereby avoids bacterial growth and odor.
[0017] According to certain illustrative embodiments, one end of the handle is bifurcated and is comprised of two spaced-apart brush heads. The bifurcated brush heads may be disposed in angular, generally opposing relationship to each other. According to other embodiments, the furcated end of the handle may comprise more than two brush heads. For example, and without limitation, one end of the elongated handle may be trifurcated.
[0018] According to other embodiments, the brush heads of the hygiene device are flexible and the brush neck and elongated handle are rigid. According to alternative embodiments, the brush heads and brush necks of the hygiene device are flexible and the handle is rigid. According to other embodiments, the hygiene device comprises brush heads, brush necks, and handle that are flexible. According to other embodiments, the hygiene device may be provided with brush heads, brush necks, and handle that are rigid. According to other embodiments, the device may be provided with a handle that is flexible, and wherein the brush heads and brush necks are rigid. According to other embodiments, one end of the elongated handle is flexible, whereas the opposite end of the elongated handle is rigid.
[0019] According to other embodiments, the handle end comprising the furcated brush heads are flexible, whereas the opposite handle end comprising a single brush head is rigid. According to other embodiments, the handle end comprising the furcated brush heads are rigid, whereas the opposite handle end comprising a single brush head is flexible. According to other embodiments, the furcated end of the handle is comprised of flexible and rigid brush heads. According to other embodiments, the furcated end of the handle is comprised of flexible and rigid brush necks.
[0020] The hygiene device may be manufactured from a wide variety of polymer materials. The polymeric materials may comprise homopolymers, co-polymers or terpolymers. Without limitation, and by way of illustration, the device may be manufactured from nylons, polyalkylenes, such as polypropylene, rubber and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM). A suitable EPDM terpolymer that may be used to manufacture is commercially available from Exxon Mobil Chemical under the tradename SANTOPRENE.
[0021] The brush heads, brush necks and elongated handle may be provided as a single integral molded piece. According to other embodiments, the brush heads, brush necks and elongated handle may be provided as separate pieces that are connected to one another by a suitable connection means.
[0022] According to other embodiments, the brush heads and brush necks are provided as a single integral piece that can be attached to the handle is provided as separate piece for replaceability purposes.
[0023] According to other embodiments, the brush necks and handle are provided as a single integral piece that can be attached to the brush heads provided as separate pieces for replaceability purposes.
[0024] According to other embodiments, the elongated handle of the device is positioned at an angle relative to the cleaning heads or regions of the device.
[0025] The cleaning regions may be shaped in a spiralling, twisting or cork-screw manner from which individual brush bristles radiate outwards.
[0026] The elongated handle of the device is comprised of a cylindrical handle. The cylindrical handle may include a circumferential thumb rest to improve gripping and manual dexterity when in use. Alternatively, the elongated handle may be provided with indentations to improve gripping and manual dexterity when in use. According to other embodiments, the device includes a cylindrical handle, the center portion of which is comprised of a softer or less rigid material than the other handle portions that extend away from the central handle portion to improve gripping and manual dexterity when in use.
[0027] According to certain embodiments, the device may include an electric motor to rotate and/or vibrate the brush bristles. The electric motor may be powered by batteries or any other source of suitable electric current. The motor may rotate the bristles about their respective rotary axes at variable rotational speeds. The brush may also include a timed stopping mechanism to shut off the motor after a pre-determined period of time.
[0028] The bristles of the device may, have variable lengths and textures for different applications. According to certain embodiments, the bristles, radiating from the brushing heads or regions may radiate in a pattern wherein at least some of the bristles overlap one another.
[0029] According to other embodiments, the device is comprised of a light source positioned at the base or tip of the brush heads allowing for increased visibility, including a timer to switch off the light at specific intervals.
[0030] The personal hygiene brush is capable of cleaning oral and body piercings, dental implants, dental implant supported dentures, and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments.
[0031] The personal hygiene brush is capable of maneuvering in and around oral and body piercings, dental implants, dental implant supported dentures, and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments without having to remove them from the body.
[0032] The personal hygiene brush will now be further described in connection with certain illustrative embodiments depicted in the drawing Figures. It should be noted that the personal hygiene brush should not be limited to the illustrative embodiments depicted by the Figures.
[0033] Referring now to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment personal hygiene brush is shown in FIG. 1 . Referring to FIG. 1 , device 10 includes an elongated handle 12 and opposite ends 13 and 14 . End 13 is bifurcated into two spaced-apart cleaning heads 20 and 22 . A further cleaning region 17 is located at the opposite end 14 of handle 12 . Cleaning region 17 includes cleaning head 36 . Heads 20 , 22 and 36 , in which heads 20 and 22 may be disposed in angled, generally opposed relationship to each other. Head 20 is connected to handle 12 with neck region 24 extending between head 20 and handle 17 . Likewise, head 22 is connected to handle 12 with neck region 26 extending between head 22 and handle 17 .
[0034] Each head 20 , 22 and 36 of device 10 has a respective set 30 , 32 and 34 of bristles disposed thereon and emanating therefrom. Bristles 30 extend or radiate outwardly from head 20 , bristles 32 similarly extend or radiate outwardly from head 22 , and bristles 34 similarly extend or radiate outwardly from head 36 . The ends of the bristles of bristle sets 30 , 32 and 34 are embedded or implanted in heads 20 , 22 and 36 as is generally known in the art. The opposite ends of the bristles are free and are used for contacting piercings, implants, dentures, or tissue to be cleaned. The bristles of each set 31 ) and 32 are of substantially the same length in which the outermost ends of bristle set 311 are coextensive with the outermost ends of bristles 32 . The bristles of bristle sets 30 and 32 are shown in an overlapping pattern.
[0035] Turning now to FIG. 3 , another illustrative embodiment of the hygiene brush 10 is shown. The device 10 includes an elongated handle 12 and opposite ends 13 and 14 . End 14 is bifurcated into two spaced-apart cleaning heads 20 and 22 . Cleaning heads 20 and 22 carry bristle sets 30 and 32 respectively. Located at opposite end 14 is cleaning head 36 , which carries bristle set 34 . Furthermore, heads 20 , 22 and 36 may be shaped in a spiralling, twisting or cork-screw manner (sec generally FIGS. 3-4C ) from which bristles radiate outwards, allowing for increased surface area for the brush bristles, thereby improving the effectiveness of the device 10 when cleaning and massaging the aforementioned articles and body parts.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 4A , the furcated end 13 may be employed to clean the epithelium and tissues (e.g., tongue 42 or palate) lining oral and body piercings 44 , dental implants 48 , dental implant supported structures 49 , and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments. The presently described embodiment of a two-headed (bi-furcated), angled and opposing arrangement of heads 20 and 22 of device 10 provides for an extended reach down onto the epithelium and tissues lining oral and body piercings 44 , dental implants 48 , dental implant supported structures 49 , and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments of a typical user. Thus, heads 20 and 22 will easily reach as for down onto the epithelium and tissues lining oral and body piercings 44 , dental implants 48 , dental implant supported structures 49 , and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments needed to thoroughly clean and massage the aforementioned areas and articles. The necks 24 and 26 provide for a continuous amount of pressure of bristles 30 and 32 on the epithelium and tissues lining oral and body piercings 44 , dental implants 48 , dental implant supported structures 49 , and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments regardless the thickness of the previously mentioned areas and articles being cleaned or massaged.
[0037] Device 10 may then also be nipped end for end so that cleaning region 17 can be used. As shown in FIGS. 2B , 4 B and 4 C, the non-furcated end 14 may be employed to clean the user's lips 46 , labium or other epithelium and tissues lining oral and body piercings 44 , dental implants 48 , dental implant supported structures 49 , and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments. Head 36 is also useful for brushing the tongue and palate. Plaque on the tongue and palate is at least loosened and may be removed by back and forth strokes of bristles 34 .
[0038] Alternative shapes for many of the above described elements may also be used. Less conventional circular or oblique heads may be utilized for heads 20 , 22 and 36 of device 10 . A third brush could easily be included for cleaning the top surfaces of the teeth simultaneously with the use of the hygiene brush to clean and/or massage the epithelium and tissues lining oral and body piercings 44 , dental implants 48 , dental implant supported structures 49 , and a wide variety of prosthetics and body ornaments. Such a third brush may be integrally formed with handle 12 , like heads 20 , 22 and 36 . Likewise, any other practical number of brushes could be affixed onto handle 12 . Additionally, indentations 25 may be provided in the handle 12 to improve gripping and manual dexterity when in use.
[0039] While the personal hygiene brush has been described in connection with various illustrative embodiments, as shown in the Figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiments for performing the same functions. Therefore, the personal hygiene brush should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.
|
A personal hygiene brush which includes a furcated end comprising cleaning heads from which bristles radiate about the outer perimeter and a non-furcated end including an additional cleaning head from which bristles radiate about the outer perimeter. The personal hygiene brush is capable of cleaning of all types of piercings, intra and extra-orally, as well as dental implants and implant supported prosthesis. The personal hygiene brush enables the user to clean around, under and through their individual ornamental body rings and rods without removing them from the body parts to which they are attached.
| 0
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to agriculture. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of increasing photosynthesis of a plant and more particularly of a crop plant. In addition, the invention relates to a method of increasing photosynthesis and/or growth and/or yield in crop plants, comprising an exposure thereof to lipo-chitooligosaccharides, and compositions therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bacteria of the genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Azorhizobium , collectively known as the rhizobia , form specialized organs called nodules on the roots, and sometimes stems, of legumes and fix atmospheric nitrogen within these structures. Nodule formation is a highly specialized process that is modulated by signal molecules. In general, this phase of the interaction is a two step process. Initially, plant-to-bacteria signal molecules, usually specific flavonoids or isoflavonoids, are released by roots of the host plants. In response to the plant-to-bacteria signals the microsymbiont releases bacteria-to-plant signal molecules, which are lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs), so called nod factors (also nol and noe) genes very rapidly (only a few minutes after exposure) and at very low concentrations (10 −7 to 10 −8 M) (Peters et al., 1986). Generally this is through an interaction with nodD, which activates the common nod genes, although the situation may be more complex, as is the case in B. japonicum , where nodD 1 , nodD 2 and nodVW are involved (Gillette & Elkan 1996; Stacey 1995). Nod genes have been identified in the rhizobia that form nitrogen fixing relationships with numbers of the Fabiaceae family (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,718 and references therein). Recently, the plant-to-bacteria signal molecules have been shown to promote soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation under cool soil temperatures (CA 2,179,879) and increase the final soybean grain yield on average of 10% in the field and up to 40% under certain conditions. (Long, 1989; Kondorosi, 1991; Schenes et al., 1990; Boone et al., 1999). Among the products of the nod genes induced by the plant phenolic signal molecules are various enzymes involved in the synthesis of a series of lipo chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) (Spaink, 1995; Stacey, 1995). These newly synthesized LCOs act as bacterium-to-plant signals, inducing expression of many of the early nodulin genes (Long, 1989).
LCO signal molecules are composed of three to five 1-4β linked acetylglucosamine residues with the N-acetyl group of the terminal non-reducing sugar replaced by an acyl chain. However, various modifications of the basic structure are possible and these, at least in part, determine the host specificity of rhizobia (Spaink et al., 1991; Schultze et al., 1992).
Lipo-chitiooligosaccharides are known to affect a number of host plant physiological processes. For example, they induce: root hair deformation (Spaink et al., 1991), ontogeny of compete nodule structures (Fisher and Long, 1992; Denarie and Cullimore, 1993), cortical cell division (Sanjuan et al., 1992; Schlaman et al., 1997) and the expression of host nodulin genes essential for infection thread formation (Horvath et al, 1993; Pichon et al., 1993, Minami et al., 1996). LCOs have also been shown to activate defense-related enzymes (Inui et al., 1997). These bacterium-to-plant signals exert a powerful influence over the plant genome and, when added in the absence of the bacteria, can induce the formation of root nodules (Truchet et al., 1991). Thus, the bacteria-to-plant signals can, without the bacteria, induce all the gene activity for nodule organogenesis (Denarie et al., 1996; Heidstra & Bisseling, 1996). Moreover, the above-mentioned activities induced by LCOs can be produced by concentrations as low as 10 −14 M (Stokkermans et al. 1995). The mutual exchange of signals between the bacteria and the plant are essential for the symbiotic interaction. Rhizobia mutants unable to synthesize LCOs will not form nodules. Analysis of the B. japonicum nod genes indicates that ability to induce soybean nodulation requires at least: 1) a basic tetrameric Nod factor requiring only nodABC genes or 2) a pentameric LCO (C18:1, C16:0 or C16: fatty acid and a methyl-fucose at the reducing end, sometimes acetylated) requiring nodABCZ genes (Stokkermans et al. 1995).
When added to the appropriate legume, LCOs can cause the induction of nodule meristems (Denarie et al., 1996), and therefore cell division activity. LCOs have also been shown to induce cell cycle activities in an in vitro system: (a carrot embryogenesis system) at levels as low as 10 −14 M (De Jong et al. 1993).
A chemical structure of lipo chitooligosaccharides, also termed “symbiotic Nod signals” or “Nod factor”, has been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,718 and 5,175,149. These Nod factors have the properties of a lectin ligand or lipo-oligosaccharide substances which can be purified from bacteria or synthesized or produced by genetic engineering.
The process of N 2 fixation is energy intensive requiring about 10-20% of the carbon fixed by the plant. It has been estimated that an average of about 6 mg of carbon is required per mg of nitrogen fixed (Vance and Heichel, 1991). Enhanced photosynthesis, due to the Bradyrhizobium -soybean association has been previously reported. Imsande (1989a,b) reported enhanced net photosynthesis and grain yield in soybean inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum compared with plants that were not inoculated but adequately supplemented with N fertilizer. Recently, Phillips et al., (1999) showed that lumichrome might act as a signal molecule in the rhizosphere of alfalfa plants, leading to increased respiration and net carbon assimilation during early stages of the Sinorhizobium meliloti -alfalfa symbiosis.
Methods to increase plant dry matter accumulation and yield are essential as world population is projected to increase by 4 billion (66%) during the next fifty years (United Nations, Population Division, 1998). In the last fifty years world crop output increased by 2.5 fold, with little increase the area of land cropped (Hoisington et al., 1999). Given the projected increase in world population we must provide another 2.5 fold increase during the next 50 years if everyone is to have reasonably reliable access to food (James, 1997). However, the primary causes of increased food production during the last 50 years (increases in harvest index, the amount of land under irrigation and the use of fertilizers, particularly N fertilizer) are largely exhausted. A century of plant breeding has resulted in little or no increase in the photosynthetic rates of most crop plants (Moss and Musgrave, 1971; Evans 1975,1980). There thus remains a tremendous need to increase the photosynthetic rates and growth of crop plants. There also remains a need to increase production of crop plants.
There have been considerable efforts to enhance photosynthesis in crop plants with a view to increase plant productivity. Makela et al., (1999) reported enhanced photosynthesis under drought and salinity stress in tomato and turnip rape following foliar application of glycinebetanine at very low concentrations. Foliar application of methanol also increased photosynthesis in a number of plants (Noumora and Benson, 1991). Johnson and Stelizer (1991) reported increased photosynthesis in loblolly pine by application of sub-lethal doses hexazinone.
While the effects of plant-to-bacteria signal molecules (i.e. isoflavones) on nodulation, nitrogen fixation, growth and protein yield of legumes, such as soybean, and on bacteria- to-plant signal molecules (LCOs) on nodulation and nitrogen fixation in legumes have been described under certain conditions, the effect of the bacteria- to-plant signal molecules on the growth of non-legumes is unknown. In fact, the role of such bacteria- to-plant signal molecules on non-legumes has yet to be reported. In addition, the effect of LCOs on processes other than nodulation of legumes has yet to be described. Moreover, while LCOs have been associated with a growth-promoting effect in the early stages of the initiation of the symbiotic relationship between plant and bacteria, it remains to be determined whether LCOs can have an effect on plants at later stages of their life cycle.
There thus remains a need to assess the effect of LCOs on plant growth and especially on later stages thereof. Moreover, there remains a need to assess whether LCO comprising compositions can have an effect on the synthetic rate and/or growth of plants in general and especially of non-legume plants.
There also remains a need to better understand the workings of the complex homeostatic system which is involved in the regulation of photosynthesis. Moreover, there remains a need to assess the role of LCOs on photosynthesis of plants.
The present invention seeks to meet these and other needs.
The present description refers to a number of documents, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a composition for enhancing the photosynthetic rate, and/or growth, and/or yield of a plant and especially of a crop plant. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition comprising an LCO which can increase the photosynthetic rate, and/or growth, and/or yield of a legume, in addition to acting as a trigger to initiate legume symbiotic nitrogen fixation. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and compositions to enhance the photosynthetic rate, and/or growth, and/or yield of a plant and especially of a crop plant grown under field conditions. In certain embodiments, the plant is a non-legume. In further embodiments, the invention relates to methods and compositions to increase the photosynthetic rate, and/or growth, and/or yield of a legume, more particularly soybean, and especially to a legume grown under field conditions.
Surprisingly, the compositions of the present invention act not only on a legume such as soybean, but on plants in general, as exemplified with a number of non-legume crops. More specifically, these non-legume crops are exemplified with diversified and evolutionary divergent crops such as corn, rice (Poaceae); melon (Cucurbitaceae); canola (Brassicaceae); apple (Rosaceae); and grape (Vitaceae). The present invention thus also refers to compositions for enhancing photosynthetic rate, and/or growth, and/or yield of non-legumes. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions comprising an LCO for enhancing photosynthetic rate, and/or growth, and/or yield of non-legumes. Non-limiting examples of such non-legumes include cotton, corn, rice, canola, potato, cucumber, cantaloupe, melon, lettuce, apple, grape and beet.
Broadly therefore, the present invention relates to compositions comprising an LCO for promoting growth of a crop. Non-limiting examples of plant crops include monocot, dicot, members of the grass family (containing the cereals), and legumes.
More specifically, therefore, the present invention concerns the demonstration that an administration of LCOs to a plant significantly increases the photosynthetic rate thereof. More particularly, the present invention demonstrates that spraying LCOs on the leaves of a plant (e.g. a foliar application) significantly increases the photosynthetic rate thereof. The present invention therefore relates to compositions to increase the photosynthetic rate of plants in general. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of increasing the photosynthetic rate of evolutionary divergent plants, comprising an application of an agriculturally effective dose of LCOs. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the invention relates to an acute application of LCOs by a spraying of the leaves of the plants and to its effect on the growth and/or yield of plants and especially of field grown plants.
In a particular set of experiments, a composition of the present invention, comprising an LCO, was shown to significantly enhance the photosynthetic rate of evolutionary divergent plants such as soybean (Fabaceae), corn, rice (Poaceae), melon (Cucurbitaceae), canola (Brassicaceae), apple (Rosaceae) and grape (Vitaceae), under greenhouse conditions.
In another set of experiments in the field, a composition of the present invention comprising an LCO was shown to significantly enhance the photosynthetic rate of soybean, corn, apple and grape.
While the present invention has been demonstrated using evolutionary divergent plants, the invention should not be so limited. Indeed, it will be clear to a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, that based on the evolutionary distance between the types of plants tested and their similar response to an application of LCOs, that it is expected that other types of plants should respond similarly to the LCO application, by displaying an increase in the photosynthetic rate and/or yield thereof. Of note, the group of Smith et al. (the group from which the instant invention stems) has also shown that LCOs can significantly enhance seed germination and/or seedling emergence and/or growth, and/or break the dormancy of numerous types of non-legume plant families, including Poaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Malvaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae and Solonaceae. More specifically, the non-legume crops used included corn, cotton, cantaloupe, lettuce, potato and beet. Thus, the biological activity of LCOs on early stages of plants in general has also been demonstrated.
Based on (1) the evolutionary divergence of the tested crops, which display an increased photosynthetic rate after LCO treatment; and (2) the effect of LCO on germination, and seedling emergence (and of the breaking of dormancy of potato tubers) of evolutionary divergent plants, it is expected that the photosynthetic rates and yield-increasing effects demonstrated by the methods and compositions of the present invention can be applied to plants in general. More particularly, it relates to compositions and methods for different plant families including but not limited to Poaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Malvaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Brassicaceae, Rosaceae, Vitaceae, Fabaceae and Solonaceae. More specifically, crops within the scope of the present invention include without limitation corn, cotton, cantaloupe, melon, cucumber, canola, lettuce, potato, apple, grape and beet. Non-limiting examples of crop plants also include monocot, dicot, members of the grass family (containing the cereals), and legumes.
Thus, the present invention relates to agricultural compositions comprising at least one LCO (and methods of using same) for promoting photosynthetic rate increases and/or increase in yield of a crop. It should be clear to a person skilled in the art that other photosynthetic rate increasing-, and/or yield-increasing compounds could be added to the compositions of the present invention.
The Applicant is the first to show that a composition comprising an LCO can have a significant effect on the photosynthetic rate of legumes. Moreover, the Applicant is the first to show the surprising effect of signal molecules involved in the bacteria-legume signalling on the photosynthetic rate and growth of non-legume plants.
It should also be understood that conventional plants and genetically engineered plants can be used in accordance with the present invention. In one particular and preferred embodiment of the present invention, non genetically-engineered plants are treated with the composition and/or method of the present invention.
While the photosynthetic rate and/or yield enhancing capabilities of the compositions of the instant invention are demonstrated under field conditions with corn, apple, grape and soybean, it is expected that other crops should also show the same type of response to LCOs treatment. These plants include without limitation significantly divergent plants in ten distinct families: (1) corn, the only monocot tested herein, in the family of grasses (Poaceae), which also contains the cereals; (2) cucumber and cantaloupe, the latter being a plant used horticulturally, and being slow to germinate at low temperature [its base temperature is about 14° C.] (Cucurbitaceae); (3) cotton, one of the most important fibre crops on the planet (Malvaceae); (4) lettuce (Asteraceae); (5) beet (Chenopodiaceae); (6) potato, a very important crop (Solonaceae, which also includes tobacco, peppers and tomato); and two families of legumes (7) canola, representing the mustard group (Brassicaceae) and (8) soybean (representative of oil seed crop), bean (representative of a crop for human consumption) and red clover and alfalfa (forage legumes) (all of the Fabaceae family); (9) apple, representing Rosaceae; and (10) grape, representing Vitaceae.
In view of the evolutionary distance between the above-listed plants, and of their similar response to LCO treatment under greenhouse conditions or field conditions, it can be predicted that such results will apply to crop plants in general. It follows that a person skilled in the art can adapt the teachings of the present invention to other crops. Non-limiting examples thereof include tobacco, tomato, wheat, barley, rice, sunflower and plants grown for flower production (daisy, carnation, pansy, gladiola, lilies and the like). It will be understood that the compositions can be adapted to specific crops, to meet particular needs.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is thus provided an agricultural composition for enhancing a plant crop photosynthetic rate and/or growth thereof comprising a photosynthetic rate-promoting amount of at least one lipo-chitooligosaccharide (LCO) together with an agriculturally suitable carrier.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is therefore provided a use of an agricultural composition for enhancing a plant crop photosynthetic rate and/or growth thereof comprising a photosynthetic rate-promoting amount of at least one lipo-chitooligosaccharide (LCO) together with an agriculturally suitable carrier.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for increasing the photosynthetic rate and/or growth of a plant, comprising a treatment of a leaf of a plant with a composition comprising an agriculturally effective amount of a lipo chitooligosaccharide (LCO) in admixture with an agriculturally suitable carrier medium, wherein the effective amount enhances the photosynthetic rate and/or growth of the plant in comparison to an untreated plant.
In addition, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is therefore provided a method for enhancing the photosynthetic rate and/or growth of a plant crop comprising incubating a rhizobial strain which expresses a lipo chitooligosaccharide (LCO) in the vicinity of a leaf of the plant such that the LCO enhances the photosynthetic rate and/or growth of the plant crop as compared to an untreated plant.
The terms “lipochitin oligosaccharide” and “lipo-chitooligosaccharide” are used herein interchangeably.
The terminology “grown under field conditions” will be understood to cover the conditions to which a plant is subjected when grown in the field, as opposed to when grown under more controlled conditions, such as greenhouse conditions.
As used herein, the term “LCO” refers broadly to a Nod factor which is under the control of at least one nodulation gene (nod gene), common to rhizobia . LCO therefore relates to a bacteria- to-plant signal molecule which induces the formation of nodules in legumes and enables the symbiotic bacteria to colonize same. Broadly, LCOs are lipo chitooligosaccharide signal molecules, acting as phytohormones, comprising an oligosaccharide moiety having a fatty acid condensed at one of its end. An example of an LCO is presented below as formula I
in which:
G is a hexosamine which can be substituted, for example, by an acetyl group on the nitrogen, a sulfate group, an acetyl group and/or an ether group on an oxygen,
R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 , which may be identical or different, represent H, CH 3 CO—, C x H y CO— where x is an integer between 0 and 17, and y is an integer between 1 and 35, or any other acyl group such as for example a carbamyl, R 4 represents a mono-, di- or triunsaturated aliphatic chain containing at least 12 carbon atoms, and
n is an integer between 1 and 4.
More specific LCOs from R. meliloti have also been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,718 as having the formula II
in which R represents H or CH 3 CO— and n is equal to 2 or 3.
Even more specific LCOs include NodRM, NodRM-1, NodRM-3. When acetylated (the R═C3CO—), they become AcNodRM-1, and AcNodRM-3, respectively (U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,718).
LCOs from B. japonicum have also been characterized in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,175,149 and 5,321,011. Broadly, they are pentasaccharide phytohormones comprising methylfucose. A number of these B. japonicum -derived LCOs are described: BjNod-V (C 18:1 ); BjNod-V (A C , C 18:1 ), BjNod-V (C 16:1 ); and BjNod-V (A C , C 16:0 ), with “V” indicating the presence of five N-acetylglucosamines; “Ac” an acetylation; the number following the “C” indicating the number of carbons in the fatty acid side chain; and the number following the “:” the number of double bonds.
It shall also be understood that compositions comprising different LCOs, are encompassed within the scope of the present invention. Indeed, while the present invention is exemplified with LCOs obtained from B. japonicum, R. leguminosarum and S. meliloti , and in particular NodBj-V(C 18:1 , MeFeu), any LCO produced by a rhizobia which is capable of entering into a nitrogen fixation relationship with a legume (i.e. a member of the Fabiaceae family) is expected to show the same properties as that of the LCOs exemplified herein. It will be clear to the person of ordinary skill that the selection of a rhizobia known to be expressing LCOs at high levels, or known to express an LCO having an effect on a broader spectrum of legumes (such as NGR234) could be advantageous.
It will also be clear that the LCO compositions of the present invention could also comprise more than one signal molecule. Non-limiting examples of such compositions include agricultural compositions comprising in addition to one LCO: (1) at least one additional LCO; (2) at least one plant-to-bacteria signal molecule; (3) gibberellic acid or other agents or compounds known to promote growth or fitness of plants; and mixtures of such compositions (1), (2) or (3).
It shall be clear that having identified new uses for LCO, bacteria could be genetically engineered to express nod genes and used for producing LCOs or for direct administration to the pi ants and/or seeds.
Thus, while the instant invention is demonstrated in particular with LCOs from Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and a selected legume and non-legume crops, the invention is not so limited. Other legume crops, non-legume crops and rhizobial strains may be used using the same principles taught herein. Preferred matching of rhizobia with legume crop groups include, for example:
rhizobial species
Legume crop group
R. meliloti alfalfa,
sweet clover
R. leguminosarum
peas, lentils
R. phaesolii
beans
Bradyrhizobium japonicum
soybeans
R. trifolii
red clover
As will be apparent to the person of ordinary skill to which the present invention is directed, the growth-stimulating compositions of the present invention can be applied to other crop plants and especially to other warm climate adapted crop plants (plants or crops having evolved under warm conditions [i.e. tropical, subtropical or warm temperature zones] and whose metabolism is optimized for such climates). It should be understood that the photosynthesis-enhancing compositions of the present invention should find utility whenever a particular crop is grown in a condition which limits its growth. For example, whenever a particular plant crop is grown at a temperature (or under environmental parameters) which is below its optimum temperature for photosynthesis and/or growth. Such temperatures are known in the art. For example, optimum temperatures for germination of corn, soybean, rice and cotton are 30° C., 34-36° C., 30-32° C., and 34° C., respectively. The minimum germination temperatures (or base temperatures) for these crops are 9° C., 4° C., 8 to 10° C., and 14° C., respectively, while the maximum germination temperatures are 40° C., 42-44° C., 44° C. and 37° C., respectively. The compositions of the present invention therefore find utility, among other things, in enhancing photosynthesis of warm climate adapted crops when grown at temperatures between their base temperature for photosynthesis and/or growth. The compositions of the present invention find utility in general in enhancing the photosynthesis rate and/or growth of crop plants when grown under conditions which delay or inhibit the photosynthesis and/or growth thereof. Non-limiting examples of such inhibiting conditions (as known from their signalling inhibition in bacteria-legume interactions, their inhibition or delay of the bacteria-plant symbiotic relationship) include pH stress, heat-stress, and water stress.
It will be nevertheless recognized that the compositions and methods of the present invention also can enhance growth of plants grown under optimal conditions.
Thus, the compositions and methods of the present invention should not be limited to plants growing under sub-optimal conditions.
The term “environmental conditions which inhibit or delay the bacterial-plant symbiotic relationship” should be interpreted herein as designating environmental conditions which postpone or inhibit the production and exchange of signal molecules between same and include, without being limited thereto: conditions that stress the plant, such as temperature stress, water stress, pH stress as well as inhibitory soil nitrogen concentrations or fixed nitrogen.
“An agriculturally effective amount of a composition” for increasing the growth of crop plants in accordance with the present invention refers to a quantity which is sufficient to result in a statistically significant enhancement of the photosynthetic rate, growth and/or yield (e.g. protein or grain yield) of the plant crop as compared to the photosynthetic rate and/or growth, and/or yield of the control-treated plant crop. As will be seen below, the photosynthetic and/or yield-promoting activity of the LCOs are observable over a broad range of concentrations. Indeed, LCO photosynthetic rate-promoting activities can be observed at an applied concentration of about 10 −5 to 10 −14 M, preferably about 10 −6 to about 10 −12 M and more preferably about 10 −6 to about 10 −10 M. As shown herein, however, the best of photosynthetic rate-promoting concentration of LCO depends on the growth conditions (e.g. controlled vs environmental) and on the treated plant. A person skilled in the art will be able to adapt the range or actual concentration of LCO in the composition to satisfy his or her need.
While a direct method of inoculation with the composition of the present invention is preferred, an indirect method can also be employed. During direct inoculation the composition is applied directly onto the plant and preferably by foliar application. This can be accomplished, for example, by spraying the leaves. The indirect method of inoculation would be based on an application of a rhizobia expressing an LCO of the present invention onto the plant.
Foliar applications such as spray treatments of leaves are well-known in the art. Of course, the method of administration of a composition of the present invention to the leaves can be adapted by a skilled artisan to meet particular needs.
The time at which the compositions and methods of the present invention are effective in enhancing a plant's photosynthetic, and/or growth, and/or yield thereof, in accordance with the present invention is from as soon as a leaf is present until physiological maturity of the plant. More particularly, the administration of the composition should occur between the seedling stage and the late pod filing stages. Thus, the administration can occur during the seedling, flowering and pod filing stages.
The recitation “short season condition” refers herein broadly to temperatures of the middle and temperate zones and shorter. Typically, the active growing season is around ½ to ⅔ of the year. Short season conditions broadly refers to a frost-free period of less than half the year, often on the order of 100 frost-free days.
By “modulation gene-inducing” or “nod gene-inducing” is meant bacterial genes involved in nodule establishment and function.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:
FIG. 1 shows the effect of lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) over time on percent increase in photosynthetic rate of soybean (cv Bayfield) under greenhouse conditions;
FIG. 2 shows the effect of lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthetic rate of corn (cv Pioneer 3921) (at the time of maximum effect, 2 days after treatment)
FIG. 3 shows the effect of lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthetic rate of rice (cv Cypress) (at the time of maximum effect, three days after treatment);
FIG. 4 shows the effect of lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthetic rate of canola (cv Springfield) (at the time of maximum effect, two days after treatment);
FIG. 5 shows the effect of lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthetic rate of melon (cv Nova) (at the time of maximum effect, three days after treatment);
FIG. 6 shows the effect of Lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthetic rate of apple (cv Empire) under field conditions (at the time of maximum effect, five days after treatment)
FIG. 7 shows the effect of lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthetic rate of grape (cv Du Chaunac) under field conditions (at the time of maximum effect, three days after treatment);
FIG. 8 shows the effect of Lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu), over time, on photosynthetic rate of soybean (cv Bayfield) under field conditions; and
FIG. 9 shows the effect of Lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod Bj V(C18:1, MeFeu) on photosynthesis of corn under field conditions (at the time of maximum effect, two days after treatment).
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing which is exemplary and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The research reported herein was conducted to study the effects of foliar applications of LCO on the photosynthetic rates of a host plant (soybean) and non-host plants (rice, melon, canola, and corn) under green house conditions. Also, field experiments were conducted to study the effect of LCO application on photosynthesis by corn, grape, apple and soybean. Field experiments were also carried through to the examination of yield and yield components.
During the course of work on the ability of LCOs to stimulate seed germination of plants, it was observed that seedlings left exposed to a composition comprising LCOs, following germination, continued to grow faster. The possibility that an application of LCO to leaves of seedlings would increase their photosynthetic rates, leading to faster growth rates, was thus formerly tested. It was thereby shown that LCOs increase the photosynthetic rates and/or yield of plants in general, as exemplified both under greenhouse conditions and under field conditions with a number of evolutionary divergent plants.
Lipochitin oligosaccharide (LCO) nod Bj V (C18:1, MeFeu) isolated from Bradyrhizobium japonicum 532C was evaluated for its effect on the photosynthetic rates of a number of crop plants belonging to diverse botanical families: soybean (Fabaceae) corn, rice (Poaceae), melon (Cucurbitaceae), canola (Brassicaceae) apple (Rosaceae) and grape (Vitaceae). LCO enhanced photosynthesis of all the plants tested. However, the extent of the responses are dependent on the plant species and the concentration LCO used. Under green house conditions soybean (cv Bayfield) showed the largest increase in photosynthesis due to LCO spray; on an average there was a 50% increase in photosynthetic rate. As LCO application resulted in increased stomatal aperture without any increase in leaf internal CO 2 concentration, the data indicate that there was an increase in CO 2 uptake by chloroplasts, which lead to increased stomatal opening. LCO sprayed plants had more leaf area and dry weight than water sprayed controls. Under field conditions LCO spray was tested on soybean, corn, apple and grape plants. In the case of soybean the spray applied at the seedling, flowering and podfilling stages, resulted in increased branch number, leaf area, pod number, plant dry matter and grain yield. LCO application enhanced grain yield by 33-44%. The data illustrate that LCOs can be used to increase the productivity of a wide range of crops.
The present invention is illustrated in further detail by the following non-limiting examples.
EXAMPLE 1
Production Extraction and Purification of Lipo-Chitooligosaccharides
(LCOs)
Bacterial culture
Bradyrhizobium japonicum (strain 532C) was grown at 28° C. in yeast mannitol medium (YEM) (Mannitol 10 g, K 2 HPO 4 0.5 g, MgSO 4 7H 2 O 0.2 g, NaCl 0.1 g, yeast extract 0.4 g and distilled water 1000 mL), pH 6.8, shaken at 150 rpm until the OD 620 reached 0.4-0.6 (4-6 days) in the dark. Thereafter, 2 L of bacterial subculture was started by inoculating with material from the first culture (5 mL of the first culture per 250 mL of YEM media), for 5-7 days (OD 620 -0.8-1.0), as above. At this stage, 0.25 mL of 50 μM genistein (in methanol) was added to each 250 mL of bacterial subculture (genistein concentration of 5 μM) and the culture was incubated for 48-96 hours.
Extraction of LCOs
Two liters of bacterial subculture were phase-partitioned against 0.8 L of HPLC-grade 1-butanol by shaking overnight. The upper butanol layer was transferred to a 1 L evaporation flask and concentrated to 2-3 mL of light brown, viscose material with a rotary evaporator operated at 80° C. (Yamota RE500, Yamato, USA). This extract was resuspended in 4 mL of 18% acetonitrile and kept in the dark at 4° C. in a sealed glass vial until use. HPLC analysis (Waters, Mass., USA) was conducted with a Vydac C18 reversed-phase column (Vydac, CA, USA; catalogue # 218TP54) with a flow rate of 1.0 mL min −1 and a Vydac guard column (catalogue # 218GK54). As a baseline 18% acetonitrile (AcN/H 2 O; W/W) was run through the system for at least 10 min prior to injection. The sample was loaded and isocratic elution was conducted with 18% AcN for 45 min to remove all non-polar light fractions. Thereafter, gradient elution was conducted for 90 min. with 18-82% AcN. The LCO was eluted at 94-96 min of HPLC run time.
The chemical identity of the LCO was confirmed by mass spectrometer (MS-MS) analysis to be Nod Bj V (C18:1 MeFeu) (R. Carlson, Complex Carbohydrate Research Centre, University of Georgia, Athens, USA) and by root hair deformation assay (Prithiviraj et al., 2000).
Plant Material
Briefly, seeds of soybean (cv AC Bravor) were surface sterilized with 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min and washed with at least four changes of sterile distilled water. The seeds were then placed on 1.5% water agar (20 mL) in 9 cm diameter Petri dishes (two seeds per plate). The Petri dishes were incubated in the dark at 25° C. for 7-8 days; during this time the seeds germinated and developed tap and lateral roots on the agar surface. Lateral roots with abundant root hairs, which could be easily distinguished by the fluffy appearance they imparted to the lateral roots, were excised with a sterile scalpel. These lateral roots were placed on sterile grease free glass slides containing 40-60 μL of LCO solution. The slides were then placed in a moist chamber and incubated for 24 h at 25° C. in the dark. At the end of the incubation time the slides were removed and the roots were fixed in a staining solution [methylene blue (0.02% w/v)+glycerol (20% v/v)+phenol (10% w/v)]. Slides were observed under a light microscope for root hair deformation.
EXAMPLE 2
LCO Treatment and Data Collection for the Greenhouse Experiments
Plant treatment
Soybean (cv Bayfield) seeds were surface sterilized with 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3-4 minutes, washed with several changes of sterile distilled water and germinated in plastic trays containing sterile vermiculite. Seedlings at the two-leaf stage, about seven days of planting, were transplanted into 15 cm plastic pots containing promix (Premier Brands Inc., New Rochelle, N.Y., USA). Pots were placed in a greenhouse maintained at 25±2° C. with a day/night cycle of 16/8h. Plants were watered as required.
Seeds of rice ( Oryza sativa cv Cypress), canola ( Brassica napus cv Springfield), corn ( Zea mays cv Pioneer 3921) and melon ( Cucumis melo cv Nova) were surface sterilized with 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3-4 min, washed with several changes of sterile distilled water and planted in plastic pots (15 cm dia) containing promix (Premier Brands Inc., New Rochelle, N.Y., USA).
LCO treatment
Concentrations of LCO (10 −6 M-10 −12 M) were made with distilled water containing 0.02% Tween 20. A control treatment, containing 0.02% Tween 20, but no LCO was also applied. Since the rates of growth and development differed among the plant species used in the experiments, spray treatment was conducted at different times after planting In general, the spray was applied when the plants were big enough to allow easy measurements of leaf photosynthetic rates. The following are the ages of the plants when the sprays were conducted: soybean 21 days after planting (DAP), corn 25 DAP, rice 45 DAP, melon (35 DAP) and canola 30 DAP. The plants were sprayed with LCO solutions until dripping. The sprays were applied with an atomizer (Nalgene, USA). Each plant required 2-3 mL of spray solution. Each treatment was replicated at least five times and organized on the green house bench in a randomized complete block design. Each experiment (with each crop species) was repeated at least twice.
Data collection
Photosynthesis was recorded every 24 h using a Li-Cor 6400 portable photosynthesis system (Li-Cor Inc., Lincoln, Nebr., USA) for 6 days. In the case of soybean the photosynthesis in the second nodal leaf from the top was recorded while in the other species used in the photosynthetic rate was measured for the top-most fully expanded leaf. Soybean plants were harvested after seven days of LCO treatment and dried at 80° C. for 48 h. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Analysis System (SAS Inc., NC, USA). Percent increase in photosynthesis over the control was calculated. Multiple means comparisons were conducted with an ANOVA protected LSD test, thus, the LSD test was not performed if the ANOVA test did not indicate the presence of differences due to treatment.
EXAMPLE 3
Field Experiments (Year 1999)
Soybean
The soybean experiment was conducted at the Lods Agronomy Research Centre, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada during the period June to September, 1999. A randomized complete block design with three blocks was followed. The plot size was 2×4 m with a row to row spacing of 25 cm and 10 cm between plants within a row. Seeds of soybean (cv OAC Bayfield), treated with commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum inoculate (Bios Agriculture Inc., Quebec, Canada) at the rate of 3 g per kilogram of seed, were hand planted.
At 25 days after planting twenty plants in each plot were randomly marked and sprayed until dripping with LCO solutions (10 −6 , 10 −8 and 10 −10 M) containing 0.02% Tween 20 with a hand sprayer. The plants on either side, within the row, of the marked plants were also sprayed. A second spray was carried out at flowering stage and a third spray at pod filling.
Apple, Grape and Corn
These experiments were conducted at the horticultural research facility of McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada during July 2000. LCO of different concentrations (10 −8 , and 10 −10 M) were prepared as described above. Branches of apple (cv Empire) and Grapes (cv De Chaunac) were sprayed with LCO and the photosynthesis was observed every 24 h for five days with a Li-Cor 6400 portable photosynthesis system (Li-Cor Inc., USA). Each treatment was applied to three branches from the same plant. Care was taken to ensure that the branches were on the same level and orientation. Part of each branch was sprayed with LCO and the remaining part served as a control. The control portion of the branch was sprayed with distilled water containing the same amount of Tween 20 as the LCO treatment solution. Observations were taken on 15 leaves per replicate for each treatment. For both apple and grape the entire procedure was repeated twice on two different plants.
Single row corn plots (Pioneer 3921) were established during the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons. The rows were 75 cm apart and their was an average of 20 cm between plants. The plants were sprayed at 40 DAP. Photosynthetic rates were recorded each day for 5 days after spray application. However, multiple sprays of LCO on corn were not possible due to limitations of LCO supplies, and because only single row plots were used yields were not recorded.
Field Data collection
As with the indoor experiments, photosynthetic readings were taken every day for five days after the application of LCO. For soybean additional developmental and agronomic data were collected. The first harvest was conducted at 25 days after the first spray treatment. Five plants were harvested from each plot and the following growth variables were analyzed: plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf area, number of flower clusters, number of pods, number of nodules, dry weights of leaves, stem and roots. The final harvest was conducted after physiological maturity of the plants (Fehr et al., 1971); at this time the remaining fifteen treated plants from each plot were harvested and data on number of branches, number of pods, number of seeds and grain yield per plant was collected.
EXAMPLE 4
Effect of LCOs on the Photosynthetic Rate of Soybean and Non-Legumes Under Greenhouse Conditions
LCO spray increased the photosynthetic rate of soybean even at very low concentrations (Table 1).
TABLE 1
Effect of lipo-chitin oligosaccharide (Nod Bj V (C18:1, MeFeu))
on photosynthesis (μmol m −2 sec −1 ) of soybean under greenhouse
conditions.
Days after treatment
Treatment
1
2
4
5
6
Control
11.2 d @
8.1 c
10.1 d
12.1 c
10.4 a
10 −6
14.9 ab
12.1 a
16.2 a
16.7 ab
13.1 a
10 −7
12.1 cd
9.1 bc
12.9 bcd
14.1 bc
11.1 a
10 −8
13.8 b
8.1 bc
12.3 cd
16.4 ab
10.3 a
10 −9
15.8 a
8.4 bc
15.7 ab
17.5 ab
11.2 a
10 −10
13.6 bc
8.7 bc
14.6 abc
16.9 ab
11.2 a
10 −11
14.0 b
8.7 bc
17.4 a
17.9 a
12.5 a
10 −12
15.0 ab
10.3 ab
16.9 a
17.0 ab
12.0 a
LSD (p < 0.05)
1.67
2.24
3.15
3.78
2.87
@ means with in the same column, followed by the same letter are not significantly different
(p < 0.05) by ANOVA protected LSD test.
The photosynthesis rate increased from day 1 up to day 4 after which it decreased and by day 5 it generally reached levels not different from the control plants. However, the maximum increase in photosynthesis was observed on day four in most treatments. Percent increase in photosynthesis over the control varied with the concentration of LCO spray ( FIG. 1 ). LCO at 10 −11 M caused the greatest increase in photosynthetic rate followed by 10 −12 M, with these maxima occurring at four days after treatment, while other concentrations caused more sustained increases in photosynthesis, that remained higher than the control for more extended periods of time. LCO treatments caused an increase in the leaf area and dry weight of soybean at seven days after treatment ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). shoot dry weights of treated plants were statically (p<0.05) higher than those of the control plants, while leaf areas were only increased numerically (p=0.09).
LCO treatment also enhanced the photosynthetic rates of non-legumes: corn ( FIG. 4 ), rice ( FIG. 5 ), canola ( FIG. 6 ) and melon ( FIG. 7 ). It was evident that the days for maximum increase and the most effective concentration of LCO differed among the species. In general a 10-20% increase in photosynthesis was common. For the C 3 plants (rice, melon, canola) the increased in photosynthetic rates were always accompanied by a concomitant increases in stomatal conductance and transpiration while the intercellular CO 2 concentration was unaffected by the treatments. For corn (a C 4 plant) LCO application increased photosynthetic rate, decreased leaf internal CO 2 concentration and did not significantly alter stomatal aperture, These data argue that the increase in photosynthetic rate was due to an increase in photosynthetic uptake of CO 2 inside the leaf, which, in the case of C 3 plants, triggered an increase in stomatal aperture. Had it been the case that increased stomatal aperture was the primary cause of the increased photosynthetic rates one would have expected increases in the internal CO 2 concentration of the leaf (Morison, 1998).
EXAMPLE 5
Effect of LCOs on the Photosynthetic Rate, Growth and Yield of Soybean and Non-Legumes Grown Under Field Conditions (Year 1999)
Grape, Apple and Corn
LCO spray also caused increases in the photosynthetic rates of field-grown apple and grape ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). In case of apple, photosynthesis increase peaked at five days after treatment; the 10 −8 M LCO treatment resulted in a photosynthetic rate of 14.1 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 , while the rate was 10.8 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 for the control. As with the other crops there were increases in stomatal conductance without any effect on the Ci. LCO treatment also increased transpiration ( FIG. 6 ). In grapes, the greatest increase in photosynthetic rate occurred three days after treatment with the 10 −10 M LCO treatment, and this resulted in a concomitant increase in stomatal conductance. LCO application increased the photosynthetic rate of field grown corn by a maximum of approximately 10% ( FIG. 10 ) at two days after treatment application. While LCO application did cause reduced Ci levels in the greenhouse (p=0.05) there was no such effect on Ci in field grown plants.
Soybean
In general, the photosynthetic responses of soybean in the field were similar to those observed under greenhouse conditions. LCO treatment resulted in increases in the photosynthetic rates from day one to day four after application. The most effective concentration was 10 −6 M, which resulted in a photosynthetic rate of 24 mmol m −2 sec −1 on day three as compared to 20 mmol m −2 sec −1 for the control ( FIG. 10 ). The increase in photosynthetic rate was accompanied by increases in stomatal conductance; again the 10 −6 M LCO treatment resulted in the highest stomatal conductance values. However, the effect of LCO in the field grown plants were less pronounced than for green house gown plants and required higher concentration for better effects. The requirement for higher concentrations may have been due to leaf anatomical differences; field grown plants usually have thicker cuticles than green house grown plants. It might also have been the case that epiphytic microorganisms, or the leaves themselves, may have produced chtinases that degraded the LCO. Given the likelihood of lower levels of microbial activity under greenhouse conditions, both of these could have contributed to the need for higher LCO concentrations in the field than the greenhouse. The lower degree of response under field conditions may have been due the greater environmental variability, and increased likelihood of at least some other stresses imposing limitations, at least some of the time, under field conditions. Raschke et al., (1979) observed differences in stomatal sensitivity to CO 2 level between green house and field grown maize. Similarly, Talbott et al. (1996) showed differences in stomatal sensitivity to CO 2 between growth cabinet and greenhouse plants. LCO treatment resulted in increased transpiration, probably due to increased stomatal aperture.
LCO spray resulted in increased growth of soybean plants. There were increases in the following growth variables: number of branches, number of leaves and leaf area. However, plant height was not affected by LCO treatment. There also increases in the yield variables number of pod clusters per plant, number of pods and total number of seeds per plant. The latter resulted in increases in seed yield that ranged from 33.7 to 44.8% (Table 2).
TABLE 2
Effect of lipo-chitin oligosaccharide
(Nod Bj V (C18:1, MeFeu)) leaf area and shoot
dry weight of soybean under greenhouse conditions
Treatment
Leaf area (cm 2 )
Shoot dry weight (mg)
Control
188.0 ab @
951.6 b
10 −6
223.6 a
1065.8 ab
10 −7
193.6 ab
1135.2 a
10 −8
217.6 ab
1095.7 ab
10 −9
194.3 ab
999.9 ab
10 −10
195.3 b
1012.3 ab
10 −11
202.6 ab
931.6 b
10 −12
230.3 a
1060.8 ab
LSD (p < 0.05)
36.2
168.3
@ means with in the same column, followed by the same letter are not significantly different
(p < 0.05) by ANOVA protected LSD test.
TABLE 3
Effect of lipo-chitin oligosaccharide (Nod Bj V (C18:1, MeFeu)) on
growth and yield of soybean under field conditions.
No.
No.
Leaf
No.
Root Dry
Shoot dry
No. Pod
No.
No.
Seed
Plant
Branches/
Leaves/
area/Plant
Nodules/
weight/
weight/
clusters/
Pods/
seeds/
yield/Plant
Treatment
height (cm)
Plant
Plant
(cm 2 )
Plant
plant (gm)
Plant (gm)
Plant
Plant
Plant
(gm)
Control
85.2
4.4
22.1
1388.1
60.1
2.0
19.0
18.6
33.5
80.9
15.7
LCO 10 -6 M
78.5
4.2
29.4
2306.3
63.5
3.0
24.7
24.3
42.9
104.7
22.1
LCO 10 -8 M
85.8
5.1
25.4
2120.4
84.6
2.3
23.7
24.8
42.4
106.3
21
LCO 10 -10 M
83.5
3.4
22.2
1513.1
68.3
2.3
19.8
28.3
48.0
118.1
22.6
Contrast
NS
*
*
**
NS
*
*
*
*
*
*
(p < 0.05):
LCO Vs
Control
The results presented demonstrate that foliar application of LCO Nod Bj (C1:18 MeFeu) causes enhanced photosynthesis in both host and non-host plants. For C 3 plants the increase in photosynthesis was always accompanied with increases in stomata conductance, although without change in Ci values, while for corn (a C 4 plant) the stomatal aperture did not increase and the Ci values delined under green house conditions. In both cases the data indicate that increases in photosynthesis due to LCO treatment is due to more efficient CO 2 uptake inside the leaf. For the C 3 plants this lead to increased stomatal aperture. Because the stomata of the C 3 plants were more opened there were concomitant increases in transpiration for the leaves of LCO treated plants. These results were similar to those observed for glycinebetanine application (Rajasekaran et al., 1997; Makela et al., 1999). Foliar application of glycinebetanine enhanced net photosynthesis and water use efficiency and mitigated drought and salinity stress. Increased stomatal conductance have been positively correlated with the yield in a number of crops and it has been suggested that selection for increased stomatal conductivity will result in enhanced yields (Lu et al., 1998; Morrison et al., 1999). The link between stomatal aperture and photosynthetic rate would seem to apply in the case of the C 3 plants tested here, although, it is clear that, the case of LCO application, the more open stomata were the result of greater photosynthetic CO 2 uptake by the chloroplasts, and not the primary cause of increased photosynthetic rates.
Dinitrogen fixation is energy intensive process. About 10-20% of the photosynthates of a nitrogen-fixing legume are consumed in N 2 fixation. If this were not compensated by an increase in net photosynthesis it would lead to reduction in the crop yield as compared to plants receiving nitrogen fertilizer, and such photosynthetic compensation has been demonstrated (Imsade, 1983). However, mechanisms by which plants compensate for the increased demand during this, and other, plant-microbe interactions are unknown. Our work suggests that this might be controlled by the LCO bacteria- to-plant signal molecules. Several lines of evidence suggest that nodulated soybean plants have higher net photosynthetic rates than those acquiring their nitrogen from mineral forms available in the rooting medium (Imsande, 1989a,b). This might be brought about either by increase in photosynthesis due to improved efficiency in the dark reactions or by enhanced efficiency of the photosystems as reported by Maury et al. (1993), or both.
Recently, Phillips et al. (1999) isolated lumichrome, a breakdown product of riboflavin, in the rhizosphere of alfalfa plants during early nodulation and showed that it caused increased respiration and photosynthetic carbon fixation. In an earlier experiment we observed enhanced germination and early growth of diverse crop plants due to LCO treatment (unpublished results) and this led us to hypothesize that LCO improves early growth through increased photosynthesis. The results of the present experiment support the above hypothesis. Identification of specific high affinity receptors for LCOs remains elusive. However, two class of receptors for LCO have been characterized recently (Stacey et al., 2000; Bono et al., 1995; Gressent et al., 1999). This led us to hypothesize that one of these receptors is associated with the nodulation process and the other with a more generalized process that triggers the growth machinery of plants when exposed to chitin and related compounds, such as LCOs. The observation that this stimulation occurred in such a wide variety of angiosperms (the work reported here shows effects in five plant families, all angiosperms: Poaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, Rosaceae, Vitaceae) suggests that this LCO response mechanism is at least as old as the angiosperms. There are several reports of the presence of nod factor responsive genes in non-legumes such as rice (Kouchi et al. 1999; Reddy et al 1998). These may play a role in the detection of, and response to, plant pathogens, many of which contain chitin in their cell walls. Presumably, more vigorous growth is a response to the presence of a detected pathogen. There are several reports of enhanced photosynthesis due to fungal pathogens (Ayers, 1979; 1981) this might be due to the stress responses of the plant and could be mediated by cell wall fragments that are chitin oligomers.
The phenomenon of enhanced photosynthesis and yield due to application of LCO, as observed in this study, might explain, at least in part, the increased productivity of legume-non legume intercropping systems and crop rotations. Hungria and Stacey (1997) reported enhanced growth and yield of intercropped corn and bean as compared to the monocrops and postulated that this increase might be due to the reciprocal stimulation of A. lipoferum and R. tropici in the soil by the root exudates of corn and bean. To our knowledge this is the first report of LCO enhancement of photosynthesis in legumes and non-legumes. LCOs, besides mediating the early events of nodulation, also act as signals for enhanced photosynthesis in a number of plants and this opens the possibility of harnessing these signal molecules for improving crop production, and ultimately, world food production.
EXAMPLE 6
Effect of LCOs on the Photosynthetic Rate of Soybean and Corn Grown Under Field Conditions (Year 2000)
Rhizobium Leguminosarum (127K105) and Sinorhizobium meliloti (RCR2011) were cultured in modified Bergerson minimal media (Spaink et al., 1992) for four days, when the OD (620) of the culture had reached 0.37 for S. meliloti and 0.28 for R. leguminosarum , isoflavonoid nariginin was added to R. leguminosarum to final concentration of 5 μM and luteolin at 5 μM was added to S. meliloti . The cultures were further incubated for five days and they were extracted using the method as described for Bradyrhizobium japonicum . LCO of R. leguminosarum eluted at 27-31 min of HPLC run while that of S. meliloti eluted at 35-38 min.
LCO of R. leguminosarum enhanced photosynthesis of soybean and was more effective as compared to the LCO of S. meliloti . LCO from S. meliloti enhanced the photosynthesis of corn (Tables 4 & 5).
TABLE 4
Effect of LCOs of Rhizobium leguminosarum (127K105) and
Sinorhizobium meliloti (RCR 2011) on photosynthetic rates of soybean
(cv Bayfield) two days after treatment
Photo-
synthesis
(μmol
Conductance
Transpiration
CO 2
(mol H 2 O
Ci (mmol
(mmol H 2 O
Treatment
m −2 s −1 )
m −2 s −1 )
CO 2 mol −1 )
m −2 s −1 )
LCO from
14.5a
0.26a
277.0a
3.42ab
Rhizobium
Leguminosarum
(127K105)
10 −6 M
LCO from
16.0a
0.29a
272.6a
4.2a
Rhizobium
Leguminasarum
(127K105)
10 −8 M
LCO from
12.36b
0.15bc
241.0b
2.89b
Sinorhizobium
meliloti
(RCR2011)
10 −6 M
LCO from
14.5a
0.26ab
272.3a
2.89b
Sinorhizobium
melilot
(RCR2011)
10 −8 M
Control
12.03b
0.13c
224.3b
2.72
LSD (p < 0.05)
2.12
0.10
28.9
0.96
In column numbers followed by same letters are not significantly different
(p < 0.05) by ANOVA protected LSD test.
TABLE 5
Effect of LCOs of Rhizobium leguminosarum (127K105) and
Sinorhizobium meliloti (RCR 2011) on photosynthetic rates of corn
(cv Pioneer 3921) two days after treatment
Photo-
synthesis
(μmol
Conductance
Transpiration
CO 2
(mol H 2 O
Ci (mmol
(mmol H 2 O
Treatment
m −2 s −1 )
m −2 s −1 )
CO 2 mol −1 )
m −2 s −1 )
LCO from
25.9ab
0.13b
63.8a
3.3bc
Rhizobium
Leguminosarum
(127K105)
10 −6 M
LCO from
30.5ab
0.17ab
78.3ab
4.1ab
Rhizobium
Leguminasarum
(127K105)
10 −8 M
LCO from
26.9b
0.14b
57.4ab
3.4bc
Sinorhizobium
melilot
(RCR2011)
10 −6 M
LCO from
35.1a
0.21a
88.5ab
4.9a
Sinorhizobium
melilot
(RCR2011)
10 −8 M
Control
23.1b
0.11
42.6b
2.7
LSD (p < 0.05)
7.9
0.07
42.9
1.3
In column numbers followed by same letters are not significantly different
(p < 0.05) by ANOVA protected LSD test.
Table 6 shows the effect of foliar spray of LCO on yield of soybean during the year 2000. LCO enhanced all the yield components, LCO at 10 −6 M and 10 −10 M showed the maximum effects. LCO 10 −6 M improved the yield by about 60%. The increase in yield was due to the increase in the number of pods/plant. The 100-seed weight was not increased by LCO spray during the 2000 field season.
TABLE 6
Effect of LCO on yield of soybean (2000 cropping season)
Pod
Seed
weight/
100-seed
yield/pl
Seed
Pods/
plant
Seeds/
weight
ant
yield
Treatment
plant
(g)
plant
(g)
(g)
(t/ha)
LCO 10 -6 M
46.8 a
31.4 a
118.0 a
17.4 a
21.0 a
10.5 a
LCO 10 -8 M
39.1 b
24.1 b
96.4 b
17.8 a
16.2 b
8.1 b
LCO 10 -10 M
47.7 a
29.1 ab
117.7 a
18.1 a
21.8 a
10.9 a
Control
28.3 c
18.7 c
70.4 c
17.7 a
13.2 b
6.6 b
LSD
7.6
5.2
18.4
2.7
3.8
1.9
In columns numbers followed by same letters are not significantly different (p < 0.05) by an ANOVA protected LSD test. Yields are at 0% seed moisture. Yields were calculated by sampling 10 randomly selected plants per plot, determining the yield per plant and assuming an average stand of 500,000 plants per ha.
Taken together, the results of Tables 4 and 5 show that the photosynthetic rate-promoting effects observed with the B. japonicum LCO NodBj-V(C 18:1 , MeFeu) during the 1999 experiments are also observable with LCOs obtained from other rhizobia . Thus, addition of the promiscuous rhizobial strain NGR234, known to promote the nodulation of a wide range of legumes or others, are also expected to enhance the photosynthetic rate of plants similarly to the data presented herein.
Data on the effect of foliar spray of LCO on yield of soybean during the year 2000 also shows a yield-increasing effect, similar to that shown in the year 1999. More specifically, in 2000, LCO application enhanced pods/plant and seed yield. Data suggests that (1) LCO at 10 −6 M showed the maximum effect; (2) LCO at 10 −6 M improved the yield by more than 100%; and (3) the increase in yield was due to the increase in the number of pods/plant.
It is noteworthy that the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons were very different. As compared to an average cropping season, 1999 was a hot-dry year while 2000 was a cold-wet year.
Taken together with the 1999 results of the effects of LCO application on the photosynthetic rate and on yield, those of 2000 show that the LCO effect thereon is robust over a wide range of environmental conditions.
Also of note, the LCO application in the field experiments in year 2000 were by spraying whole plots, as opposed to individual plants (1999). Thus, the LCO effects described in the present invention are also observable when using large production application methods.
CONCLUSION
The present invention demonstrates that LCO composition can significantly enhance the photosynthetic rate of legumes and non-legumes grown under laboratory conditions (e.g. greenhouse conditions). Furthermore, these greenhouse condition results are validated in the field using soybean, grape, corn and apple. The LCO effect is further shown to be observable with different LCOs, thereby validating the photosynthetic rate-enhancing activity of LCOs in general. In addition, the present invention shows that the photosynthetic rate-enhancing effect of LCOs on plants is robust across the environment field conditions. The similar increases in photosynthetic rates and yield for the tested crop (e.g. soybean) imply that yield increases are to be expected from LCO application on a wide range of crops. The present invention thus provides agricultural compositions and methods by which LCO can be used to enhance the photosynthetic rate, growth and yield of a crop under controlled and diversified field conditions.
Although the present invention has been described herein above by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.
REFERENCES
Ayres, PG. 1979, In. Marcelle, R., Clijsters, H., van Poucke, M., Ed. Photosynthesis and Plant Development pp. 343-354. W. Junk, The Hauge, The Netherlands.
Ayres, P G. 1981, Journal of Phytopathology 100:312-318.
Bono et al, 1995, Plant Journal 7:253-260.
Boone et al., 1999. Carbohydrate Research 317:155-163.
Denarie et al., 1993, Cell 74:951-954.
Evans L T., 1975, In L. T. Evans (ed) Crop Physiology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 327-355.
Evans L T., 1980, American Scientist 68:388-397.
Fay et al., 1996, New Phytologist 132:425-433.
Fehr et al., 1971, Crop Science 2:929-930.
Fisher et al., 1992, Nature 357:655-660.
Gressent et al., 1999, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA 96:4704-4709.
Horvath et al., 1993, Plant Journal 4:727-733.
Hungria et al., 1997, Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29:819-830.
Imsande, J., 1989, Journal of Experimental Botany 39:1313-1321.
Imsande, J., 1989, Agronomy Journal 81:549-556.
Inui et al., 1997, Bioscience Biotechnology Biochemistry 61:975-978.
Kondorosi A., 1991, In: Advances in Molecular Genetics of Plant-Microbe interactions. H. Hennecke and D. P. S. Verma, eds. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
Long S R., 1989, Cell 56:203-214.
Lu et al., 1998, Journal of Experimental Botany 49:453-460.
Makela et al., 1999, Physiologia Plantarum 105:45-50.
Maury et al., 1993, Plant Physiology 101:493-497.
Minami et al., 1996, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interact 9:574-583.
Morison, J., 1998. Journal of Experimental Botany 49:443-452.
Morrison et al., 1999, Agronomy Journal 91:685-689.
Moss et al., 1971, Advances in Agronomy 23:317-336.
Neave et al., 1989, Canadian Journal of Forest Research 19:12-17.
Nonomura et al., 1992, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 89:9794-9798.
Osborne, B A., 1989, Plant, Cell and Environment 12:941-946.
Pichon et al., 1993, In: R. Palacios, J. Mora WE Newton eds. New Horizons in Nitrogen fixation. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands pp. 285-290.
Raschke, K., 1979, In: Haupt, W., Feinleib M. E. eds. Physiology of movements. Vol. 7 Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology. Springer Verlag, Berlin 383-441.
SAS Institute Inc. 1989. SAS users guide, Version 6, Cary, USA pp 1673.
Sasaki et al., 1995, Journal of Fermentation and Bioengineering 79.453-457.
Schmidt et al., 1988, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA 85:8587-8582.
Schulaman et al., 1997, Development 124:4887-4895.
Schultze et al., 1994, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA 92:2706-2709.
Shabayev et al., 1996, Biology and Fertility of Soils 23:425-430.
Spaink et al., 1991, Nature 354:125-130.
Spaink et al., 1992, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 5:72-80.
Stacey et al., 2000, In: Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Vol 2 p120-125. Ed. P. J. G. M. de Wit, Ton Bisseling and W. J. Stietema.
Staehelin et al., 1994, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA 91:2196-2200.
Talbott et al., 1996, Plant, Cell and Environment 19:1188-1194.
Thomas et al., 1983, Crop Science 23:453-456.
Truchet et al., 1991, Nature 351:670-673.
Vance et al., 1991, Annual review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 42:373-392.
|
The present invention relates to agriculture. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of increasing photosynthesis of a plant and more particularly of crop plants. In addition, the invention relates to a method of increasing photosynthesis and/or yield in crop plants, comprising an exposure thereof to lipo-chitooligosaccharides, and compositions therefor. Further, the invention relates to an agricultural composition for enhancing a plant crop photosynthetic rate and/or growth thereof comprising a photosynthetic rate-promoting amount of at least one lipo chitooligosaccharide (LCO) together with an agriculturally suitable carrier and methods using same.
| 0
|
FIELD OF THE UTILITY MODEL
The present invention relates to an electrostatic ally spun polyimide nanofibre and uses thereof, and in particular, a high temperature-resistant and high-porosity polyimide blend nanofibre which can be used in battery separators.
BACKGROUND OF THE UTILITY MODEL
In recent decades, lithium ion secondary batteries become one of the main energy sources for communication electronic products, with the advantages of a high specific energy, a high voltage, a small volume, a light weight, no memory, etc. However, in many cases, due to human misuse, the lithium ion secondary batteries easily lead to hidden troubles dangerous to the user safety such as smoking, firing, even explosion, etc., and therefore, such lithium ion secondary batteries of high capacity and high power have not been widely used in the fields, such as automobile power, etc., hithereto. Hence, improvement of the safety of the lithium ion batteries is a key to develop and generalize the application of lithium ion batteries in the fields such as automobile power, etc.
Current lithium ion battery separators, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc, all are difficult to ensure integrity at a high temperature, and the problem on thermal runaway caused by the internal short circuit in the battery due to the shrinkage of the battery separators also often occurs in safety tests such as of overheat, overcharge, etc. Hence, the selection for a high-heat resistant battery separator becomes one of keys to solving the safety of the lithium ion batteries.
Polyimide (PI) is an aromatic polymer containing imide rings on main chains, has excellent heat resistance, chemical stability, good mechanical performance and ultrahigh electrical insulation properties, and can be used as special engineering plastics, high performance fibres, selective permeation membranes, high temperature coatings, high temperature composite materials, etc. Hence, polyimide is a material which is very suitable to be used as high temperature-resistant safe battery separators. Previous documents have disclosed some schemes for solving the heat resistance of the battery separators, but the problem is not basically solved due to the reasons, such as insufficient mechanical strength or overlow porosity or overhigh internal resistance, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE UTILITY MODEL
Objects of the present invention are to provide a high temperature-resistant high-porosity polyimide blend nanofibre and use thereof in battery separators. The polyimide blend nanofibre is manufactured by subjecting a precursor of two polyimides to high-voltage electrostatic spinning and a high-temperature imidization treatment, and the polyimide blend precursor is composed of a bicomponent of a polyimide precursor nonmeltable at a high temperature and a polyimide precursor meltable at 300-400° C., The polyimide blend precursor is converted into a bicomponent polyimide blend by high temperature imidization, and the conversion is shown by the following formula:
Wherein, R 1 is a residue structure of an aromatic ring-containing dianhydride, R 2 and R 3 are residue structures of aromatic ring-containing dianhydrides, and R 2 and R 3 can be the same or different. n is a number of the repeating units of a polymer, and is between 50-150.
The larger the n value, the larger the molecular weight of the polymer; X is a positive number smaller than or equal to 1, X represents the composition of the nonmeltable polyimide precursor in the blend, and (1−X) represents the composition of the meltable polyimide precursor in the blend.
In particular, R 1 is one of the following structures:
pyromellitic dianhydride residue group
biphenyl dianhydride residue group
diphenyl sulfone dianhydride residue group
triphenyl diether dianhydride residue group
diphenyl ether dianhydride residue group
cyclobutane dianhydride residue group
2,6-pyrimidine bisbiphenyl dianhydride residue group
diphenyl ketone dianhydride residue group
3,6-bridged alkene cyclohexane tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
bistrifluoromethyl diphenyl methane tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
terphenyl tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
thioether tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
cyclohexane tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
diphenoxy biphenyl tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
dimethyl diphenyl methane tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
difluoro pyromellitic dianhydride residue group
dimethyl diphenyl silane tetracarboxylic dianhydride residue group
R 2 is one of following structures:
2-methyl ether diamine residue group
3,3′-dihydroxy diphenyl diamine residue group
p-phenylene diamine residue group
diphenyl methane diamine residue group
thioether diamine residue group
3,3′-dimethoxy biphenyl diamine residue group
terphenyl diamine residue group
3,3′-dimethyl diphenyl methane diamine residue group
2,6-pyridine diamine residue group
2,6-pyridine biphenyl diamine residue group
dimethyl diphenyl methane diamine residue group
5-methyl m-phenylene diamine residue group
biphenyl diamine residue group
diphenyl ether diamine residue group
m-phenylene diamine residue group
R 3 is one of following structures:
triphenyl diether diamine residue group
4,4′-diphenoxy diphenyl ketone diamine residue group
4,4′diphenoxy bisphenol A diamine residue group
diphenyl ether diamine residue group
4,4′diphenoxy diphenyl sulfone diamine residue group
diphenoxy triphenyl phosphine oxide diamine residue group
For the polyimide blend nanofibre of the invention, aromatic ring-containing diamines and dianhydrides are used as raw materials, to synthesize polyamide acids with appropriate intrinsic viscosities; the solutions of these two polyimide acids (polyimide precursors) are mixed uniformly under mechanical stirring at a certain proportion; the mixture solution is prepared into a polyamide acid nanofibre porous membrane by high-voltage electrostatic spinning technique, and imidized at a high temperature above 300° C. to obtain a polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or nonwoven fabric, which is used as the battery separator of a lithium ion battery.
The polyimide blend nanofibre is manufactured from a bicomponent precursor of a polyimide precursor nonmeltable at a high temperature and a polyimide precursor meltable at 300-400° C. by electrostatic spinning and a high-temperature imidization treatment. The key to this is that the component nonmeltable at a high temperature functions to support the structure of the nanofibre, and maintains a high-porosity network structure formed by the nanofibre, the meltable component plays an adhesion action owing to melting at a high temperature, and allows good adhesion to be formed in most of nanofibre crossed positions, as seen in FIG. 1 , thereby enduing the formed polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or nonwoven fabric with characteristics, such as good resistance to rubbing and high temperature, high porosity and a certain mechanical strength, and overcoming critical defects of the electrospun nanofibre membrane, such as fuzzing due to rubbing, easy layering, low mechanical strength, etc.
FIG. 1 shows comparative scanning electronic microscope images of a polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane and a single component polyimide nanofibre porous membrane of example 2 and example 11 in the present invention. In this situation, A and B are the structure in the electro-spun nanofibre porous membranes of a polyimide blend, and there is remarkable adhesion in the crossed positions of the fibres in A and B, (see position marked by a circular ring in FIG. B); C and D show the structures in the electro-spun nanofibre porous membranes of a nonmeltable single component polyimides, when X=1 in the above structure formula.
The polyimide blend nanofibre of the invention has the following characteristics: a fiber diameter of 50-1000 nm, a decomposition temperature of higher than 500° C., a melting temperature of higher than 300° C., a porosity of higher than 75%, mechanical strength of 10-50 Mpa, being completely insoluble in organic solvents, and electrical breakdown strength of higher than 10 V/μm. The electrostatic spun polyimide nanofibre porous membrane or nonwoven fabric with such characteristics is resistant to a high temperature, thermal shrinkage, chemical corrosion, and high-voltage high-current overcharge, is suitable to be used as safe battery separators and safe super capacitor separators, and is widely used in various high-capacity and high-power situations, such as automobile power.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows comparison of scanning electronic microscope images of the polyimide blend nanofiber porous membrane and single-component polyimide nanofiber porous membrane of the present invention. FIGS. A and B show the scanning electronic microscope images of the bicomponent polyimide blend nanofiber porous membrane of the present invention; and FIGS. C and D show the scanning electronic microscope images of the single-component non-meltable polyimide nanofiber porous membrane of the present invention when X=1 in the structural formula of the bicomponent blend of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
The following embodiments will help those of ordinary skill in the art to further understand the invention, but do not limit the invention in any way.
Embodiment 1
Preparation of Biphenyl Dianhydride/P-Phenylene Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (BPDA/PPD//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified biphenyl dianhydride (BPDA) and p-phenylene diamine (PPD) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 1-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.7 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 1-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.8 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 1-1 and A 1-2 were mixed at a ratio of 8:2, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 4.3 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 100-300 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 18 MPa, elongation at break was 12%, glass transition temperature was 292° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 540° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 85.6%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 38.6 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 2
Preparation of Biphenyl Dianhydride/Biphenyl Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (BPDA/Bz//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified biphenyl dianhydride (BPDA) and biphenyl diamine (Bz) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 2-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 6.1 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 2-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.7 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 2-1 and A 2-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 5.2 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 150-400 nm, tensile strength of the fiber membrane was 21 MPa, elongation at break was 10%, glass transition temperature was 285° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 526° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 83.5%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 37.9 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 3
Preparation of Pyromellitic Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (PMDA/ODA//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and biphenyl ether diamine (ODA) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stiffing at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 3-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 5.4 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 3-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.8 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 3-1 and A 3-2 were mixed at a ratio of 8:2, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 4.5 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 100-300 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 14 MPa, elongation at break was 8%, glass transition temperature was 288° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 508° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 84.2%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 38.4 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 4
Preparation of Diphenylsulfone Dianhydride/Biphenyl Ether Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/4,4′-Diphenoxy Diphenylsulfone Diamine Polyimide Blend (DSDA/ODA//HQDPA/BAPS PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified diphenylsulfone dianhydride (DSDA) and biphenyl ether diamine (ODA) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stiffing at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 4-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 5.5 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and 4,4′-diphenoxy diphenyl sulfone diamine (BAPS) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 4-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.0 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 4-1 and A 4-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 4.8 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 150-400 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 18 MPa, elongation at break was 12%, glass transition temperature was 280° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 520° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 83.5%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 37.4 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 5
Preparation of Biphenyl Dianhydride/Pyrimidine Biphenyl Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (BPDA/PRM//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified biphenyl dianhydride (BPDA) and 2,6-pyrimidine biphenyl diamine (PRM) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 5-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 7.2 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 5-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.8 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 5-1 and A 5-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 5.8 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 150-400 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 26 MPa, elongation at break was 14%, glass transition temperature was 286° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 528° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 84.4%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 37.8 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 6
Preparation of Pyromellitic Dianhydride/Dihydroxy Biphenyl Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (PMDA/DHB//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 3,3′-dihydroxy biphenyl diamine (DHB) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 6-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 5.8 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 6-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.7 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 6-1 and A 6-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 4.8 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 100-300 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 16 MPa, elongation at break was 8%, glass transition temperature was 292° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 518° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 85.1%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 39.0 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 7
Preparation of Dipenyl Ketone Dianhydride/Biphenyl Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (BTDA/Bz//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified dipenyl ketone dianhydride (BTDA) and biphenyl diamine (Bz) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 7-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.7 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 7-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.6 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 7-1 and A 7-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 3.9 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 80-250 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 12 MPa, elongation at break was 11%, glass transition temperature was 276° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 509° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 82.5%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 40.0 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 8
Preparation of Diphenyl Ether Dianhydride/P-Phenylene Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (ODPA/PPD//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified diphenyl ether dianhydride (ODPA) and p-phenylene diamine (PPD) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 8-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.9 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 8-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.4 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 8-1 and A 8-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 3.8 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 50-200 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 10 MPa, elongation at break was 8%, glass transition temperature was 272° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 506° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 81.2%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 41.3 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 9
Preparation of Pyromellitic Dianhydride/3,3′-Dimethyl Diphenylmethane Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/Diphenyl Ether Diamine Polyimide Blend (PMDA/OTOL//HQDPA/ODA PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 3,3′-dimethyl diphenylmethane diamine (OTOL) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 9-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.8 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and diphenyl ether diamine (ODA) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 9-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 3.8 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 9-1 and A 9-2 were mixed at a ratio of 7:3, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 4.2 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 80-250 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 12 MPa, elongation at break was 8%, glass transition temperature was 282° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 505° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 81.1%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 40.2 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 10
Preparation of Pyromellitic Dianhydride/Diphenylmethane Diamine//Triphenyl Diether Dianhydride/4,4′-Diphenoxy Diphenylsulfone Diamine Polyimide Blend (PMDA/MDA//HQDPA/BAPS PI Blend) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and diphenylmethane diamine (MDA) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 10-1 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 5.5 Pa·S; similarly, a certain amount of purified triphenyl diether dianhydride (HQDPA) and 4,4′-diphenoxy diphenylsulfone diamine (BAPS) and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stiffing at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution (A 10-2 ) with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.1 Pa·S. The polyamic acid solutions A 10-1 and A 10-2 were mixed at a ratio of 8:2, and mechanically stirred to uniform to form a blend solution of the two precursors with an absolute viscosity of 4.8 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 200 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 100-300 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 15 MPa, elongation at break was 10%, glass transition temperature was 290° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 510° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 84.8%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 39.3 m 2 /g.
Embodiment 11
Preparation of Biphenyl Dianhydride/P-Phenylene Diamine Polyimide (BPDA/PPD PI) Nanofiber Battery Separator
(1) polymer synthesis and electrospinning: a certain amount of purified biphenyl dianhydride (BPDA) and p-phenylene diamine (PPD) at a molar ratio of 1:1 and an appropriate amount of the solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were taken, and reacted in a polymerization kettle under stirring at 5° C. for 12 hours to obtain a non-meltable polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) solution with a mass concentration of 5% and an absolute viscosity of 4.7 Pa·S; it was subjected to electrostatic spinning in an electric field with an electric field strength of 300 kV/m; a blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane was collected by using a stainless steel roller with a diameter of 0.3 meter as a collector.
(2) imidization: the blend polyamic acid nanofiber membrane obtained as above was put into a high temperature furnace and heated in a nitrogen atmosphere for imidization. The temperature raising program was as follows: heating at a ramp rate of 20° C./min from room temperature to 250° C., maintaining for 30 min at this temperature, then heating at a ramp rate of 5° C./min to 370° C., maintaining for 30 min at 370° C., shutting off the power, and then naturally cooling to room temperature.
(3) performance characterization: fiber diameter was 100-300 nm, tensile strength of the nanofiber membrane was 12 MPa, elongation at break was 15%, glass transition temperature was 298° C., thermal decomposition temperature was 580° C., porosity of the nanofiber membrane was 86.9%, and specific surface area of the nanofiber membrane was 38.2 m 2 /g.
Experiment materials and result tests mentioned above
(I) Experiment materials:
In 11 experiment examples of the present invention, used are 6 dianhydrides and 8 diamines, 14 monomers in all, purchased by commercial channels.
1) biphenyl dianhydride [CAS number: 2420-87-3], purchased from Changzhou Sunlight Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.;
2) triphenyl diether dianhydride [experiment product, temporarily no CAS number], purchased from Changchun Hipolyking Co. Ltd.;
3) pyromellitic dianhydride [CAS number: 89-32-7], purchased from Wuhan Hannan Tongxin chemical Co. Ltd.;
4) diphenyl sulfone dianhydride [CAS number: 2540-99-0], purchased from TCI (Shanghai) Development Co., Ltd.;
5) dipenyl ketone dianhydride [CAS number: 2421-28-5], purchased from J&K Scientific Ltd.;
6) diphenyl ether dianhydride [CAS number: 1823-59-2], purchased from Changzhou Sunchem Pharmaceutical Chemical Material Co., Ltd.;
7) 3,3′-dimethyl diphenyl methane diamine (also known as, 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dimethyl diphenyl methane) [CAS number: 838-88-0], purchased from J&K Scientific Ltd.;
8) diphenyl methane diamine (also known as, 4,4′-diamino diphenylmethane) [CAS number: 101-77-9], purchased from J&K Scientific Ltd.;
9) p-phenylene diamine [CAS number: 106-50-3], purchased from Zhejiang Fusheng Holding Group Co., Ltd.;
10) diphenyl ether diamine [CAS number: 101-80-4], purchased from Changzhou Sunlight Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.;
11) Biphenyl diamine (also known as, 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl), [CAS number: 92-87-5], purchased from China Paini Chemical Reagent Factory;
12) 4,4′-diphenoxydiphenyl sulfone diamine (also known as, 4,4′-bia(amino phenoxy)diphenyl sulfone) [CAS number: 13080-89-2], purchased from Suzhou Yinsheng Chemical Co., Ltd.;
13) pyridine biphenyl diamine [experiment product, temporarily no CAS number], (synthesized in our laboratory);
14) dihydroxy biphenyl diamine (also known as: 3,3′-dihydroxy benzidine) [CAS number: 2373-98-0], purchased from Chemexcel (Zhangjiakou) Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.
(II) Experimental result, test and characteristic
The experimental results of the 11 experiment examples in the present invention are conventionally tested and characterized by following instrumentations.
1) The absolute viscosities of the polymer solution and the spinning solution are determined by an NDJ-8S viscometer (Shanghai Precision & Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd.);
2) The diameter of the electrospun nanofibre is determined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) VEGA 3 SBU (Czech Republic);
3) The thermal decomposition temperature of the polyimide blend nanofibre is determined by a WRT-3P thermogravimetic analyzer (TGA) (Shanghai Precision & Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd.);
4) The mechanical properties (such as strength, elongation at break, etc.) of the polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or the nonwoven fabric is determined by a CMT8102 micro control electronic universal tester (Shenzhen SANS Material Test Co., Ltd.);
5) The vitrification temperature of the polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or the nonwoven fabric is determined by a Diamond dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) (Perkin-Elmer, America);
6) The porosity of the polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or the nonwoven fabric is obtained by calculating via the formula below:
porosity β=[1−(ρ/ρ o )]×100
wherein, ρ is the density (g/cm3) of the polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or the nonwoven fabric, and ρo is the density (g/cm3) of the polyimide blend solid film (manufactured by a solution casting method);
7) The specific surface area of the polyimide blend nanofibre porous membrane or the nonwoven fabric is determined by a JW-K type pore distribution and specific surface area tester (Beijing JWGB Sci.&Tech. Co., Ltd.).
|
A polyimide blend nanofiber and its use in battery separator are disclosed. The polyimide blend nanofiber is made of two kinds of polyimide precursors by high pressure electrostatic spinning and then high temperature imidization processing, wherein one of the polyimide precursor does not melt under high temperature, and the other is meltable at a temperature of 300-400° C. The polyimide blend nanofiber of present invention has high temperature-resistance, high chemical stability, high porosity, good mechanical strength and good permeability, and can be applied as battery separator.
| 7
|
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 320,944, entitled "Biodegradable Superabsorbing Sponge," filed Mar. 9, 1989, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The application is also related to U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 371,210, entitled "Biodegradable Incontinence Device," filed June 26, 1989.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent particles which swell in the presence of aqueous solutions including saline and urine to many times their own weight. These absorbent materials are biodegradable and have absorptive properties equal to or higher than those of present superabsorbers.
Biodegradability of disposable products is no longer a preferred option; it has become a necessity. As the number of disposables in society has grown, the land fills and others methods of treatment for these disposables have been strained to the limits. Plastics are just one form of the problem of disposables while absorbent materials such as polyacrylates which are commonly used, e.g., in disposable diapers, have degradation times in the thousands of years. While the superabsorber such as the polyacrylates have advantages because of their high absorptive capabilities so that less is needed to attract a large amount of liquid, the non-biodegradability of these products makes them unacceptable if alternatives can be achieved.
Particulate superabsorbers can be used either in lose or packed form or else can be dispersed among fibers, e.g., cellulose fluff, to act as part of a liquid absorption system. However, if they are used in a packed form, the gel blocking problem must be ameliorated in order to provide optimum action.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a biodegradable superabsorbent particle which is competitive with the polyacrylate superabsorbers in terms of uptake for aqueous solutions and saline.
Another object of the invention is to provide methods of making biodegradable superabsorbers which use inexpensive material and are rapid.
A further objection of the invention is to provide a superabsorber which can act as a delivery system for a variety of materials, e.g., enzymes.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention features methods of making absorbent material which exhibit excellent absorption for saline and other liquids as well as being biodegradable. The methods of the invention form a particulate which can be stored in dry form and rehydrated at any time. The particulate can be used to replace the presently utilized polyacrylate superabsorbers.
The absorptive material made using the methods of the invention differs from acrylate absorbents in that it is biodegradable; and it is hydrophobic which assists in limiting gel blocking and reduces clumping. The hydrophobic aspect of the present particulates makes them distinct from earlier superabsorbers.
The base material used in the methods of the invention is a carboxylated cellulosic material such as carboxymethylcellulose. However, any cellulose derivative which has substantial carboxylation can be used. The preferred carboxylated cellulose is a carboxymethylcellulose having a DS, or Degree of Substitution, of 0.5 or greater, most preferably greater than 0.7. Carboxymethylcellulose with this high Degree of Substitution can have such a large amount of cross-linking that it would form an unworkable, almost glue-like material without the hydrophobicity treatment of the present invention.
The carboxylated cellulose material is reacted with two distinct agents; a cross-linking agent and a hydrophobicity agent. The order of reaction can change the properties of the final absorbent, with the reaction first with the cross-linking agent yielding more of a shell-like absorber and, consequently, a firmer particle, while their reaction with the hydrophobicity agent first will yield a particle having higher overall absorptive capabilities with absorption throughout the body of the particle. The preferred cross-linking agents are those which are metal containing and include a metal with an effective valence of at least three such as aluminum, chromium, or iron. The most preferred cross-linking agents are acetates, alkoxides such as ispropoxides and hydroxides, and chlorides. These include materials such as aluminum acetate, aluminum isopropoxide, aluminum hydroxide, ferric chloride, and mixtures thereof.
Hydrophobicity agents useful in the methods of the invention include monobasic and polybasic carboxylic acids or their salts, chlorides or anhydrides, most preferably those with 2-16 carbon atoms. Examples of useful hydrophobicity agents include acetic acid, proprionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, acetyl chloride, sodium acetate, sodium proprionate, proprionyl chloride, sodium butyrate, acetic anhydride, proprionyl anhydride, succinic acid, adipic acid, phthalic acid, citric acid, and mixtures thereof.
The reactions between the carboxylated cellulosic material and the cross-linking and/or hydrophobicity agent can be carried out in either aqueous or organic solutions. If an aqueous solvent is used, a moderate concentration saline, e.g., 0.9%, is preferred to get a better charge separation in the interior of the particle while organic solvent such as neutral petroleum spirits may be use if the reactants chosen are not readily soluble in aqueous solutions. In one most preferred embodiment to the invention, carboxymethylcellulose is first pre-swollen in an aqueous solution which allows better access of the cross-linking and hydrophobicity agents to the interior of the particle. In addition, pre-treatment of the carboxymethylcellulose with a small quantity of an alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol may improve wetting and, accordingly, the reactions.
The following description will further explain the methods of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The preferred absorbers of the present invention use a carboxymethylcellulose having a DS of 0.7 or above in order to provide sufficient cross-linking while allowing the hydrophobicity agent to eliminate the glue-like clumping problem. Although it is not necessary for understanding the invention, it is theorized that the metal ion, e.g., aluminum, reacts with the carboxyl groups on the adjacent chains of carboxymethylcellulose, forming an ionic cross-link between the chains. The aluminum has a third group thereon, most normally a hydroxide group although it could be an isopropyl or acetate group. The hydrophobic group, which most preferably is a small group such as acetate or proprionate is linked to a carboxymethylcellulose residue by aluminum ions as already described for cross-linking. The reason that the shorter chain carboxylic acids are preferred, e.g., acetate or proprionate is that with the same Degree of Substitution using larger molecules such as benxoic or palmitic acid, the hydrophobicity is so great that the water is not as easily accessible to the interior of the molecule. To use the longer chain molecules the degree of hydrophobic substitution must be much lower.
The reason why the particulates of the present invention work so well as superabsorbers is not completely understood but is theorized that the Donnan effect may be involved. The Donnan effect relates to a charge separation whereby having a high concentration of net negative charge in the interior of the particle will cause flow of saline. This type of effect is expected since the absorption for the particulates made using the present methods is improved for saline as compared with a salt free aqueous solution.
The following Examples will further illustrate the methods of the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
In this Example, an organic method of making the particulate is described. In this, and all the following Examples, similar carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was used. The carboxymethylcellulose had a DS of about 0.7 and was first sieved to remove any particles smaller than 500 microns. The particular CMC used was CMC 7H obtained from Aqualon.
Five g of CMC was dissolved in 4 ml of petroleum ether having a boiling point of 70-90° C. The petroleum ether contained 1 g of aluminum isopropoxide (Manalox 130, Manchem, Princeton, N.J.). The resulting slurry was stirred at 45-55° C. in a closed vessel. After 2-4 hours (determined by no further release of isoproponal), 0.4-0.8 g of anhydrous glacial acetic acid is added and stirring is continued for another 1-2 hours. After completion of the reaction, the solvent is removed from the slurry by filtration, the slurry is washed with other solvents such as petroleum ether and/or anhydride isopropl alcohol and air dried.
The resulting product was tested by uptake in capillary action with 0.15 N NaC1 under applied load of 0.22 lbs./in 2 for sixty minutes at room temperature. The amount of fluid uptake was then measured gravimetrically. The superabsorber absorbed 15 ml saline/g superabsorber.
EXAMPLE 2
In this Example, the same carboxymethylcellulose was formed into a particle using an aqueous procedure. First, approximately 1 g of the CMC was pre-wet with 0.4 g of an alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol was removed and then 10 g of saline containing aluminum acetate (20 mg/g CMC) and 40 mg glacial acetic acid was added. The reaction was allowed to proceed for 4 hours at 50° C. The swollen particles were then removed and dried under a hot air flow.
Using the same test of described in Example 1, the saline uptake under load was approximately 18 ml/g of superabsorber.
EXAMPLE 3
In the Example, the carboxymethylcellulose was first allowed to swell for several hours in normal saline (0.9%) before the reactions described in Example 2 were carried out. By allowing the particles to swell to five times their initial weight before reaction, a value of approximately 17 ml/g was obtained using the weight test. By allowing the particles to swell to approximately ten times their initial volume, a value of 19 ml/g was obtained. The pre-swelled described herein was "free" swelling, e.g., swelling without any applied load.
There are several factors which can be modified in order to obtain optimum performance for a particular task. First, a more highly cross-linked absorber will exhibit a slower rate of saline uptake that will be able to hold more total saline. Further, if the reaction between the hydrophobic agent and the carboxylated cellulosic material is carried out before the cross-linking, a more absorbent material is formed. In any case, not all of the carboxyl groups were involved in the cross-linking. The highly cross-linked materials have 15-20 mole percent cross-linked while in some materials, such as that described in Example 2, only about 1 mole percent cross-linking is used.
EXAMPLE 4
In this Example, a low molecular weight carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was used as a basis of the particulate superabsorber. Two distinct hydrophobicity agents, a monobasic acid and a bibasic acid, were used to modulate the cross-linking so as to obtain a product having improved properties. Without the use of both hydrophobicity agents, the material becomes too heavily cross-linked to use.
One gram of low molecular weight CMC (Akzo PL820) was mixed with 0.5 g of isopropanol. Thirty grams of a cross-linking/hydrophobicity agent solution was then added. This solution was made with 90 mg NaC1, 20 mg aluminum acetate/borate, 40 mg glacial acetic acid, and 50 mg succinic acid in 28 ml water. The resulting solution is stirred continuously until a homogeneous gel is formed. The gel is then transferred into a syringe and injected into 150 g of an isopropyl alcohol solution through a 16 gauge needle. A white precipitate in the form of small fibers appears in the alcohol solution. The alcohol is removed by filtration and evaporation and the resulting fibers are air dried.
Using the same test as described in Example 1, the material showed an absorption of 15 ml saline/g superabsorber under load. The particulate superabsorber also showed a free-swell (swelling without any applied load) of 48 ml saline/g superabsorber.
A further test was conducted with this material by placing the free-swollen superabsorber in a "tea-bag" of a non-woven fabric with a 150 mm mesh. The tea-bags were transferred to 50 ml centrifuge tubes and centrifuged to 3000 X g for 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes centrifugation, the free fluid was collected. The amount of liquid released was determined gravimetrically. The results show a liquid retention after centrifugation of approximately 22 ml saline/g superabsorber.
In addition to those described above, other means of making a particulate could be used. For example, a gel could be formed which is then dehydrated and ground to particulate form. Although this procedure can be useful, see Example 1 of the previously cited U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 320,944, is unlikely to yield particles of a single size without significant waste of material. Further, tests of particulate made using the grinding procedure without adding additional cellulose (such as described in the aforementioned Example) yielded an absorption under load of 10-18 ml/mg. The values using the methods described herein are much more consistent and simpler without yielding problems of gel blocking.
Those skilled in the art will be able to determine other modifications of the Example procedures and materials set forth herein. Such other modifications are within the scope of the following claims.
|
The present invention features methods of making absorbent material which exhibit excellent absorption for saline and other liquids as well as being biodegradable. The methods of the invention form a particulate which can be stored in dry form and rehydrated at any time. The particulate can be used to replace the presently utilized polyacrylate superabsorbers. The base material used in the methods of the invention is a carboxylated cellulosic material such as carboxymethylcellulose, preferably, a carboxymethylcellulose having a DS, or Degree of Substitution, of 0.5 or greater. The carboxylated cellulose material is reacted with two distinct agents; a cross-linking agent and a hydrophobicity agent to make the final absorbent.
| 0
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is entitled to the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/798,696 filed May 23, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed to the reliquefaction of boiloff vapors from liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks. Such storage tanks are used on large ocean-going vessels for transport of LNG, and are in widespread use on land in many applications.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] This invention is particularly applicable to shipboard re-liquefaction of boil-off natural gas from LNG carriers, where simplicity, weight, energy consumption, cost, and maintenance must strike an economic balance.
[0004] Such systems have typically incorporated a refrigeration cycle, composed of a working fluid such as nitrogen gas in multi-stage compression and one or two turboexpanders which may drive compressors; and the boiloff gas is typically compressed in two stages. Such prior art is shown in existing patents: WO 98/43029 A1 (Oct. 1, 1998), WO 2005/057761 A1 (May 26, 2005), WO 2005/071333 A1 Aug. 4, 2005, each issued to Rummelhoff; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,983 B2 (Sep. 17, 2002) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,241 B2 (Mar. 11, 2003), each issued to Pozivil; and has also been prominently displayed in publications and web sites. The designs in the prior art include turboexpansion of the refrigerant gas through wide pressure and temperature ranges, considered essential for process efficiency under the selected overall plant design, leading to compression of the refrigerant gas in multistage compressors of increased weight and complexity. None of these patents (and other published material) has openly considered the viability of a single stage of refrigerant compression, though shipboard liquefaction of boiloff gas has been a topic of serious investigation. Hence, the advantages of single-stage compression of a refrigerant gas in a main compressor have not been obvious to practitioners with skill in the specific technology.
[0005] Since these installations are considered primarily (but not exclusively) aboard ship, size and weight, and the number of pieces of equipment, especially machinery, take on great importance. Additionally, requirements for unbroken on-stream time may necessitate full duplication of all rotating equipment, effectively doubling the savings which accrue from a reduction in component machinery and complexity.
[0006] In view of the compound requirements for achieving efficient reliquefaction and reducing the number of components, including their weights and complexity, it would be advantageous to develop a process which achieves both ends.
[0007] It has been determined that under certain design configurations, a refrigeration cycle requiring a main single-stage compressor for the refrigerant, can have high thermodynamic efficiency (low specific power); and have the aforementioned benefits of reductions in component rotating equipment.
[0008] The current invention breaks the state-of-the-art barrier to an efficient refrigeration cycle based on a low compression ratio for the refrigerant gas, and enables employment of a single-stage main compressor for the refrigerant gas. The current system offers attractive alternatives to other proposed and constructed systems.
[0009] This invention achieves the objectives of net capital cost and overall weight reduction by reducing the compression of nitrogen in a main compressor to one centrifugal stage, saving a large investment over a main compressor of multiple stages and its coolers. Further compression may take place in compressors which are shaft-connected to turboexpanders.
[0010] Another aspect of this invention is that the refrigeration cycle is so designed as to efficiently achieve boiloff gas condensation while utilizing only one turboexpander, while maintaining a low compression ratio on the single-stage refrigerant compressor.
[0011] This invention relates to a process and equipment configuration to liquefy natural gas boiloff, wherein gas machinery for the refrigeration cycle is composed of a single-stage main compressor and one or two turboexpanders, which may drive compressors.
[0012] Additional improvements may include, all or individually, a single-stage boiloff gas compressor; an inserted heat exchanger to enable compression of the boiloff gas from an ambient temperature condition; and throttling a small refrigerant sidestream at low temperature in order cover the complete cooling range, while maintaining a low compression ratio on the single-stage main cycle compressor without an increase in energy consumption. This is especially effective when the condensed boiloff gas is brought to a subcooled condition.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The object of this invention is to provide equipment and process for reliquefaction of LNG boiloff gas which is thermodynamically efficient, in an installation which has a lower capital cost, smaller size (volume, footprint), lower weight, and less need for maintenance than systems utilizing the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Reliquefaction systems for liquefaction of LNG boiloff gas can be composed of a circulating working fluid, such as nitrogen in a closed cycle, which includes compression and machine expansion; as well as compression of the LNG boiloff gas. Such systems are machinery-intensive, i.e. the machinery size, weight, cost, and potential maintenance constitute major factors in the practicality and economy of the installation. This invention directly addresses machinery-intensive systems by means of a reduction in machinery components, i.e. stages of compression, while maintaining, and even improving, the energy requirements for reliquefaction.
[0015] The signal feature of the invention incorporates a single-stage main compressor for the circulating refrigerant fluid (nitrogen). Since each stage of compression in a main compressor requires an aftercooler (intercooler, if followed by another stage of compression), a reduction in stages of compression also reduces the heat exchanger requirements for cooling the compressed gas. Of course, savings are multiplied, if an installation must have a spare compressor.
[0016] Additionally, features can be incorporated in the invention which improve the thermodynamic efficiency (reduction in power consumption) of the reliquefaction process. These features include:
1. The cold boiloff gas emerging from the storage tank is warmed to approximately ambient temperature before it is compressed. Compression of cold gas has a thermodynamic penalty and leads to higher energy consumption. 2. A small refrigerant stream is liquefied, reduced in pressure, and introduced into the cold end of the main heat exchanger in order to achieve final cooling or subcooling of the reliquefied boiloff gas, as a means of reducing the overall compression ratio required for compression of the refrigerant.
[0019] The invention allows choices for employment of one or two stages of boiloff gas compression; one or two refrigerant turboexpanders; how the turboexpander(s) is loaded, i.e. by compressors, electric generators, mechanical load, and/or dissipative brakes; whether a combination of compressors is in series or parallel; if there are two turboexpanders, whether they operate in series or in parallel; and whether a turboexpander-driven compressor operates over the same pressure range as the main compressor, or a different pressure range.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The figures show multiple versions of the invention as examples of many alternative arrangements. These configurations are not exhaustive; but serve as a sampling of many possible arrangements which can accompany the externally-driven single-stage compression of the refrigerant gas as the chief element of the process invention.
[0021] FIG. 1 depicts a version of the invention which includes a heat exchanger which recovers boiloff gas refrigeration; a single stage of boiloff gas compression; and a single turboexpander. Turboexpander shaft output could drive an electric generator, a mechanical load, or a dissipative brake.
[0022] FIG. 2 depicts a version of the invention which includes a single stage of boiloff gas compression, which compresses boiloff gas as it emerges cold from the cargo tank; and a single turboexpander. Turboexpander shaft output could drive an electric generator, a mechanical load, or a dissipative brake.
[0023] FIG. 3 depicts a version of the invention which includes a heat exchanger which recovers boiloff gas refrigeration; a single stage of boiloff gas compression; and two turboexpanders. Turboexpanders shaft output could drive electric generators, mechanical loads, or dissipative brakes. The turboexpanders are shown in a series arrangement. The turboexpanders could also be in a parallel arrangement, operating across the same pressure ratio, instead of dividing the pressure ratio between them.
[0024] FIG. 4 depicts a version of the invention which includes a single stage of boiloff gas compression which compresses boiloff gas as it emerges cold from the cargo tank; and two turboexpanders. Turboexpanders shaft outputs could drive electric generators, mechanical loads, or dissipative brakes. The turboexpanders are shown in a series arrangement. The turboexpanders could also be in a parallel arrangement, operating across the same pressure ratio, instead of dividing the pressure ratio between them.
[0025] FIG. 5 (which is quantified in the Example) depicts a version of the invention which includes a heat exchanger which recovers boiloff gas refrigeration; a single stage of boiloff gas compression; and a single turboexpander. Turboexpander shaft output drives a compressor, which further elevates the top operating pressure of the closed refrigeration cycle.
[0026] FIG. 6 depicts a version of the invention which includes a heat exchanger which recovers boiloff gas refrigeration; a single stage of boiloff gas compression; and two turboexpander. Turboexpanders shaft outputs drive compressors, which further elevate the top operating pressure of the closed refrigeration cycle. The turboexpanders could also be in a parallel arrangement, operating across the same pressure ratio, instead of dividing the pressure ratio between them. The compressors are shown in a series arrangement. However, they may also be arranged in a parallel arrangement, each operating over the same suction and discharge pressures; or the compressors may operate over the same pressure range as the main refrigeration compressor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] The drawings show the arrangement of equipment for effecting this process and its modifications.
[0028] ( FIGS. 1 & 2 ) A refrigerant cycle gas 14 , such as nitrogen, is compressed in a single-stage compressor 2 . Through an arrangement of heat exchangers 6 and one turboexpander 8 , refrigeration is delivered to the compressed natural gas boiloff from the cargo of a liquefied natural gas carrier ship, or other liquefied natural gas storage container.
[0029] The compressed nitrogen 3 is cooled in an aftercooler 4 against cooling water or ambient air, and is partially cooled in a heat exchanger 6 against low-pressure returning streams. A first part of the partially-cooled compressed nitrogen 7 is withdrawn from the heat exchanger and is work-expanded in a turboexpander 8 . The exhaust stream 9 from the turboexpander re-enters the heat exchanger 6 and flows countercurrent to the feed streams and exits as stream 14 which returns to the suction side to the aforementioned single-stage nitrogen compressor.
[0030] The second divided stream 10 is further cooled in the heat exchanger 6 . It is removed and passed through a throttle valve 11 and stream 12 exits the throttle valve at the same or nearly the same pressure as the turboexpander exhaust pressure of the first divided stream. The valve-throttled stream 12 also re-enters the heat exchanger 6 and flows countercurrent to the feed streams. Stream 12 may be combined with stream 9 at junction point 13 and also returns to the suction side to the aforementioned single-stage nitrogen compressor. Power recovery from the turboexpander 8 may be by mechanical shaft connection to the single-stage nitrogen compressor or by means of an electric generator. In some cases, power recovery may not be practiced.
[0031] In FIG. 1 , natural gas boiloff 21 is warmed in a heat exchanger 22 and then compressed in either a single stage compressor, or in two stages with intercooling. The compressed boiloff gas 25 is cooled in an aftercooler 26 against cooling water or ambient air, and the cooled, compressed boiloff gas 27 is then cooled in the above-mentioned heat exchanger 22 by refrigeration derived from warming the aforementioned natural gas boiloff. The cooled, compressed boiloff natural gas 28 undergoes further cooling in heat exchange against the refrigerant in heat exchanger 6 . This stream 28 is further de-superheated and then partially or fully condensed. The condensate may be further subcooled. The condensate 29 is returned to the cargo tank of the vessel. The condensate 29 may be flashed to lower pressure with recycle or venting of vapor prior return of the liquid to the cargo tank of the vessel.
[0032] Alternatively ( FIG. 2 ), the cold natural gas boiloff 23 enters the boiloff gas compressor 24 at the temperature it leaves the cargo tank piping, and the stream 25 which exits a one- or two-stage boiloff gas compressor directly enters the heat exchanger 6 for further cooling. Compressed boiloff natural gas undergoes further cooling in heat exchanger 6 against the refrigerant, where the boiloff gas is further de-superheated and then partially or fully condensed. The condensate may be further subcooled prior to cargo tank return. The condensate 29 may be flashed to lower pressure with recycle or venting of vapor prior return of the liquid to the cargo tank of the vessel.
[0033] FIGS. 3 and 4 show arrangements similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 , but incorporating two turboexpanders in the refrigeration circuit. The turboexpanders operate over different temperature ranges, which may partially overlap. These systems consume less energy than single turboexpander systems, at the cost of an additional machine and related complexity.
[0034] FIGS. 5 and 6 show arrangements similar to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 , respectively, with the exception that the turboexpanders drive compressors. The refrigeration cycle then includes the effects of further compression by these means. The processes represented in FIGS. 2 and 4 could also be modified to include turboexpander-driven compressors as part of the process cycle.
[0035] There are a large number of combinations of how turboexpander-driven compressors are employed in a refrigeration cycle. The common element in each of the figures is the single-stage centrifugal main refrigeration compressor.
EXAMPLE
[0036] kgmoles/hr=kilogram moles per hour (flow)
[0037] ° C.=degrees Celsius (temperature)
[0038] bar=bar (absolute pressure)
[0039] composition %=molar percentages
[0040] FIG. 5 shows a process for the reliquefaction of boiloff gas 21 evolved from the cargo tanks of an ocean-going LNG transport vessel, where the boiloff gas evolution rate is 395.9 kgmoles/hr, reaching the deck at a temperature of −130° C. and a pressure of 1.060 bar. The boiloff gas composition is 91.46% methane; 8.53% nitrogen; and 0.01% ethane. The boiloff gas is warmed in heat exchanger 22 and stream 23 exits at 41° C. and 1.03 bar. Stream 23 enters boiloff gas compressor 24 and is compressed to 2.3 bar and 122° C. Stream 25 is cooled in aftercooler 26 to 43° C. and 2.2 bar. Typically, cooling water is the cooling medium in indirect heat transfer with the boiloff gas for this aftercooler and other aftercoolers in the process. The cooled, compressed gas 27 enters heat exchanger 22 in indirect heat transfer with stream 21 , and exits as stream 28 at −126.7° C. and 2.17 bar. Stream 27 enters heat exchanger 6 for further cooling, condensation, and subcooling. Stream 29 exits heat exchanger 6 at −169.2° C. and 2.02 bar. It then can be re-injected into the storage tank.
[0041] The refrigeration cycle working fluid in this case is nitrogen. A nitrogen stream 3 at 8.73 bar and 43.12° C. is compressed in a single-stage compressor 2 to 16.64 bar and 123.1° C. at a flow rate of 6875 kgmoles/hr. This stream is cooled in aftercooler 4 to 43° C. and 16.50 bar. Stream 41 is further compressed in turboexpander-driven compressor 81 to 18.99 bar and 59.53° C. Stream 42 cooled in aftercooler 82 to 43.0° C. and 18.89 bar, and stream 5 enters heat exchanger 6 , where it is cooled to −142.0° C. A division of nitrogen flow occurs here. Stream 7 is routed to turboexpander 8 at a flow of 6825 kgmoles/hr. The balance of the flow of 50 kgmoles/hr remains in heat exchanger 6 and is cooled to −163.0° C. and 18.49 bar and exits as stream 10 .
[0042] Stream 10 is valve-throttled to 9.00 bar which produces a two-phase mixture 12 at a temperature of −171.0° C., which enters the cold end of heat exchanger 6 and is vaporized and warmed as it further removes heat from the boiloff gas stream.
[0043] Stream 7 undergoes a work-producing turboexpansion which is utilized to drive compressor 81 . The discharged stream 9 is at −167.7° C. and 8.99 bar. This stream enters heat exchanger 6 at a point where the returning cold stream is at that temperature. The returning streams may be combined as they are warmed to 42.19° C. and 8.73 bar leaving the heat exchanger as stream 14 , transferring their refrigerative value to the incoming streams.
[0044] Stream 14 enters the suction side of the single-stage compressor 2 as part of the closed refrigeration cycle.
[0045] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto, since many obvious modifications can be made; and it is intended to include with this invention any such modifications as will fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
|
A design for equipment and process for reliquefaction of LNG boiloff gas, primarily for shipboard installation, has high thermodynamic efficiency and lower capital cost, smaller size (volume, footprint), lower weight, and less need for maintenance than systems utilizing the prior art. The main refrigerant gas compressor is reduced to a single stage turbocompressor. Optional elements include: compression of boiloff gas at ambient temperature; compression of boiloff gas in one or two stages; turboexpansion of refrigerant gas incorporating one or two turboexpanders; turboexpander energy recovery by mechanical loading, compressor drive, or electric generator; refrigerant sidestream for cooling at the lowest temperatures.
| 5
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation in part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/141,659, filed Aug. 28, 1998, the teachings of which are here in incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to certain Group 3, 4 or Lanthanide metal complexes possessing two metal centers and to polymerization catalysts obtained therefrom. In one form this invention relates to such metal complexes per se. In another embodiment of the claimed invention, the complexes can be activated to form catalysts for the polymerization of olefins. Also included in the invention are processes for preparing such complexes and methods of using the catalysts in addition polymerizations.
Biscyclopentadienyl Group 4 transition metal complexes in which the metal is in the +4, +3 or +2 formal oxidation state, and olefin polymerization catalysts formed from such by combination with an activating agent, for example, alumoxane or ammonium borate, are well known in the art. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,099 describes the formation of olefin polymerization catalysts by the combination of biscyclopentadienyl metal dihalides with alumoxane. U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,401 discloses tetravalent biscyclopentadienyl Group 4 transition metal complexes and olefin polymerization catalysts obtained by converting such complexes into cationic forms in combination with a non-coordinating anion. Particularly preferred catalysts are obtained by the combination of ammonium borate salts with the biscyclopentadienyl titanium, zirconium or hafnium complexes. Among the many suitable complexes disclosed are bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium complexes containing a diene ligand attached to the transition metal through σ-bonds where the transition metal is in its highest formal oxidation state. R. Mülhaupt, et al., J. Organomet. Chem., 460,191 (1993), reported on the use of certain binuclear zirconocene derivatives of dicyclopentadienyl-1,4-benzene as catalysts for propylene polymerization.
Constrained geometry metal complexes, including titanium complexes, and methods for their preparation are disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 545,403, filed Jul. 3,1990 (EP-A-416,815); U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,064,802, 5,374,696, 5,055,438, 5,057,475, 5,096,867, and 5,470,993.
Metal complexes of the constrained geometry type containing two metal centers joined by means of a dianionic ligand separate from and unconnected to the ligand groups in such complexes that contain delocalized π-electrons, are previously taught, but not exemplified, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,438.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dinuclear metal complexes corresponding to the formula:
wherein:
M and M′ are independently Group 3, 4, 5, 6, or Lanthanide metals;
L, L′, W, and W′, independently, are divalent groups having up to 50 nonhydrogen atoms and containing an aromatic π-system through which the group is bound to M, said L and W also being bound to Z, and said L′ and W′ also being bound to Z′;
Z and Z′ independently are trivalent moieties comprising boron or a member of Group 14 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and optionally also comprising nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur or oxygen, said Z and Z′ having up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen;
X and T independently each occurrence are anionic ligand groups having up to 40 atoms exclusive of the class of ligands containing an aromatic π-system through which the group is bound to M or M′, or optionally two X groups or two T groups together form a C 4-40 conjugated or nonconjugated diene optionally substituted with one or more hydrocarbyl, silyl, halocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl groups;
X′ and T′ independently each occurrence are neutral ligating compound having up to 20 atoms other than neutral diene compounds;
Q is a divalent anionic ligand group bound to both Z and Z′, said Q having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms;
w and w′ are independently 0 or 1;
x and t are independently integers from 0 to 3, selected to provide charge balance; and
x′ and t′ are independently numbers from 0 to 3.
Additionally according to the present invention there is provided a composition of matter useful as an addition polymerization catalyst comprising:
1) at least one dinuclear metal complex (I) as previously disclosed, and
2) one or more activating cocatalysts,
the molar ratio of 1) to 2) being from 1:10,000 to 100:1, or
the reaction product formed by converting 1) to an active catalyst by use of an activating technique.
Further additionally according to the present invention there is provided a process for polymerization of one or more addition polymerizable monomers comprising contacting said monomer or a mixture of said monomers with a catalyst comprising the aforementioned composition of matter.
The invented catalyst compositions allow the preparation of mixtures of polymers from a single monomer or mixture of monomers thereby forming directly a polymer blend in the reactor. This result is accentuated where different metals, different metal valencies or different ligand groups attached to the two metal centers are employed. Alternatively, the invention allows for increased incorporation of long chain branching in a polymer formed from a single monomer, especially ethylene, or a mixture of monomers, due to selection of one metal center adapted to forming oligomeric products terminated by vinyl functionality in combination with a second metal center adapted to form high molecular weight polymers or adapted to long chain α-olefin incorporation into a polymer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
All reference to the Periodic Table of the Elements herein shall refer to the Periodic Table of the Elements, published and copyrighted by CRC Press, Inc., 1989. Also, any reference to a Group or Groups shall be to the Group or Groups as reflected in this Periodic Table of the Elements using the IUPAC system for numbering groups.
In all of the forgoing and succeeding embodiments of the invention, desirably, when w and w′ are both 1, two X and two T groups together are a diene or substituted diene. Further preferred compounds correspond to the formula:
wherein
Z, Z′, M, M′, X, X′, T, T′, w, w′, x, x′, t, and t′ are as previously defined;
Cp and Cp′, independently are cyclic C 5 R′ 4 groups bound to Z or Z′ respectively and bound to M or M′ respectively by means of delocalized π-electrons, wherein R′, independently each occurrence, is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, silyl, halo, fluorohydrocarbyl, hydrocarbyloxy, hydrocarbylsiloxy, N,N-di(hydrocarbylsilyl)amino, N-hydrocarbyl-N-silylamino, N,N-di(hydrocarbyl)amino, hydrocarbyleneamino, di(hydrocarbyl)phosphino, hydrocarbylsulfido; or hydrocarbyloxy-substituted hydrocarbyl, said R′ having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms, and optionally, two such R′ substituents may be joined together thereby causing Cp or Cp′ to have a fused ring structure; and
Q is a linear or cyclic hydrocarbylene, or silane group or a nitrogen, oxygen, or halo substituted derivative thereof, said Q having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms.
More preferred metal coordination complexes according to the present invention correspond to the formula:
wherein:
R′ each occurrence is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, silyl, germyl, halo, cyano, halohydrocarbyl, hydrocarbyloxy, hydrocarbylsiloxy, di(hydrocarbylsilyl)amino, hydrocarbylsilylamino, di(hydrocarbyl)amino, hydrocarbyleneamino, di(hydrocarbyl)phosphino, hydrocarbylsulfido; or hydrocarbyloxy-substituted hydrocarbyl, said R′ having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms, and optionally, two R′ groups together form a divalent derivative thereof connected to adjacent positions of the cyclopentadienyl ring thereby forming a fused ring structure, or R′ in one occurrence per cyclopentadienyl system is a covalent bond to Q;
Z″ independently each occurrence is a trivalent group selected from SiR*, CR*, SiR*SiR* 2 , CR*CR* 2 , CR*SiR* 2 , CR* 2 SiR*, or GeR*; wherein R* each occurrence is independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, silyl, halogenated alkyl, or halogenated aryl, said R* having up to 12 non-hydrogen atoms;
Z′″ independently each occurrence is —Z″Y′—, wherein:
Y′ is —O—, —S—, —NR″—, —PR″—, —OR″, or —NR″ 2 (and with respect to —OR″ and —NR″ 2 , one bond is a dative bond through the available electron pair),
wherein R″ is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, silyl, or silylhydrocarbyl of up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen;
M and M′ independently are Ti, Zr or Hf;
X and T, independently are halide, hydrocarbyl or two X groups together or two T groups together are a conjugated diene group, said X and T groups having up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen; and
Q is a linear or cyclic hydrocarbylene group, silane group, or silyl substituted hydrocarbylene group, or a nitrogen, oxygen, or halo substituted derivative thereof, said Q having up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen.
Preferably, R′ independently each occurrence is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, silyl, fluorophenyl, hydrocarbyloxy, N,N-di(hydrocarbyl)amino, hydrocarbyleneamino, or hydrocarbyloxy-substituted hydrocarbyl, said R′ having up to 20 non-hydrogen atoms, or two adjacent R′ groups are joined together forming part of a fused ring system. Most preferably, R′ is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, (including where appropriate all isomers), cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, norbornyl, benzyl, phenyl, N,N-di(methyl)amino, pyrrolyl, pyrrolidinyl, or two R′ groups are linked together, the entire C 5 R′ 4 group thereby forming an indenyl, tetrahydroindenyl, fluorenyl, tetrahydrofluorenyl, indacenyl, or octahydrofluorenyl group, or a C 1-6 hydrocarbyl-substituted, N,N-di(methyl)amino-substituted, pyrrolyl, or pyrrolidinyl-substituted derivative thereof.
Examples of suitable X or T groups for all of the foregoing structural depictions of the invention include single atomic groups including hydride or halide, as well as multi-atomic groups such as hydrocarbyl, hydrocarbyloxy, dihydrocarbylamido (including cyclic hydrocarbyleneamido groups) and halo, amino, or phosphino substituted derivatives thereof, said multi-atomic groups containing up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms. Specific examples include chloride, methyl, benzyl, allyl, N,N-dimethylamido, pyrrolinado, pyrrolidinado, (N,N-dimethylamino)benzyl, phenyl, methoxide, ethoxide, isopropoxide and isobutoxide. Most preferably X and T are chloride, methyl, N,N-dimethylamido, or benzyl.
In the embodiments wherein two X or wherein two T groups together form a diene group or substituted diene group, such group may form a α-complex with M or M′ or the diene may form a σ-complex with M or M′. In such complexes M and M′ are preferably Group 4 metals, most preferably Ti. In such complexes in which the diene is associated with the metal as a α-complex, the metal is in the +4 formal oxidation state and the diene and metal together form a metallocyclopentene. In such complexes in which the diene is associated with the metal as a π-complex, the metal is in the +2 formal oxidation state, and the diene normally assumes a s-trans configuration or an s-cis configuration in which the bond lengths between the metal and the four carbon atoms of the conjugated diene are nearly equal. The dienes of complexes wherein the metal is in the +2 formal oxidation state are coordinated via π-complexation through the diene double bonds and not through a metallocycle resonance form containing σ-bonds. The nature of the bond is readily determined by X-ray crystallography or by NMR spectral characterization according to the techniques of Yasuda, et al., Organometallics, 1, 388 (1982), (Yasuda I); Yasuda, et al. Acc. Chem. Res., 18, 120 (1985), (Yasuda II); Erker, et al. , Adv. Organomet. Chem., 24, 1 (1985)(Erker, et al. (I)); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,401. By the term “π-complex” is meant both the donation and back acceptance of electron density by the ligand are accomplished using ligand π-orbitals. Such dienes are referred to as being π-bound. It is to be understood that the present complexes may be formed and utilized as mixtures of the π-complexed and σ-complexed diene compounds.
The formation of the diene complex in either the π or σ state depends on the choice of the diene, the specific metal complex and the reaction conditions employed in the preparation of the complex. Generally, terminally substituted dienes favor formation of π-complexes and internally substituted dienes favor formation of σ-complexes. Especially useful dienes for such complexes are compounds that do not decompose under reaction conditions used to prepare the complexes of the invention. Under subsequent polymerization conditions, or in the formation of catalytic derivatives of the present complexes, the diene group may undergo chemical reactions or be replaced by another ligand.
Examples of suitable dienes (two X or T groups taken together) include: butadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1,3-hexadiene, 2,4-hexadiene, 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene, 3-methyl-1,3-pentadiene, 1,4-dibenzyl-1,3-butadiene, 1,4-ditolyl-1,3-butadiene, and 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-butadiene.
Examples of the preferred metal complexes according to the present invention include compounds wherein R′ is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, (including all isomers of the foregoing where applicable), cyclododecyl, norbornyl, benzyl, phenyl, Q is 1,2-ethanediyl, 1,4-butanediyl, 1,6-hexanediyl or silane, Z″ is hydrocarbylsilane, most preferably methylsilanetriyl; and the cyclic delocalized π-bonded group is cyclopentadienyl, tetramethylcyclopentadienyl, indenyl, tetrahydroindenyl, 2-methylindenyl, 2,3-dimethylindenyl, 2-methyl-4-phenylindenyl, 3-N,N-dimethylaminoindenyl, 3-(pyrrolyl)inden-1-yl, 3-(pyrrolidinyl)inden-1-yl, fluorenyl, tetrahydrofluorenyl, indacenyl or octahydrofluorenyl group; M and M′ are titanium or zirconium in the +2 or +4 formal oxidation state.
Examples of the foregoing more further preferred dinuclear complexes are of the formula:
wherein
M is titanium or zirconium;
q is an integer from 2 to 10;
R′ is methyl or all R′ groups collectively with the cyclopentadienyl group form a 2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-yl, 3-(N-pyrrolidinyl)inden-1-yl, or a 2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-yl group; and
X and T, independently each occurrence, are chloride, methyl, benzyl or 2 X groups or two T groups together form a 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene or 1,3-pentadiene group.
Specific examples of the foregoing metal complexes include:
Titanium Complexes:
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadien-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,6-tetramethylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]ethane, and
1,6-bis[(1-N-(t-butyl)amido)-1-methyl-1-(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-diyl)silantitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene]hexane.
Zirconium Complexes:
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dichloride]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dimethyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium dibenzyl]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(tetramethylcyclopentadiendiyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane,
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2,3,4,6-tetramethyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane,
1,2-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]ethane, and
1,6-bis[1,1-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl)-1-H-inden-1-diyl)-1-methylsilanzirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene]hexane.
In general, the complexes of the present invention can be prepared by combining the dimetallated or diGrignard compound derived from the group Q in the resulting complex, with the precursor complex or mixture of complexes in a suitable noninterfering solvent at a temperature from −100° C. to 300° C., preferably from −78 to 130° C., most preferably from −10 to 120° C. More particularly, the complexes can be prepared by lithiating a compound of the formula: HCp—Z—Q—Z—CpH, such as 1,2-ethane (bisinden-1-yl)methylchlorosilane), reacting the resulting dimetallated compound with 2 equivalents of an amine, preferably t-butylamine, and reacting the resulting product with a metal halide such as titanium or zirconium tetrachloride or titanium or zirconium trichloride, and optionally oxidizing the resulting metal complex. Similarly, the bis(bridged metal complexes) are prepared by lithiating a compound of the formula: (HCp)(HW)Z—Q—Z(WH)(CpH), such as 1,2-ethanebis[bis(inden-1-yl)methylsilane] and reacting the resulting product directly with the metal halide salt. The corresponding hydrocarbyl or diene derivative may be prepared by known exchange with the metal hydrocarbyl or conjugated diene under reducing conditions. Alternatively, the desired bimetal dihydrocarbyl complex can be directly formed by reaction with a titanium or zirconium tetraamide, especially titanium tetra(N,N-dimethylamide) or zirconium tetra(N,N-dimethylamide), under ring formation conditions, followed by reaction with excess aluminum trialkyl to form the desired dialkyl derivative. Modifications of the foregoing preparation procedure to prepare alternative compound of the invention may be employed by the skilled artisan without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Suitable reaction media for the formation of the complexes are aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and halohydrocarbons, ethers, and cyclic ethers. Examples include straight and branched-chain hydrocarbons such as C 4-12 alkanes and mixtures thereof; cyclic and alicyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane, cycloheptane, methylcyclohexane, methylcycloheptane, and mixtures thereof; aromatic and hydrocarbyl-substituted aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and C 1-4 dialkyl ethers, C 1-4 dialkyl ether derivatives of (poly)alkylene glycols, and tetrahydrofuran. Mixtures of the foregoing list of suitable solvents are also suitable.
The recovery procedure involves separation of the resulting alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt and devolatilization of the reaction medium. Extraction into a secondary solvent may be employed if desired. Alternatively, if the desired product is an insoluble precipitate, filtration or other separation technique may be employed.
The complexes are rendered catalytically active by combination with an activating cocatalyst or by use of an activating technique. Suitable activating cocatalysts for use herein include polymeric or oligomeric alumoxanes, especially methylalumoxane, triisobutyl aluminum modified methylalumoxane, or diisobutylalumoxane; strong Lewis acids (the term “strong” as used herein defines Lewis acids which are not Bronsted acids), such as C 1-30 hydrocarbyl substituted Group 13 compounds, especially tri(hydrocarbyl)aluminum- or tri(hydrocarbyl)boron compounds and halogenated derivatives thereof, having from 1 to 10 carbons in each hydrocarbyl or halogenated hydrocarbyl group, more especially perfluorinated tri(aryl)boron compounds, and most especially tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane or 1,4-tetrafluorophenylene {bis(bis(pentafluorophenyl)borane}; nonpolymeric, ionic, compatible, noncoordinating, activating compounds (including the use of such compounds under oxidizing conditions); and combinations thereof. The foregoing activating cocatalysts and activating techniques have been previously taught with respect to different metal complexes in the following references: EP-A-277,003, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,153,157, 5,064,802, 5,321,106, 5,721,185, 5,425,872, 5,350,723, WO97-35893 (equivalent to U.S. Ser. No. 08/818,530, filed Mar. 14, 1997), and U.S. provisional application No. 60/054586, filed Sep. 15, 1997.
Combinations of strong Lewis acids, especially the combination of a trialkyl aluminum compound having from 1 to 4 carbons in each alkyl group and a halogenated tri(hydrocarbyl)boron compound having from 1 to 10 carbons in each hydrocarbyl group, especially tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane; further combinations of such strong Lewis acid mixtures with a polymeric or oligomeric alumoxane; and combinations of a single strong Lewis acid, especially tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane with a polymeric or oligomeric alumoxane are especially desirable activating cocatalysts.
The technique of bulk electrolysis involves the electrochemical oxidation of the metal complex under electrolysis conditions in the presence of a supporting electrolyte comprising a noncoordinating, inert anion. In the technique, solvents, supporting electrolytes and electrolytic potentials for the electrolysis, are used such that electrolysis byproducts that would render the metal complex catalytically inactive are not substantially formed during the reaction. More particularly, suitable solvents are materials that are liquids under the conditions of the electrolysis (generally temperatures from 0 to 100° C.), capable of dissolving the supporting electrolyte, and inert. “Inert solvents” are those that are not reduced or oxidized under the reaction conditions employed for the electrolysis. It is generally possible in view of the desired electrolysis reaction to choose a solvent and a supporting electrolyte that are unaffected by the electrical potential used for the desired electrolysis. Preferred solvents include difluorobenzene (ortho, meta, or para isomers), dimethoxyethane, and mixtures thereof.
The electrolysis may be conducted in a standard electrolytic cell containing an anode and cathode (also referred to as the working electrode and counter electrode respectively). Suitable materials of construction for the cell are glass, plastic, ceramic and glass coated metal. The electrodes are prepared from inert conductive materials, by which are meant conductive materials that are unaffected by the reaction mixture or reaction conditions. Platinum or palladium are preferred inert conductive materials. Normally an ion permeable membrane such as a fine glass frit separates the cell into separate compartments, the working electrode compartment and counter electrode compartment. The working electrode is immersed in a reaction medium comprising the metal complex to be activated, solvent, supporting electrolyte, and any other materials desired for moderating the electrolysis or stabilizing the resulting complex. The counter electrode is immersed in a mixture of the solvent and supporting electrolyte. The desired voltage may be determined by theoretical calculations or experimentally by sweeping the cell using a reference electrode such as a silver electrode immersed in the cell electrolyte. The background cell current, the current draw in the absence of the desired electrolysis, is also determined. The electrolysis is completed when the current drops from the desired level to the background level. In this manner, complete conversion of the initial metal complex can be easily detected.
Suitable supporting electrolytes are salts comprising a cation and an inert, compatible, noncoordinating anion, A − . Preferred supporting electrolytes are salts corresponding to the formula
G + A −
wherein:
G + is a cation which is nonreactive towards the starting and resulting complex; and
A − is a noncoordinating, compatible anion.
Examples of cations, G + , include tetrahydrocarbyl substituted ammonium or phosphonium cations having up to 40 nonhydrogen atoms. A preferred cation is the tetra-n-butylammonium cation.
During activation of the complexes of the present invention by bulk electrolysis the cation of the supporting electrolyte passes to the counter electrode and A − migrates to the working electrode to become the anion of the resulting oxidized product. Either the solvent or the cation of the supporting electrolyte is reduced at the counter electrode in equal molar quantity with the amount of oxidized metal complex formed at the working electrode. Preferred supporting electrolytes are tetrahydrocarbylammonium salts of tetrakis(perfluoro-aryl)borates having from 1 to 10 carbons in each hydrocarbyl group, especially tetra-n-butylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.
Suitable activating compounds useful as a cocatalyst in one embodiment of the present invention comprise a cation which is a Bronsted acid capable of donating a proton, and an inert, compatible, noncoordinating, anion, A − . Preferred anions are those containing a single coordination complex comprising a charge-bearing metal or metalloid core which anion is capable of balancing the charge of the active catalyst species (the metal cation) which is formed when the two components are combined. Also, said anion should be sufficiently labile to be displaced by olefinic, diolefinic and acetylenically unsaturated compounds or other neutral Lewis bases such as ethers or nitrites. Suitable metals include, but are not limited to, aluminum, gold and platinum. Suitable metalloids include, but are not limited to, boron, phosphorus, and silicon. Compounds containing anions which comprise coordination complexes containing a single metal or metalloid atom are, of course, well known and many, particularly such compounds containing a single boron atom in the anion portion, are available commercially. Therefore, said single boron atom compounds are preferred.
Preferably such cocatalysts may be represented by the following general formula:
(L*−H) d + (A d− )
wherein:
L* is a neutral Lewis base;
(L*−H) + is a Bronsted acid;
A d− is a noncoordinating, compatible anion having a charge of d−, and
d is an integer from 1 to 3.
More preferably A d− corresponds to the formula:
[M′ k+ Q′ n′ ] d−
wherein:
k is an integer from 1 to 3;
n′ is an integer from 2 to 6;
n′−k=d;
M′ is an element selected from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements; and
Q′ independently each occurrence is an hydride, dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl, or halosubstituted-hydrocarbyl radical, said Q′ having up to 20 carbons with the proviso that in not more than one occurrence is Q′ halide.
In a more preferred embodiment, d is one, that is the counter ion has a single negative charge and corresponds to the formula A − . Activating cocatalysts comprising boron which are particularly useful in the preparation of catalysts of this invention may be represented by the following general formula:
[L*−H] + [BQ″ 4 ] −
wherein:
L* is as previously defined;
B is boron in a valence state of 3; and
Q″ is a fluorinated C 1-20 hydrocarbyl group.
Most preferably, Q″ is in each occurrence a fluorinated aryl group, especially a pentafluorophenyl group.
Illustrative, but not limiting examples of boron compounds which may be used as an activating cocatalyst in the preparation of the improved catalysts of this invention are tri-substituted ammonium salts such as:
trimethylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
dimethyltetradecylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
dimethyhexadecylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
dimethyloctadecylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
methylbis(tetradecyl)ammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
methylbis(hexadecyl)ammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate,
methylbis(octadecyl)ammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenylborate, and mixtures thereof.
Another suitable ion forming, activating cocatalyst comprises a salt of a cationic oxidizing agent and a noncoordinating, compatible anion represented by the formula:
(Ox e+ ) d (A d− ) e
wherein:
Ox e+ is a cationic oxidizing agent having a charge of e+;
e is an integer from 1 to 3; and
A d− , and d are as previously defined.
Examples of cationic oxidizing agents include: ferrocenium, hydrocarbyl-substituted ferrocenium, Ag + , or Pb +2 . Preferred embodiments of A d− are those anions previously defined with respect to the Bronsted acid containing activating cocatalysts, especially tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.
Another suitable ion forming, activating cocatalyst comprises a compound which is a salt of a carbenium ion and a noncoordinating, compatible anion represented by the formula:
ĉ + A −
wherein:
ĉ − is a C 1-20 carbenium ion; and
A − is as previously defined. A preferred carbenium ion is the trityl cation, that is triphenylcarbenium.
The foregoing activating technique and ion forming cocatalysts are also preferably used in combination with a tri(hydrocarbyl)aluminum compound having from 1 to 4 carbons in each hydrocarbyl group, an oligomeric or polymeric alumoxane compound, or a mixture of a tri(hydrocarbyl)aluminum compound having from 1 to 4 carbons in each hydrocarbyl group and a polymeric or oligomeric alumoxane.
The molar ratio of catalyst/cocatalyst employed preferably ranges from 1:10,000 to 100:1, more preferably from 1:5000 to 10:1, most preferably from 1:1000 to 1:1. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the cocatalyst can be used in combination with a C 3-30 trihydrocarbyl aluminum compound, C 3-30 (hydrocarbyoloxy)dihydrocarbylaluminum compound, or oligomeric or polymeric alumoxane. Which aluminum compounds are employed for their beneficial ability to scavenge impurities such as oxygen, water, and aldehydes from the polymerization mixture. Preferred aluminum compounds include C 2-6 trialkyl aluminum compounds, especially those wherein the alkyl groups are ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, pentyl, neopentyl, or isopentyl, and methylalumoxane, modified methylalumoxane and diisobutylalumoxane. The molar ratio of aluminum compound to metal complex is preferably from 1:10,000 to 1000:1, more preferably from 1:5000 to 100:1, most preferably from 1:100 to 100:1.
The catalysts may exist as cationic derivatives of the dinuclear complexes, as zwitterionic derivatives thereof, or in an as yet undetermined relationship with the cocatalyst activator.
The catalysts may be used to polymerize ethylenically and/or acetylenically unsaturated monomers having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms either alone or in combination. Preferred monomers include the C 2-10 α-olefins especially ethylene, propylene, isobutylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, and 1-octene and mixtures thereof. Other preferred monomers include vinylcyclohexene, vinylcyclohexane, styrene, C 1-4 alkyl substituted styrene, tetrafluoroethylene, vinylbenzocyclobutane, ethylidenenorbornene and 1,4-hexadiene.
In general, the polymerization may be accomplished at conditions well known in the prior art for Ziegler-Natta or Kaminsky-Sinn type polymerization reactions, that is, temperatures from 0-250° C. and pressures from atmospheric to 3000 atmospheres. Suspension, solution, slurry, gas phase or high pressure, whether employed in batch or continuous form or under other process conditions, may be employed if desired. For example, the use of condensation in a gas phase polymerization is a especially desirable mode of operation for use of the present catalysts. Examples of such well known polymerization processes are depicted in WO 88/02009, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,084,534, 5,405,922, 4,588,790, 5,032,652, 4,543,399, 4,564,647, 4,522,987, and elsewhere, which teachings disclose conditions that can be employed with the polymerization catalysts of the present invention. A support, especially silica, alumina, or a polymer (especially polytetrafluoroethylene or a polyolefin) may be employed, and desirably is employed when the catalysts are used in a gas phase polymerization process with or without condensation. Methods for the preparation of supported catalysts are disclosed in numerous references, examples of which are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,808,561, 4,912,075, 5,008,228, 4,914,253, and 5,086,025 and are suitable for the preparation of supported catalysts of the present invention.
In most polymerization reactions the molar ratio of catalyst:polymerizable compounds employed is from 10 −12 :1 to 10 −1 :1, more preferably from 10 −12 :1 to 10 −5 :1.
Suitable solvents for solution, suspension, slurry or high pressure polymerization processes are noncoordinating, inert liquids. Examples include straight and branched-chain hydrocarbons such as isobutane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, and mixtures thereof; cyclic and alicyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane, cycloheptane, methylcyclohexane, methylcycloheptane, and mixtures thereof; perfluorinated hydrocarbons such as perfluorinated C 4-10 alkanes, and aromatic and alkyl-substituted aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. Suitable solvents also include liquid olefins which may act as monomers or comonomers including ethylene, propylene, butadiene, cyclopentene, 1-hexene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1,4-hexadiene, 1-octene, 1-decene, styrene, divinylbenzene, allylbenzene, and vinyltoluene (including all isomers alone or in admixture). Mixtures of the foregoing are also suitable.
Having described the invention the following examples are provided as further illustration thereof and are not to be construed as limiting. Unless stated to the contrary all parts and percentages are expressed on a weight basis. The invention herein disclosed may be performed in the absence of any reagent not specifically described. The term “overnight”, if used, refers to a time of approximately 16-18 hours, “room temperature”, if used, refers to a temperature of about 20-25° C., and “mixed alkanes” or “alkanes” refers to a mixture of mostly C 6 -C 12 isoalkanes available commercially under the trademark Isopar E™ from Exxon Chemicals Inc.
All manipulation of air sensitive materials was performed in an argon filled, vacuum atmospheres, glove box or on a high vacuum line using standard Shlenk techniques. Solvents were purified by passage through columns packed with activated alumina (Kaiser A-2) and supported copper (Engelhard, Cu-0224 S). Anhydrous C 6 D 6 and CH 2 Cl 2 were purchased from Aldrich and used as received. NMR spectra were recorded on a Varian XL-300 instrument ( 1 H, 300 MHz; 13 C{ 1 H}, 75 MHz). 1 H and 13 C{ 1 H} NMR spectra are reported relative to tetramethylsilane and are referenced to the residual solvent peak.
MeLi, bis(dichloromethylsilyl)ethane, triethylamine and tert-butylamine were purchased from Aldrich and used as received. Bis(dichloromethylsilyl)hexane (United Chemical Technologies), n-butyllithium (ACROS) and 2-methyl-4-phenylindene (Boulder Scientific) were used as received. 1-N-pyrrolidineindene was prepared via the route of Noland, et al., JOC, 1981, 46, (1940) It's lithium salt, (1-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-indenyl)lithium, was prepared by reaction with butyllithium in hexanes and recovered by filtration.
EXAMPLE 1
(μ-((1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrachlorodititanium
A 1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(1-chloro-N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl)-silanamine
To a −10° C. solution of 1,6-bis(chloromethylsilyl)hexane (25.00 g, 80.1 mmol) and triethylamine (24.6 mL, 0.176 mole) in 250 mL of dichloromethane was added dropwise over 1 hour a solution of tert-butylamine (16.8 mL, 0.160 mole) in 100 mL of dichloromethane. The suspension was allowed to warm to room temperature. After stirring overnight, most to the volatiles were removed in vacuo. The product was extracted into 175 mL of hexanes, filtered and the hexanes removed in vacuo to leave 29.5 g (96 percent yield) of 1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(1-chloro-N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl)silanamine as a pale-pink viscous liquid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 1.35 (m, 4H), 1.24 (m, 4H), 1.13 (s, 18H), 1.03 (br s, 2H), 0.75 (m, 4H), 0.33 (s, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 50.35, 33.42, 32.95, 23.74, 20.34, 3.12.
B) 1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)-silanamine
To a −30° C. solution of 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-chloro-1-methylsilanamine)hexane (1.50 g, 3.89 mmol) in 20 mL of THF was added a precooled (−30° C.) solution of (1-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-indenyl)lithium (1.49 g, 7.78 mmol) in 10 mL of THF. The reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature as it gradually darkened and changed to a deep-red/purple solution with slight green flourescence. After 16 hours, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and 50 mL of hexanes added. The suspension was filtered and hexanes removed from the filtrate in vacuo to leave 2.5 g (92 percent yield) of 1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)-silanamine as a red/purple oil.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.71 (m, 4H), 7.27 (m, 4H), 5.47/5.43 (2 s, 2H, isomers), 3.51 (s, 2H), 3.29 (br s, 8H), 1.64 (sh m, 8H), 1.30 (m, 8H), 1.11 (set of several sharp peaks, 18H), 0.616 (br s, 2H), 0.50 (s, 4H), 0.20/0.04 (2 singlets, 6H, isomers). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 149.21, 146.99, 141.66, 124.85, 124.63, 123.95, 123.82, 120.95, 105.11, 50.86, 49.54, 43.20 (m), 34.05, 25.42, 24.51, 17.25/16.19 (isomers), −0.71/−1.88 (isomers).
C) 1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-i-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)t 2 , (deloc-1,2,3,3a,7a:1′, 2′,3′,3′,3′a,7′a)-silanamine, dilithium, dilithium salt
To a solution of 1,6-bis((N-(tert-butyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanamine))hexane (2.45 g, 3.6 mmole) in 50 mL of toluene was added over 15 minutes a solution of n-butyl lithium in hexanes (1.60 M, 9.42 mL, 15.0 mmol). Over the period of addition, the original red solution turns orange followed by formation of a yellow precipitate. After stirring for 14 hours, the yellow precipitate was collected by filtration and washed twice with 10 mL of toluene and then twice with 10 mL of hexanes. The dark yellow solid was dried in vacuo for 8 hours to leave 2.6 g (quantitive yield) of the desired product.
D) (μ-((1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrachlorodititanium
To a precooled (−30° C.) suspension of TiCl 3 (THF) 3 (1.42 g, 3.82 mmol) in 30 mL of THF was added a precooled (−30° C.) 30 mL THF solution of 1,6-bis((N-(tert-butyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanamine))hexane, tetralithium salt (1.35 g, 1.91 mmol). Immediately the color changed to very dark blue/green. After stirring at room temperature for 45 minutes, PbCl 2 (0.8 g, 2.879 mmol) was added. The color gradually changed to dark blue/purple as lead balls formed. After 1 hour, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and the product extracted into 25 mL of toluene, filtered and the volatiles removed in vacuo. The dark blue/purple residue was dried in vacuo for 4 hours and then triturated in hexanes (30 mL). The hexanes were removed in vacuo and 30 mL of hexanes was added followed by trituration again. The resulting purple/black suspension was filtered, the solid washed with hexanes and dried in vacuo overnight to leave 1.42 g (83 percent yield) of the desired product as a purple/black solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.62 (br s, 4H), 7.08 (br s, 4H), 5.67 (m, 2H), 3.58 (br s, 4H), 3.22 (brs, 4H), 1.49 (brs, 36H), 1.8-0.50 (m, 23H), 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 149.7 (m), 136.5, 135.5, 129.04, 128.9, 127.2, 126.4, 125.3, 106.77/106.29 (isomers), 92.3, 60.9, 50.6, 25.7, 24.3/24.0 (isomers), 19.7, 18.19, 14.34, 1.87/−0.54 (isomers).
EXAMPLE 2
(μ-((1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetramethyldititanium
To a suspension of (μ-((1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrachlorodititanium (0.189 g, 0.21 mmol) in 10 mL of diethyl ether was added a solution of MeLi (1.4 M/Et 2 O, 0.59 mL, 0.82 mmol). Instantly the solution turned dark red. After stirring at room temperature for 1 hour, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and the product extracted into 20 mL of hexanes. The suspension was filtered and the brown filter cake washed until no appreciable red color appeared in the washing. The volatiles were removed from the red filtrate and the residue dried in vacuo for 1 hour. The residue was extracted into hexanes (15 mL) and filtered to remove trace amounts of fine particulates. The hexanes were removed from the filtrate in vacuo and the resulting red ‘flaky’ solid dried in vacuo overnight to leave 0.130 g (75 percent yield) of red solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.73 (m, 2H), 7.50 (m, 2H), 7.04 (m, 2H), 6.89 (m, 2H), 5.42 (m, 2H), 3.43 (m, 4H), 3.25 (m, 4H), 1.53 (sh m, 36H), 1.8-0.50 (m, 20H), 0.09 (br s, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 144.16 (m), 133.99, 133.31, 125.60, 125.13, 124.73, 123.90, 104.642, 104.02, 83.90, 57.78, 54.34, 54.13, 50.63, 48.86, 34.91, 33.99, 33.86, 26.05, 24.73, 24.38, 20.84,19.20, 2.86, 0.39.
EXAMPLE 3
(μ-((1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrachlorodititanium
A) 1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(1-chloro-N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl)silanamine
To a −10° C. solution of and 1,6-bis(dichloromethylsilyl)ethane (5.00 g, 19.5 mmol) and triethylamine (6.0 mL, 43 mmol) in 50 mL of CH 2 Cl 2 was added dropwise over 1 hour a solution of tert-butylamine (4.1 mL, 39.0 mmol) in 20 mL of CH 2 Cl 2 . The obtained white suspension was allowed to warm to room temperature. After stirring for 16 hours, most of the solvent was removed in vacuo and 75 mL of hexanes added. The resulting suspension was filtered and the volatiles removed from the filtrate in vacuo to leave 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-chloro-1-methylsilanamine)ethane (5.7 g, 97 percent yield) as a pale pink oily solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 1.12 (s, 18H), 1.03 (br s, 2H), 0.91 (m, 4H), 0.33/0.32. (two s, 6H, isomers). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 50.36, 33.32, 32.95, 12.65/12. (two peaks/isomers), 2.39/2.13 (two peaks/isomers).
B) 1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)-silanamine
To a −30° C. solution of (1-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-indenyl)lithium (1.705 g, 8.92 mmol) in 10 mL of THF was added a −30° C. solution of 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-chloro-1-methylsilanamine)ethane (1.47 g, 4.46 mmol) in 5 mL of THF. The reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature as it gradually darkened and changed to a deep-red/purple solution with slight green fluorescence. After 16 hrs at room temperature, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and then 50 mL of hexanes was added. The suspension was filtered and the hexanes removed from the filtrate in vacuo to leave 1,6-bis((N-(tert-butyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanamine)ethane (2.7 g, 97% yield) as a red/purple oil.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.75-7.55 (m, 4H), 7.40-7.15 (m, 4H), 5.42 (m, 2H), 3.505 (m, 2H), 3.29 (br s, 8H), 1.65 (br s, 8H), 1.09 (set of several sharp peaks, 18H), 0.88 (m, 2H), 0.54 (m, 4H), 0.45-0.00 (m, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 149.07, 147.03, 141.59, 124.58, 124.39, 123.98, 123.78, 120.92, 105.22, 50.86, 49.49, 42.80 (m), 34.13, 25.43, 11.0-8.0 (m), 0.0-(−3.0) (m).
C) 1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl) −2 , (deloc-1,2,3,3a,7a:1′, 2 ′, 3 ′, 3 ′a,7′a)-silanamine, dilithium, dilithium salt
To a stirred solution of 1,6-bis((N-(tert-butyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanamine))ethane (2.7 g, 4.31 mmol) in 50 mL of toluene was added n-BuLi (11.3 ml, 1.6 M, 18.1 mmol) over fifteen minutes. The original red solution slowly turned to a orange-yellow suspension over one hour. After 16 hours, the yellow/orange suspension was filtered and washed with toluene until the washings became colorless (4×5 mL washes). The sample was then washed 3 times with 20 mL of hexanes and dried in vacuo for 5 hours to leave 2.60 g (93 percent yield) of 1,6-bis((N-(tert-butyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanamine))ethane, tetralithium salt as a fine yellow powder.
D) (μ-((1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrachlorodititanium
To a precooled (−30° C.) suspension of TiCl 3 (THF) 3 (1.27 g, 3.44 mmol) in 20 mL of THF was added a precooled (−30° C.) 20 mL THF solution of 1,6-bis((N-(tert-butyl)-1-methyl-1-(3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanamine))ethane, tetralithium salt (1.12 g, 1.72 mmol). Immediately the color changed to very dark blue/green. After stirring at room temperature for 1 hour, PbCl 2 (0.67 g, 2.4 mmol)was added. The color gradually changed to dark blue/purple as lead particles formed. After 1 hour, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and the residue dried in vacuo for 1 hour. The product was extracted into 60 mL of toluene, filtered and the volatiles removed in vacuo. After drying the dark residue in vacuo for an hour, hexanes (20 mL) was added and the dark solid triturated. The volatiles were removed in vacuo, 20 mL of hexanes were added and the solid triturated again. The resulting purple/black suspension was filtered and the solid washed twice with 3 mL of hexanes and dried in vacuo overnight to leave 1.35 g (91 percent yield) of the desired product as a dark purple solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.80-7.55 (m, 4H), 7.30-6.70 (m, 4H), 5.75 (m, 2H), 3.75-3.00 (m, 4H), 1.45 (br s, 36H), 1.90-0.50 (m, 15H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 149.9 (m), 136.4, 135.5, 129.5, 129.3, 129.1, 127.4, 126.6, 126.4, 126.1, 106.1 (m), 92.4, 61.1, 50.7, 33.3, 25.9, 15-9 (m), 0.92/0.81/−1.19 (isomers).
EXAMPLE 4
(μ-((1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetramethyldititanium
To a suspension of (μ-((1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-inden-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrachlorodititanium (0.430 g, 0.50 mmol) in 25 mL of diethyl ether was added a solution of MeLi (1.4 M/Et 2 O, 1.43 mL, 2.00 mmol). Instantly the solution turned dark red. After stirring at room temperature for 1 hour, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and the sample dried in vacuo for 1 hour. The product was extracted into 50 mL of hexanes, the suspension filtered and the brown filter cake washed until no appreciable red color appeared in the washing. The volatiles were removed from the red filtrate and the residue dried in vacuo for 2 hours. The residue was extracted again into hexanes (15 mL) and filtered to remove trace amounts of an insoluble brown residue. The hexanes were removed from the filtrate in vacuo and the resulting red solid dried in vacuo overnight to leave 0.280 g (67 percent yield) of red solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.85-7.45 (m, 4H), 7.10-6.65 (m, 4H), 5.56 (m, 2H), 3.46 (br s, 4H), 3.28 (br m, 4H), 1.55 (sh m, 36H), 1.8-0.50 (m, 12H), 0.09 (m, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 144.2 (m), 134.1, 133.8, 126.0-124.0 (m), 104.6 (m), 83.85 (m), 57.89 (m), 54.5 (m), 50.52 (m), 51.0-49.0 (m), 34.99, 26.09, 15.0-10.0 (m), 2.0 (m), −0.40 (m).
EXAMPLE 5
(μ-((1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,4,5-η)-2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrakis(phenylmethyl)di-titanium
A) 1,6-hexanediylbis(chloromethyl(2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silane
To a −10° C. solution of 1,6-bis(dichloromethylsilyl)hexane in 50 mL of THF was added dropwise over 1 hour a 30 mL THF solution of (2,3,4,5-tetramethycyclopentadienyl)magnesium-bromide.(THF) x (1.75 g, 5.49 mmol, 319 g/mol effective MW). The nearly colorless reaction was allowed to slowly warm to room temperature. After stirring overnight, the volatiles were removed in vacuo. The product was extracted into 75 mL of hexanes, filtered and the filter cake washed several times with hexanes. The volatiles were removed from the filtrate in vacuo to leave 1.25 g (94 percent yield) of 1,6-bis(1-(1,2,3,4-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)-1-chloro-1-methylsilyl)hexane as a off-white waxy solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 2.99 (br s, 2H), 1.98 (overlapping s, 12H), 1.754 (s, 12H), 1.50-1.10 (m, 8H), 0.80-0.50 (m, 4H), 0.19(s,6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ):137.87, 131.65, 55.98, 33.12, 23.64, 16.74,14.67, 11.51, −0.64.
B) 1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silanamine
To a solution of triethylamine (0.9 mL, 6.46 mmol) and 1,6-bis(1-(1,2,3,4-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)-1-chloro-1-methylsilyl)hexane (1.25 g, 2.58 mmol) in 30 mL of CH 2 Cl 2 was added tert-butylamine (0.6 mL, 5.69 mmol) all at once. The solution became cloudy as white precipitate formed. After stirring at room temperature for 2 hours, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and hexanes were added (30 mL). The hexanes extract was filtered and the filter cake washed twice with hexanes. The volatiles were removed from the filtrate in vacuo to leave 1.4 g (97percent yield) of 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-(1,2,3,4-tetramethyl-cyclopentadienyl)-1-methylsilanamine)hexane as a pale-yellow, viscous oil.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 2.89 (br s, 2H), 2.15-1.70 (m, 265H), 1.41 (br s, 8H), 1.12 (s, 18H), 0.58/0.40 (m, 4H), 0.24 (s, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 135.50, 133.47, 133.13, 56.37, 49.49, 34.03, 33.88, 24.61, 23.93, 17.12,15.28/15.18, 11.61, 0.50.
C) (μ-((1,1′-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,4,5-η)-2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrakis(phenylmethyl)di-titanium
A Schlenk flask was charged with a hexanes solution (80 mL) of tetra(benzyl)titanium (1.433 g, 3.47 mmol) and 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)-1-methylsilanamine)hexane (0.88 mg, 1.58 mmol). The reaction was heated to 60° C. for 22 hours. The reaction was taken into the glovebox and heated to reflux for 4 hours. The volatiles were removed in vacuo, the residue extracted with hexanes (75 mL), filtered and the volatiles removed in vacuo. The residue was again extracted into hexanes (50 mL), filtered, and the filtrate concentrated to about 10 mL. After cooling the solution at −30° C. overnight, the mother liquor was filtered and the oily dark solid washed twice with 5 mL of hexanes. The volatiles were removed from the filtrate in vacuo to leave 1.2 g (75 percent yield) of the desired product as an oily gold-brown solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.13 (m, 8H), 6.85 (m, 12H), 3.0-0.0 (several overlapping multiplets with distinct peaks at around 1.75, 1.45 and 0.5 ppm). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 150.35, 134.92, 134.32, 131.85 (m), 128.35, 127.15 (br s), 122.92, 122.34, 83.10, 82.06, 84-80 (underlying mult.), 60.18, 38.5, 36.75, 34.49, 33.92, 16.0-11.0 (m), 3.45.
EXAMPLE 6
(μ-((1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,4,5-η)-2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrakis(phenylmethyl)di-titanium
A) 1,2-ethanediylbis(chloromethyl(2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silane
To a 0° C. solution of 1,6-bis(dichloromethylsilyl)ethane (5.73 9, 22.4 mmol) in 100 mL of THF was added dropwise over 1.5 hour a 300 mL THF solution of (2,3,4,5-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)magnesiumchlorides(THF)) (11.06 g, 44.8 mmol, 247 g/mol effective MW). The reaction was allowed to slowly warm to room temperature overnight. After 17 hours, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and the resulting off white solid dried in vacuo for an additional hour. To the solid was added 150 mL of hexanes and the suspension vigorously stirred for 10 minutes. The suspension was filtered and the volatiles removed in vacuo from the pale yellow filtrate. After thorough drying, 9.41 g (98 percent yield) of the desired product was obtained as an off-white solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 2.97 (br s, 2H), 1.99 (s, 6H), 1.92 (s, 6H), 1.74 (s, 12H), 0.9-0.5 (m, 4H), 0.15 (s, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 138.02, 131.58 (br), 55.67, 14.67, 11.52, 9.13,-1.18.
B) 1,1′-(1,6-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-(2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silanamine
To a solution of triethylamine (7.7 mL, 55 mmol) and 1,2-ethanediylbis(chloromethyl-(2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)-silane (9.4 g, 21.98 mmol) in 80 mL of CH 2 Cl 2 was added tert-butylamine (5.1 mL, 48 mmol) all at once. A white suspension quickly formed. After stirring for three hours, the volatiles were removed in vacuo and the product into hexanes (120 mL). The suspension was filtered and washed twice with 10 mL of hexanes. The hexanes were remove in vacuo to leave 10.33 g (100 percent yield) of 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-(1,2,3,4-tetramethyl-cyclopentadienyl)-1-methylsilanamine)ethane as a pale-yellow, viscous oil.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 2.90/2.82 (two s, 2H, isomers), 2.10-1.70 (m, 26H), 1.13/1.10 (two s, 18H, isomers), 0.46 (m, 4H), 0.30-0.15 (m, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 135.4 (m), 30 133.67, 133.22, 56.14 (m), 49.37, 33.95, 15.05 (m), 11.46, 9.01 (m), −0.20 (m).
C) (μ-((1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1-methyl-1-((1,2,3,4,5-η)-2,3,4,5-tetramethyl-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)silanaminato-κN)(4-))))tetrakis(phenylmethyl)dititanium
A Schlenk flask was charged with a hexanes solution (90 mL) of tetra(benzyl)titanium (1.97 g, 4.78 mmol) and 1,6-bis(N-(tert-butyl)-1-(Me 4 Cp)-1-methylsilanamine)ethane (1.022 g, 2.17 mmol). The reaction was heated to 60° C. for 19 hours and the resulting dark yellow/brown solution was then heated to reflux for an additional four hours. The volatiles were removed in vacuo and the product extracted into hexanes (100 mL). The suspension was filtered to remove some black solid and the volatiles were removed from the filtrate. The residue was dried in vacuo for one hour and then extracted with hexanes again (70 mL). The suspension was filtered and the volatiles removed from the filtrate. The residue was again extracted with hexanes (50 mL), filtered and the filtrate concentrated to about 20 mL. The dark solution was cooled at −30° C. overnight. The solution was decanted away from the black oily residue and the residue washed twice with 5 mL of hexanes. The hexanes filtrate was concentrated to 5 mL and cooled at −30° C. overnight. The solution was filtered and the small amount of black insoluble residue was washed with hexanes. The volatiles were removed from the hexanes filtrate in vacuo and the solid dried in vacuo for 5 hours to leave 1.25 g (62 percent yield) of desired complex as a dark gold-brown solid.
1 H NMR (C 6 D 6 ): 7.13 (m, 8H), 6.85 (m, 12H), 3.0-0.0 (several overlapping multiplets with distinct peaks at around 1.75, 1.45 and 0.5 ppm). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 150.35, 134.92, 134.32, 131.85 (m), 128.35, 127.15 (brs), 122.92, 122.34, 83.10, 82.06, 84-80 (underlying multiplets), 60.18, 38.5, 36.75, 34.49, 33.92, 16.0-11.0 (m), 3.45.
EXAMPLE 7
bis(1,1′-(η 4 -1,3-butadiene-1,4-diyl)bis(benzene))(L-(1,6-hexanediylbis((methylsilylidyne)bis((1,2,3,3a,7a-η)-2-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-inden-1-ylidene))))dizirconium
A) Lithium 2-methyl-4-phenylindenide
To a solution of 2-methyl-4-phenylindene (10.03 g, 49.3 mmol) in 200 mL of hexanes was added dropwise over 10 minutes 32 mL of 1.6M n-BuLi. The resulting yellow suspension was stirred for 17 hours. The suspension was filtered and the solid washed twice with 5 mL of hexane. The light yellow solid was dried in vacuo for 2 hours to leave 9.21 g (89 percent yield) of lithium 2-methyl-4-phenylindenide. A second crop (0.61 g) was obtained by concentrating the filtrate to about 80 mL and filtering after 4 hours at room temperature. Overall yield was 9.82 g, 95 percent.
B) 1.6-hexanediylbis(methylbis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-inden-1-yl)-silane
A solution of 1,6-bis(dichloromethylsilyl)hexane (1.78 g, 5.69 mmol) in 20 mL of toluene was added dropwise over 30 minutes to a solution of lithium 2-methyl-4-phenylindenide (5.00 g, 23.9 mmol) in 60 mL of THF. The cloudy orange solution was left to stir at room temperature for 20 hours and then quenched by slow addition of water (80 mL). Most of the THF was removed by rotary evaporation and the product extracted into diethyl ether (120 mL). The organic/aqueous layers were separated and the aqueous layer washed twice with 50 mL of diethyl ether. The organic extracts were combined, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and most of the volatiles removed in vacuo. The reaction residue was dissolved in enough toluene to make about 25 mL of a viscous solution. The reaction mixture was subsequently chromatographed on silica (35 cm×5 cm column) initially eluting with hexanes followed by 4:1 hexanes:CH 2 Cl 2 to remove excess 2-methyl-4-phenylindene (Rf=0.62 (silica, 2:1 hexanes:dichloromethane). Further elution with 4:1 hexanes:CH 2 Cl 2 gave one fraction of the desired product 1,6-bis[methylsilyl-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-indenyl)hexane (Rf≅0.38 silica, 2:1 hexanes:dichloromethane) which was isolated by removal of volatiles in vacuo to leave 1.53 g (27%) of pale yellow solid. Further elution with 3:1 hexanes:CH 2 Cl 2 led to isolation of a second fraction which has a much broader elution bandwidth (Rf≅0.35-0.10). Removal of volatiles in vacuo from the sample gave 1.89 g (34 percent) of pale yellow solid. Overall yield was 3.42 g (61 percent).
1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.70-6.9 (m, 32H), 6.74 (m, 4H), 4.0-3.5 (m, 4H), 2.4-1.9 (m, 12H), 1.6-0.4 (m, 12H), 0.45-(−0.2) (m, 6H). 13 C{ 1 H} (CDCl 3 ): 158.2, 150.9, 148.2 (m), 145.9,143.1 (m), 141.6 (m), 140.55, 137.6, 134.31, 130-120 (several multiplets.), 77.1 (m), 48.9, 47.3 (m), 33.5, 24.1, 18.1 (m), 15.1 (m), 13.2 (m), 12.4 (m), −5.4 (m).
B) 1,6-hexanediylbis(methylbis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-inden-1-yl)-silane, ion(4-), tetralithium
To a 20 mL toluene solution of 1,6-bis[methylsilyl-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-indenyl)hexane (1.01 g, 1.04 mmol) was added n-butyl lithium over 10 minutes (2.7 mL, 1.6 M in hexanes, 4.29 mmol). After 20-30 minutes, a yellow precipitate began to form. After stirring for 18 hours at room temperature, the yellow-orange suspension was filtered and washed twice with 6 mL of toluene then twice with 5 mL of hexane. The sample was dried in vacuo for 5 hours until the weight of sample stabilized to leave 0.91 g (89 percent yield) of tetralithium 1,6-bis[methylsilyl-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-indenylide)hexane as a yellow powder.
C) bis(1,1′-(n 4 -1,3-butadiene-1,4-diyl)bis(benzene))(μ-(1,6-hexanediylbis((methylsilylidyne)bis((1,2,3,3a,7-η)-2-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-inden-1-ylidene))))dizirconium
To a −30° C. suspension of tetralithium 1,6-bis[methylsilyl-bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-indenylide)hexane (0.300 mg, 0.30 mmol) in 5 mL of toluene was added a −30° C. solution of bis(triethylphosphine)(1,4-diphenylbutadiene)zirconium dichloride (0.432 g, 0.60 mmol) in 10 mL of toluene. The reaction was allowed to slowly warm to room temperature as the dark purple/black solution turned red. After stirring overnight, the solution was filtered and the volatiles removed in vacuo. The reaction residue was dissolved in 40 mL of toluene and added dropwise to 60 mL of hexanes. An additional 50 mL of 3:2 hexanes:toluene solvent mixture was added and the resulting orange/brown precipitate filtered and washed extensively with hexanes (3×30 mL). The volatiles were removed from the dark red filtrate and the oily red solid triturated with 10 mL of hexanes and the volatiles removed in vacuo. The trituration was repeated once more with 10 mL of hexanes and the obtained solid was filtered and washed with 5 mL of hexanes. The deep red solid was dried in vacuo overnight to leave 0.306 g (65 percent) of the desired product.
1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 8.0-7.6 (m, 4H), 7.6-6.6 (m, 52H), 5.6 (br s, 4H), 3.4 (m, 4H), 2.1-0.5 (m, 30H). 13 C{ 1 H} (C 6 D 6 ): 158.2, 150.9, 148.2 (m), 145.9, 143.1 (m), 141.6 (m), 140.55, 137.6, 134.31, 130-120 (several multiplets.), 77.1 (m), 48.9, 47.3 (m), 33.5, 24.1, 18.1 (m), 15.1 (m), 13.2 (m), 12.4 (m), −5.4 (m).
Polymerization
A two liter reactor is charged with 750 g of Isopar E and 120 g of octene-1 comonomer. Hydrogen is added as a molecular weight control agent by differential pressure expansion from a 75 ml additional tank from 300 psig (2070 Kpa) to 275 psig (1890 Kpa). The reactor is heated to the polymerization temperature of 140° C. and saturated with ethylene at 500 psig (3450 Kpa). The appropriate amount of catalyst and cocatalyst (trispentafluorophenyl)borane as 0.005 M solutions in toluene (approximately 4 μmole complex based on metal content) were premixed in a glovebox to give a 1:1 molar ratio of catalyst and cocatalyst, and transferred to a catalyst addition tank and injected into the reactor. The polymerization conditions were maintained for 10 minutes with ethylene on demand. The resulting solution was removed from the reactor into a nitrogen purged collection vessel containing 100 ml of isopropyl alcohol and 20 ml of a 10 weight percent toluene solution of hindered phenol antioxidant (Irganox™ 1010 from Ciba Geigy Corporation) and phosphorus stabilizer (Irgafos 168). Polymers formed are dried in a programmed vacuum oven with a maximum temperature of 120° C. and a 20 hours heating cycle. Results are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Run
complex
Efficiency 1
MI 2
density 3
Mw/Mn
1
Ex. 2
0.6
<0.1
0.911
294,000/106/000
2
Ex. 4
0.3
0.1
0.911
299,000/138,000
3
Ex. 6
0.4
1.7
0.900
108,000/42,300
4
Ex. 5
0.5
1.9
0.901
106,000/50,600
5
Ex. 7
0.8
9.0
0.892
69,900/28,700
6*
TTiD 4
0.7
12.1
0.904
61,900/28,200
7*
BZrD 5
1.8
10.7
0.886
67,300/29,300
*not an example of the invention
1 efficiency, g polymer/μg metal
2 melt index, dg/min, measured by micromelt indexer
3 (g/cm 3 )
4 1,2-ethanebis(2-methyl-4-phenylinden-1-yl)zirconium (II) 1,4-diphenyl-1-3- butadiene
5 (t-butylamido)dimethyl(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)silanetitanium (II) 1,3-pentadiene
|
Group 3-6 or Lanthanide metal complexes possessing two metal centers joined by means of a divalent bridging group joining trivalent moieties comprising boron or a member of Group 14 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and optionally also comprising nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur or oxygen, in the complexes, catalysts derived therefrom by combining the same with strong Lewis acids, Bronsted acid salts, salts containing a cationic oxidizing agent or subjected to bulk electrolysis in the presence of compatible, inert non-coordinating anions and the use of such catalysts for polymerizing olefins, diolefins and/or acetylenically unsaturated monomers are disclosed.
| 8
|
INTRODUCTION
The invention relates to a sizing agent for papermaking, particularly to a sizing agent, added inside, which is very useful for neutral to weak acid in papermaking.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rosin-based agents have been used widely as sizing agents for some time. It has been known that the size development of the rosin-based sizing agents is due to the fact that the aluminium sulfate used as an assistant acts as a yield and a hydrophobic agent for the rosin-based sizing agents. Since this aluminium sulfate dissociates and shows acid, rosin-based sizing agents have been used in the acid range or zone.
However, in these days, a problem of durability exists for acid paper, and thus calcium carbonate is widely used as a coat color pigment for printing paper, thereby the amount of calcium carbonate contained within waste paper increases, resulting in the trend of making paper in the neutral range.
The conventional rosin-emulsion sizing agent uses mainly fortified rosin modified with an α,β-unsaturated dibasic acid as an anionic surfactant and the sizing effect thereof decreases remarkably in the system described above, and particularly in the range above pH 6.5 for papermaking. The amount of sizing agent used must be increased so as to obtain the desired sizing level, thereby costs rise due to the excess amount of size, and disadvantages on operation occur such as foaming and deposition of pitch in the papermaking. Such factors have a bad influence on the nature of the prepared paper. Even if the amount of addition is increased in the range of pH 7.5 or more, satisfactory sizing property cannot be obtained in comparison with cellulose reactive sizing agents such as alkyl ketene dimer-based and alkenyl succinic acid anhydride-based sizing agents. AKD and ASA are used as dispersants whose protective colloid is cation starch and so on, however, the stability of these dispersant type of reactive sizing agents is bad. If they are accumulated in the papermaking, the stickiness increases with the destruction of the dispersant and big problems such as staining of the papermaking machines occur on operation, therefore, an improvement is required.
As described above, the improvement of AKD- and ASA-based sizing agents is being examined and recently, a rosin-based neutral sizing agent has been proposed. For example, it is known that Japanese Patent Tokkaisho 62-250297, 63-120198, Tokkouhei 2-36629 disclose the proposition.
Japanese Patent Tokkaisho 62-250297 discloses the reaction product of rosins, polyhydric alcohol consisting of C, H and a O and α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivative, and that the sizing effect decreases remarkably during the sizing above pH 7 of in a papermaking system, therefore, it being not necessarily a satisfactory sizing agent as a sizing agent for neutral paper.
On the other hand, the invention described in Japanese Patent Tokkaihei 2-36629 is characterized in that the sizing property around a neutral range due to the reaction of a partial amino alcohol ester of rosin with an α,β-unsaturated dibasic acid is superior to the sizing property around a neutral range to polyhydric alcohol ester disclosed in 62-250297. However, a good emulsion cannot be obtained and as for the sizing property around neutral range, it cannot be said to be a satisfactory sizing agent.
The invention described in said Japanese Patent Tokkaisho 63-120198 is a rosin-based emulsion sizing agent comprising fortified rosin, methacrylic alkylester and/or copolymer of styrene-compound and methacrylic alkylaminoalkylester or methacrylic alkylaminoalkylamide, however, this agent has difficulty in the size in the neutral range and is not a satisfactory sizing agent for neutral paper.
Moreover, in Japanese Patent Tokkaisho 63-40312 and Tokkaihei 4-91292, copier paper for copying machine, using calcium carbonate as a filler and alkenylsuccinic acid anhydride as a sizing agent has good properties, but the rosin-based sizing agent is not suitable for copier paper for copying machines. This is because the conventional rosin-based sizing agent does not show the size in a pH range (weak acid range) for papermaking using much calcium carbonate and said paper is made under the conditions (in weak acid to acid range) using talc as a filler.
Then, in view of this situation, the object of the invention is to provide a better sizing agent with good stability, particularly which is rapid in getting started in the neutral range or zone, and a method of producing the same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention was completed by finding that the following components showed an excellent size effect in a neutral to weak alkaline papermaking range or zone.
The main component of said sizing agent being selected from the group consisting of 1) a diester of rosin-based substances having a dicarboxylic acid or acid anhydride group expressed by the following formula (I), ##STR3## (in which R 1 represents a rosin acid residue or maleopimaric acid, R 2 represents a dihydric alcohol residue and R 3 represents a maleopimaric acid residue); and 2) a polyester reaction product expressed by the following formula (I'), ##STR4## (in which R' 1 and R' 5 represent a rosin acid residue or an α,β-unsaturated polybasic carboxylic acid added rosin residue, at least one of them represents α,β-unsaturated polybasic carboxylic acid added rosin residue, R' 2 and R' 4 represent polyhydric alcohol residues, R' 3 represents a trihydric or more carboxylic acid residue, x and z are integers of 1 to 3, y is 0, 1 or 2 and m and n are 1 or 2); and 3) a mixture comprising a rosin, a rosin modified by α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or or anhydride thereof and a polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin.
The compound expressed by the above-mentioned formula (I) is produced by reacting a)rosins, b)dihydric alcohols, c)α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds one by one or at the same time. Particularly, in the case of reacting a)rosins, b)dihydric alcohols and c)α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds one by one or at the same time, it is preferable that the ratio of the hydroxyl group equivalent of b) to the carboxyl group equivalent of a) is COOH/OH=1/0.2-1.5, and the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound is added at 2-20 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of rosin.
The above-mentioned rosin can be selected from one or two or more kinds of rosins including gum rosin, tall oil rosin and wood rosin.
The above-mentioned dihydric alcohol is selected from the group including ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, neopentyl glycol and hydrogenated bisphenol A, and it is preferable to select one or two from ethylene glycol and propylene glycol which are dihydric alcohols having the boiling point of 210° C. or less.
And the above-mentioned α,β-carbonyl compound is selected from the group including maleic acid and maleic anhydride.
The reaction of dihydric alcohols having a low boiling temperature with rosin has not been previously studied by means of a reaction method which is effective industrially. The esterification reaction of dihydric alcohol having the boiling point of 210° C. or less and rosin must be done around 200°-210° C. for a long time. When the reaction is done at a high temperature above 230° C., dihydric alcohol having the low boiling temperature and the water distillated from the reaction are removed out of the system, resulting in much loss. In the case that α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound is reacted with rosins after the esterification at high temperature, the rosins having the skeleton of levopimaric acid decrease and the isomerization occurs in the skeleton of dehydroabietic acid with the result that the reaction is very difficult to advance, which is an undesirable result. On the other hand, even if α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and rosins are previously reacted and the reaction is conducted around 210° C., the result is undesirable in the view of the emulsification and the size since many polymeric condensates having a molecular weight of 1000 or more are produced.
As a result of our wholehearted study, we discovered that the reaction products having MW within the range of 500 to 1000 could be obtained by reacting preliminarily a)rosins, b)dihydric alcohols and c)α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds one by one or at the same time below the boiling point of the dihydric alcohol, usually at the temperature of 150° to 200° C., and then reacting them at the temperature of 225° to 280° C.
Namely, the compounds expressed by the formula (VI) to (X) in FIG. 2 are gained according to the first process, as shown in FIG. 1, in which a) rosins, b)dihydric alcohols and c)α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds are preliminarily reacted one by one or at the same time at 150° to 200° C. In this reaction, a Diels-Alder addition reaction of maleic anhydride and maleic acid expressed by the formula (IV) and rosin by formula (III) advances at the same time with half-esterification of maleic anhydride and maleic acid expressed by the formula (IV) and dihydric alcohol by formula (V), thereby the distillation of dihydric alcohol being considered to be restrained. The esterification product of the dihydric alcohol having a low boiling point and maleic anhydride or maleic acid converts into the form of a five-membered ring anhydride due to the cleavage of the ester part with maleic acid in the process of the reaction with rosin above 220° C., and is stabilized by the esterification of rosin with tertiary carboxylic acid. Namely, the main reaction products are maleopimaric acids expressed by formula (IV), diresinate of dihydric alcohol and rosin by formula (IX), diresinate of dihydric alcohol, rosin and maleopimaric acid by formula (XI) or (XII) and diresionate of dihydric alcohol and maleopimaric acid by formula (VIII), and polyester having MW of 900 or more is obtained as by-product.
Particularly, the component contributory to the size in neutral papermaking is diresionate of dihydric alcohol, rosin and maleopimaric acid expressed by formula (XI) and (XII). It is found that in the case of the production according to the invention, that at least 20 percent, was an effective amount (in neutral papermaking,) of the said effective component to be contained in the reaction product (see FIG. 4). While according to the conventional method, little of the effective component is contained therein (see FIG. 5).
Various sizing agents can be prepared using the said effective component.
The sizing agent can be adjusted by using the abovementioned reaction products as they were, and in that case, the sizing agent for papermaking includes 1 to 10 percent by weight of the specific surfactant expressed the following formula(II), ##STR5## (in which R is alkylphenol group of C10 to C24 or linear or branch alkyl group of C10 to C24, n is an integer of 6 to 20, X or Y is H or SO 3 M and M is sodium, potassium or ammonium group), and 20 to 60 percent by weight of the concentration of the solid with the result that the sizing agent for papermaking having the excellent property in emulsification and storage stability can be obtained. Particularly, in the case of using the surfactant expressed by formula II, 0.5 to 10 percent by weight of casein is preferably also contained in the sizing agent. This is because the emulsification and stability is further enhanced by casein.
As concrete examples of the surfactant expressed by the above formula, there may be mentioned Aerosol A-103 (the correspondence to the above formula II where R is alkylphenol) manufactured by American Cyanamide Co., Ltd. and Softanol MES-12 (the correspondence to the above formula II where R is secondary alcohol) manufactured by Nippon Shokubi Co., Ltd.
80 to 99 parts by weight of the said solid of the reaction product and 1 to 20 parts by weight of the partial or complete saponification product of the copolymer of styrene-methacrylic acid-based monomer are dispersed into water, thereby the concentration of the solid being 20 to 60 percents by weight, resulting in a sizing agent for neutral papermaking having good emulsification and size without foaming at the time of papermaking, which operates effectively.
The partial or complete saponification product of styrene-methacrylic acid based-monomer means partial or complete saponification product of the copolymer which contains 15 to 40 percents by weight of styrene-based monomer, 5 to 40 percents by weight (meth)acrylatester-based monomer, 25 to 65 percents by weight of (meth)acrylic acid monomer and 0 to 15 percents by weight of other monomer and has an average molecular weight within the range of 5000 to 500,000.
Examples of styrene-based monomer include styrene, vinyltoluene, α-methylstyrene and one or more kinds of them can be used. As examples of (meth)acrylic ester-based monomer, there may be mentioned methyl acrylate, methyl metacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl metacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl metacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl metacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl metacrylate, stearyl acrylate, stearyl metacrylate and one or more kinds of them can be used. Examples of (meth)acrylic acid-based monomer includes acrylic acid and methacrylic acid and one or two kinds of them can be used. Other monomer includes styrene sulfonic acid, sodium styrene-sulfonate, polyoxyethylene arylnonylphenylethersulfonate, polyoxyetylene arylnonylphenyletersulfonate-ammonium salt, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, maleic anhydride, maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid and one or more kinds of them can be used.
As a method of producing partial or complete saponification product of styrene-methacrylic acid based copolymer, there may be mentioned a method which comprises; conducting the solution polymerization using hydrocarbon such as toluene and xylene, ketone such as methyl ethyl ketone or alcohol solvent such as isopropylalcohol and butylalcohol and adding peroxide- and azo-based polymerization initiators; saponificating with alkali such as Na, K and ammonia; giving water solubility ;and removing the solvent and a method comprising emulsion polymerization using the polymerization initiator such as persulfate, saponification with alkali such as Na, K and ammonia and giving water solubility.
Moreover, 60 to 95 parts by weight of the solid of said reaction product and 5 to 95 parts by weight of the copolymer (emulsifier polymer) of cationic vinyl monomer and aromatic vinyl monomer, cationic vinyl monomer and methacrylic ester , or cationic vinyl monomer, aromatic vinyl monomer and methacrylic ester are dispersed into water, thereby the concentration of the solid being 20 to 60 percent by weight, resulting in a sizing agent for neutral papermaking having a excellent size effect.
As the said emulsifier polymer, particularly for cationic vinyl monomer and/or methacrylic ester, it is preferable in the view of emulsification and size to use a product copolymerized under the presence of 0.1 to 15 molar percent of at least one selected from rosin acids, α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, adduct rosin acid or rosin ester.
As a concrete example, basic monomer having a tertiary amino group is suitable for cationic vinyl monomer. For example, there may be mentioned dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, diethylaminoethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminopropyl methacrylate, diethylaminopropyl methacrylate, dimethylaminoethyl mathacrylamide, diethylaminoethyl methacrylamide, dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide and diethylaminopropyl methacrylamide. And salts between these basic monomers and inorganic or organic acid can be used.
Moreover, quaternary ammonium salt obtained by the reaction of the said basic monomer with a quaternary agent such as methyl chloride, benzyl chloride dimethyl sulfate and epichlorohydorin, dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride and others can be used.
Further, styrene and derivatives thereof may be used as a aromatic vinyl monomer. For example, there may be mentioned styrene, α-methylstyrene and vinyltoluene.
(Meth)acrylic ester is ester of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid. As concrete examples, there may be mentioned methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate, stearyl acrylate, stearyl methacrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxybutyl acrylate, hydroxybutyl methacrylate.
As a rosin acid, gum rosin, wood rosin, tall oil rosin and others can be used. And as α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound added rosin, maleic rosin, fumaric rosin and acrylic rosin can be used. And as a rosin ester, rosin ethylene glycol ester, rosin propylene glycol ester, rosin glycerin ester, maleic rosin ethylene glycol ester, maleic rosin glycerin ester and others can be used.
One or both of a aromatic vinyl monomer and a methacrylic ester can be used.
For example, cationic vinyl monomer and aromatic vinyl monomer and/or methacrylic ester are dissolved into the solvent under the presence of rosin acid or α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound added rosin acid and rosin ester at the ratio of 0.5 to 15 molar percent to the said cationic vinyl monomer, aromatic vinyl monomer and/or methacrylic ester and heated under the presence of catalyst to be polymerized. After the completion of the reaction, the solvent is distilled, water is added for water dispersion and water solubility, with the result that the emulsifier polymer can be obtained.
As set forth hereinabove, the sizing agent according to the invention includes as a main component diester of rosin-based substances having a dicarboxylic acid or acid anhydride group expressed by the above formula (I),
(in which R 1 represents a rosin acid residue or maleopimaric acid residue, R 2 represents a dihydric alcohol residue and R 3 represents a maleopimaric acid residue),
therefore, the sizing agent showing excellent size effect in neutral papermaking.
And when the emulsifier according to the invention is used together with the sizing agent, the advantage such as excellent storage stability, no foaming and outstanding operation efficiency can be obtained.
On the other hand, the above-mentioned component represented by the formula (I') of the sizing agent is produced by reacting a)rosins, b)polyhydric alcohols, c)a polybasic (tribasic or more) carboxylic acid or its anhydride and d)α,β-unsaturated polybasic acid at the same time or one by one and it is preferably produced by reacting rosin, a polybasic (tribasic or more) carboxylic acid and/or its anhydride and polyhydric alcohol to obtain polyester reaction products in which bridges are partially formed, then reacting α,β-unsaturated polybasic acids. This is because, if rosin, α,β-unsaturated polybasic acid, tribasic or more carboxylic acid and/or its anhydride and polyhydric alcohols are reacted at the same time, the additional reaction of α,β-unsaturated polybasic acids and rosin by Diels-Alder reaction occurs with the esterification condensation reaction of said α,β-unsaturated polybasic acids and polyhydric alcohols.
Esterification condensation products can be obtained without using a tribasic or more carboxylic acid, but particularly in the range of pH 7 or more, the sizing property is unsatisfactory.
a) Rosins used in the invention may include tall rosin, gum rosin, and wood rosin or hydrogenation-, disproportionation- and formylation-modified products thereof.
b) Polyhydric alcohols used in the invention may include dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, neopentyl alcohol and the like, trihydric alcohols such as glycerine, trimethyrolpropane, trimethyrolethane and the like and tetrahydric alcohols such as pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol and the like.
And c) tribasic or more carboxylic acid used in the invention may include 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid,
1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid,
1,2,4-cycrohexanetoricarboxylic acid,
2,5,7-naphthalenetricarboxylic acid,
1,2,4-naphthalenetricarboxylic acid,
1,2,4-butanetricarboxylic acid,
1,2,5-hexanetricarboxylic acid,
1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid and anhydrides or esters thereof and the like. Among these substances, in view of the reactivity and cost, trimellitic anhydride is preferably used.
d) α,β-unsaturated polybasic acid may include maleic anhydride, maleic acid ,fumaric acid, itaconic anhydride and itaconic acid or lower alcohol monoester thereof and the like.
Preferably, the ratio of the hydroxyl group equivalents to the whole carboxyl group equivalent is COOH/OH=1/0.2 to 1.0 at the beginning of the preparation and the additional amount of said α,β-unsaturated polybasic acid is 2 to 20 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of rosins. And the amount of trihydric or more carboxylic acid and/or its anhydride is preferably 0.5 to 20 molar % to the total carboxylic acid. If said amount is less than 0.5%, the size is unsatisfactory in the range of pH 7 or more and if more than 20 molar %, too much of a network-formation reaction proceeds with the result that a good emulsion state and size cannot be obtained.
In the case of preparing the sizing agent by dispersing the reaction product expressed by the above formula (I') into water, the surfactant expressed by the above formula (II),
(in which R represents an alkylphenol group of C10 to C24 or linear or branch chain alkyl group, n represents integer of 6 to 20, X or Y is SO3M, M represents sodium, potassium or ammonium group), is added at 1 to 10% by weight to said reaction product to adjust the concentration of the solids therein to 20 to 60% by weight, resulting in the sizing agent for neutral papermaking which has excellent emulsification and storage stability. Casein is further added at 0.5 to 10% by weight to the sizing agent composite, resulting in better emulsion stability.
The above-mentioned surfactant is obtained by condensing alkylphenol or alcohol and ethylene oxide by a well-known method and further half-esterificating the resulting condensation product with sulfosuccinic acid. Examples thereof include Aerosol A-103 (the correspondence to the above formula (II) where R is alkylphenol) manufactured by American Cyanamide Co., Ltd. and Softanol MES-12 (the correspondence to the above formula (II) where R is secondary alcohol) by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
When 80 to 90 parts by weight of the reaction product containing the compound expressed the above formula (I') and 1 to 20 parts by weight of the partial or complete saponification product of a copolymer of styrene-methacrylic acid-based monomer are dispersed into water to adjust the concentration of the solids to 20 to 60% by weight, a sizing agent for neutral papermaking can be obtained which has good emulsification and size without foaming at the time of papermaking and which can operate effectively.
The partial or complete saponification product of a copolymer of styrene-methacrylic acid-based monomer means the partial or complete saponification product of the copolymer which contains 15 to 40 percent by weight of styrene-based monomer, 5 to 40 percent by weight of methacrylic ester-based monomer, 25 to 65 percent by weight of methacrylic acid-based monomer and 0 to 15 percent by weight of other monomer and has an average molecular weight within the range of 5000 to 500,000.
Examples thereof include styrene, vinyltoluene, α-methylstyrene, and the like, and one or more kinds of them can be used. Examples of methacrylic ester-based monomer typically include methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, stearyl acrylate, and the like, and one or more kinds of them can be used. Other monomers typically include styrene sulfate, sodium styrenesulfate, polyoxyethylene arylnonylphenylethersulfate ester-ammonium salt, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, maleic anhydride, maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, and the like, and one or more kinds of them can be used.
As a producing method, there can be used a method which comprises a step of conducting the solution polymerization using a hydrocarbon such as toluene and xylene, a ketone such as methyl ethyl ketone or alcohol solvent such as isopropylalcohol and butylalcohol and peroxide- or azo-based polymerization initiator, a step of saponificating with Na, K, alkali and the like, and a step of giving water solubility and removing the solvent, and also a method which comprises a step of emulsion polymerization using a polymerization initiator such as persulfate, saponification with Na, K, alkali and the like, a step of water solubility giving and a step of solvent removal.
The sizing agent of the invention is capable of showing good sizing effect under the conditions of papermaking in the neutral range to weak alkaline range. Particularly, the component contributed to the sizing effect in such neutral papermaking, whose action is not known, has been proved to be the compound expressed by the above formula (I'), in which α,β-unsaturated polybasic acids are added by Diels-Alder reaction to the esterification condensation product of rosin, trihydric or more carboxylic acid and/or its anhydride and polyhydric alcohol.
Polyester can be obtained without the tribasic or more carboxylic acid, but the sizing property thereof is unsatisfactory under the conditions of neutral papermaking in the range of pH 7 or more, or no size can be obtained depending on the formation, thereby resulting in no practical use.
Moreover, the sizing agent of the invention shows good size under the conditions of papermaking (above pH 7.5) , for example, containing much calcium carbonate, therefore, it can be used for copier paper for copying machine. Said copier paper slips less than the copier paper using conventional alkylketenedimer-based sizing agents and shows stable sheet feeding.
Further, as the main component of the sizing agent for neutral to weak alkaline range, there may be used a mixture comprising 1) a rosin, 2) a rosin modified by α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and/or anhydride thereof and 3) a polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin, which is used in a disperced form in water preferably with a mixture weight ratio of 0 to 30:20 to 70:30 to 80, more preferably 10 to 30:30 to 60:30 to 70.
As the rosin, gum rosin, wood rosin, tall rosin and modified rosin by hydrogenation-, disproportionation- and formylation-treatments can be used. And as the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid , maleic anhydride, maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic anhydride, itaconic acid and lower alcohol monoesters thereof can be used. These rosins may be pre-treated by means of disproportionation or formaldehyde. And as polyhydric alcohol for esterification of rosin, dihydric alcohol such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, dietanolamine and the like; trihydric alcohol such as glycerol, trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, trimethylolamine and the like; tetrahydric alcohol such as pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol and the like can be used.
The sizing effect in neutral papermaking by use of the mixture rosin can be generated by combination of a hydrophobic property caused by 3)the polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin and changing to hydrophobic property and fixing to pulp by reaction between 1) the rosin and/or 2) the modified rosin and the band. Therefore, when only the rosin ester is used as the sizing agent, the hydrophobic property becomes high, so that the sufficient sizing effect can be obtained, but the fixing effect to pulp is decreased, resulting in no sizing effect in neutral papermaking. On the other hand, when only 1) the rosin and 2) the modified rosin are used, the fixing effect to pulp and the changing to a hydrophobic property are expected, but in the neutral papermaking, the reaction with the band is limited and thus the changing to the hydrophobic property can not advance to a sufficient degree, resulting in not sufficient sizing effect in the neutral papermaking.
In the case of preparing the sizing agent by dispersing the rosin mixture into water, the surfactant expressed by the above formula (II), is added at 1 to 10% by weight to said reaction products to adjust the concentration of the solids therein to 20 to 60% by weight, resulting in the sizing agent for neutral papermaking which has excellent emulsification and storage stability. Casein is further added at 0.5 to 10% by weight to the sizing agent composite, resulting in better emulsion stability.
The above-mentioned surfactant is obtained by condensing alkylphenol or alcohol and ethylene oxide by a well-known method and further half- esterificating the resulting condensation product with sulfosuccinic acid. Example thereof include Aerosol A-103 (the correspondence to the above formula (II) where R is alkylphenol) manufactured by American Cyanamide Co., Ltd. and Softanol MES-12 (the correspondence to the above formula (II) where R is secondary alcohol) by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
When 80 to 90 parts by weight of the rosin mixture and 1 to 20 parts by weight of the partial or complete saponification product of copolymer of styrene-methacrylic acid-based monomer are dispersed into water to adjust the concentration of the solids to 20 to 60% by weight, a sizing agent for neutral papermaking can be obtained which has good emulsification and size without foaming at the time of papermaking and operate effectively.
The paper sized by the sizing agent according to the present invention, is used for papers wherein electrophotography transcription by toner development occurs, and which are filled with calcium carbonate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a structural formula illustrating the first process of the production method according to the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a structural formula of representative compounds and reaction products according to the production method of the invention.
FIG. 3 is structural formula illustrating the second process of the production method according to the invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates a GPC chart of the reaction product produced according to Synthesis Example 1.
FIG. 5 illustrates a GPC chart of the reaction product produced according to the Comparative Synthesis Example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The examples of the invention will be described in detail in the following section. The following Examples are presented to illustrate the invention, not to limit it. In the following description, unless otherwise stated, "parts" means parts by weight.
Synthesis of Rosin Derivatives
Synthesis Example 1
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. 40.3 parts of propyleneglycol was added at this temperature.
(COOH:OH=1:0.9)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 250° C. in 2 hours. At 250° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 141.5.
Synthesis Example 2
700 parts of tall oil rosin(acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. 24.2 parts of propyleneglycol was added at this temperature.
(COOH:OH=1:0.3)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 260° C. in 2 hours. At 260° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 168.
Synthesis Example 3
700 parts of tall oil rosin(acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. 72.5 parts of propyleneglycol was added at this temperature.
(COOH:OH=1:0.9)
After the completion of the addition, 109.9 parts of maleic anhydride was added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 240° C. in 2 hours At 240° C. the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 100.7.
Synthesis Example 4
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube At 160° C. 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 200° C. and the reaction was conducted for 2 hours. After the reaction, the temperature was lowered to 180° C. At this temperature, 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, the temperature was raised to 260° C. in 1 hours. At 260° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 120.
Synthesis Example 5
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added at 160° C. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 240° C. in 2 hours. At 240° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours.
Synthesis Example 6
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 40.8 parts of ethyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.62)
After the completion of the addition, 70 parts of maleic anhydride was added at 160° C. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 250° C. in 2 hours. At 250° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 119.
Synthesis Example 7
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 230° C. in 2 hours. At 230° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained rein was 131.
Synthesis Example 8
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a division device, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, 63 parts of maleic anhydride was added at 160° C. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 260° C. in 2 hours. At 260° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 107.
Comparative Synthesis Example 1
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added at 160° C. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 200° C. in 1 hour. At 200° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 146.
Comparative Synthesis Example 2
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature , 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added at 160° C. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 210° C. in 1 hour. At 210° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 146.
Comparative Synthesis Example 3
(rosins according to the example of the Patent 60-16147 for comparison)
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 210° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. 49 parts of maleic anhydride was added one part by one in 20 minutes. An hour later, 35 parts of propyleneglycol was added slowly in 20 minutes and kept at 210° C. for 3 hours.
(COOH:OH=1:0.43)
The acid number of the obtained resin was 140.
Comparative Synthesis Example 4
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 56.4 parts of propyleneglycol was added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.7)
After the completion of the addition, the temperature was raised to 260° C. in 2 hours. At 260° C., the reaction was conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 99.
Comparative Synthesis Example 5
700 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) was heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer , condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. 84 parts of maleic anhydride was added at 160° C. After the completion od maleic anhydride, the temperature was raised to 260° C. in 2 hours. The reaction was conducted at 260° C. for 4 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 191.
Comparative Synthesis Example 6
700 parts of formaldehyde treated tall oil rosin (acid number 165) was heated and melted at 200° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At 200° C., 60 parts of fumaric acid was divided and added in 30 minutes and maintained at this temperature for 2 hours. The acid number of the obtained resin was 225.
The reaction products of the above synthesis examples and comparative synthesis ones are analyzed for resin constant and GPC and Table 1 shows their results.
Particularly, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the GPC charts of Synthesis 4 and Comparative synthesis 2. In the figures, the peak A indicates rosin acid part including rosin isomers such as abietic acid and dehydroabietic acid. The peak B indicates fortified rosin part including maleopimaric acid and so on. The peak C includes diester of rosin acid and propyleneglycol representative of formula (IV). The peak D includes the compounds expressed by the above formula (I), formula (XI) and formula (XII).
It seems clear by comparing FIG. 4 with FIG. 5 that the production states of the peak C, D and E are different. Particularly, the peak area of C and D is large and the ratio of rosin acid part (peak A) is small in Synthesis example 4 (FIG. 4). This suggests that the esterification to obtain the desired compounds proceeds effectively. On the other hands, in the view of the fact that the peaks of C and D are small and the detection start time of the peak E is before 1.40*10 minutes in the comparative synthesis example (FIG. 5), it is found that the expansion toward the higher molecular compounds is large and entirely different compounds are produced depending on the reaction conditions.
Therefore, diresinate of dihydric alcohol, rosin and maleopimaric acid expressed by formula (XI) or formula (XII) is contained at the effective amount (about more than 20% by weight) in the neutral papermaking in Synthesis example 4, but they do not reach the effective amount in Comparative synthesis example.
Polymerization of Emulsifier Polymer
Polymerization Example 1
10 parts of ammonium salt of arylnonylphenol EO 9 mol added sulfate, 45 parts of methacrylic acid, 15 parts of n-butylmethacrylate, 25 parts of styrene, 5 parts of α-methylstyrene, 2 parts of dodecylmercaptan, 7 parts of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfate, 350 parts of ion-exchange water, 10 parts of 10% of ammonium persulfate aqueous solution were mixed and agitated in the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a tap funnel. And they were kept at 85° C. for 5 hours and cooled to 50° C., then 132 parts of 20% of potassium hydroxide being added gradually. Then water was added and the light-yellow translucent liquid including 20% solid was obtained.
Polymerization Example 2
10 parts of rosin and 100 parts of isopropyl alcohol were put into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a tap funnel and the flask was fully degassed with nitrogen gas, then the temperature being raised to the reflux temperature to melt rosin. The mixture solution of 60 parts of styrene, 30 parts of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and 2 parts of azobisisobutylnitrile was dropped into this in 1 hour and the reaction was conducted during reflux for 6 hours. And about 70 parts of isopropyl alcohol was distilled during heating, then the solution including 11 parts of acetic acid in 100 parts of water. The resulting Water-dispersant was further heated and the residual isopropyl alcohol was distilled.
And 330 parts of water was added, then, 18 parts of epichlorohydrine being added. The reaction was conducted at 85°-95° C. for an hour and water was added, resulting in blue-white translucent liquid including 20% solid.
Preparation of the Sizing Agent
EXAMPLE 1
200 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 1 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water was added and mixed with a homomixer at 40° C. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure emulsifier once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37% solid.
EXAMPLE 2
100 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 2 was melted at 180° C. and cooled to 130° C. 1212 parts of softanol MES-12 (3 parts of effective component) was added to this molten resin slowly during agitation, then 50 parts of 10% casein (5 parts of casein and 2.6 parts of 25% of aqueous ammonia diluted with water into 50 parts as a whole), was dropped gradually. 60 parts of additional hot water(95 C.) was dropped little by little and the mixture was converted into O/W type emulsion. Thereafter, 130 parts of hot water was added and the internal temperature was rapidly decreased to 30° C. The obtained emulsion contained 31% solid.
EXAMPLE 3
200 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 3 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure emulsifier (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37% solid.
EXAMPLE 4
200 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 4 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 100 parts of polymer emulsifier (20 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 2 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure emulsifier (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 35% solid.
EXAMPLE 5
200 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 5 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure emulsifier (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37% solid.
EXAMPLE 6
200 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 6 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homogenizer (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37%.
EXAMPLE 7
200 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 7 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37% solid.
EXAMPLE 8
100 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 8 was melted at 180° C. and cooled to 130° C. 8.8 parts of Aerosol A-103 (3 parts of effective component) was added to this molten resin slowly during agitation and 70 parts of 6% casein solution (4 parts of casein and 2.0 parts of 25% aqueous ammonia diluted with water into 70 parts as a whole) was dropped little by little. 40 parts of additional hot water (95° C.) was dropped little by little and the mixture was converted into O/W type emulsion. Thereafter, 130 parts of hot water was added and the internal temperature was decreased rapidly to 30° C. The obtained emulsion contained 31% solid.
Comparative Example 1
100 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example was melted at 180° C. and cooled to 130° C. 50 parts of 10% casein solution (5 parts of casein and 1.9 parts of 10% NaOH diluted with water into 50 parts as a whole) was dropped in this molten resin gradually during agitation. 60 parts of additional hot water (95° C.) was dropped gradually little and the mixture was converted into O/W type emulsion. Thereafter, 130 parts of hot water was added and the internal temperature was decreased rapidly to 30° C. The obtained emulsion contained 31% solid.
Comparative Example 2
200 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis 1 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene, and 50 parts of polymer homonizer (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersion was passed through a piston type high pressure emulsifier (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water- dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37% solid.
Comparative Example 3
200 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example 2 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene, and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant.
Comparative Example 4
100 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example was melted at 150° C. and 10 parts of 25% borax aqueous solution was added slowly during agitation. 7 parts of casein and 225 parts of water were added to the water in oil-emulsion in this resulting till oil in water-emulsion was produced in water. The internal temperature was decreased to less than 30° C and water-dispersant was obtained.
Comparative Example 5
100 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 40 parts of 10% casein aqueous solution (4 parts of casein and 1.5 parts of 10% NaOH distilled with water into 40 parts as a whole) and 340 parts of ion-exchange water ware added and mixed at 40° C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston high pressure emulsifier (200 kg/cm 2 ), resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 35% solid.
Comparative Example 6
200 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example 4 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer homonizer (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40 C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure emulsifier (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 31% solid.
Comparative Example 7
200 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example 5 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 1 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed at 40 C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer (200 kg/cm 2 ) once,resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 31% solid.
Comparative Example 8
200 parts of the resin according to Comparative Synthesis Example 6 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 24 parts of Softanol MES-12 (10 parts of effective component) and ion-exchange water ware added and mixed at 40 C. with a homomixer. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer (200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 35% solid,
The sizing agents according to the above-mentioned Example 1 to 8 and Comparative Example 1 to 8 are listed in Table 2. Each sizing agent was tested for storage stability and the results are shown in Table 2.
And the Steckigt sizing degree (second) was measured at pH 6.5, 4.0 and 7.5 of papermaking. The results are shown in Table 3.
Moreover, the foaming property was tested in white water and the results are shown in Table 4.
Size Test
Test method/
Pulp: L/NBKP (L/N 8/2) CSF 420 ml
Method: The fixed amount of calcium carbonate was added to 2.5% slurry of said pulp and agitated. Cationic starch was added during agitation, two minutes later, the sizing agent being added. Thirty seconds later, liquid alminium sulfate was added. Thirty seconds later, hand sheet was preparing with a laboratory sheet forming machine according to the conventional method.
The obtained handmade paper was kept in a room having constant temperature and constant humidity of 65% for 1 day and then took the sizing test.
______________________________________Adjustment of pHpH6.5 2% calcium carbonate to pulp 2% liquid alminium sulfatepH7.0 10% calcium carbonate to pulp 2% liquid alminium sulfatepH7.5 10% calcium carbonate to pulp 1% liquid alminium sulfate______________________________________
Foaming Property Evaluation
Test Method
Synthesized white water: 0.5 grams of calcium carbonate was dispersed into 900 milliliters of ion-exchange water and 0.7 grams of liquid aluminum sulfate (including 4.2% Al) was added to adjust pH to 7.3. To this liquid was added Na 2 SO 4 to adjust the conductivity to 1000 μS/cm. The resulting liquid was used as synthesized white water. Method: The sizing agent was diluted with said synthesized white water to adjust the concentration of the sizing agent to 0.05% (solid) in the test solution and this solution was tested. 100 ml test solution was poured into the 200 ml measuring cylinder, a stopper was put on the cylinder and the cylinder was extremely shaken vertically and stood quietly. The change of the resulting foam was observed.
Standing Stability Test
Method: 500 grams of each water-dispersed solution was poured into 550 ml glass container and kept at 25° C. for 2 months, then, the storage stability test was taken. The agglomerate was filtered with a 200 mesh wire sieve and the precipitation amount of it to whole resin was calculated.
Synthesis of Rosin Derivatives
Synthesis Example 9
Seven hundred parts of tall rosin (acid number 170) is heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 40 parts of propylene glycol is added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.9)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride is added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature is raised to 250° C. in 2 hours. At 250° C., the reaction is conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hour. Thereafter, 8 parts of trimellitic acid is added and reacted at 250° C. for 1 hour. The acid number of the obtained resin was 110.
Synthesis Example 10
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 9 except using 33 parts of glycerin (COOH:OH=1:0.9) instead of propylene glycol, resulting in the resin having the acid number of 85.
Synthesis Example 11
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 9 except using 36 parts of pentaerythritol (COOH:OH=1:0.9) instead of propylene glycol and 63 parts of maleic anhydride , resulting in the resin having the acid number of 58.
Synthesis Example 12
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 9 except using 43 parts of glycerin instead of propylene glycol and 99 parts of fumaric acid instead of maleic anhydride , resulting in the resin having the acid number of 68.
Comparative Synthesis Example 7
Seven hundred parts of tall rosin (acid number 170) is heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 33 parts of glycerin is added.
(COOH:OH=1:0.9)
After the completion of the addition, 84 parts of maleic anhydride is added. After the completion of the addition of maleic anhydride, the temperature is raised to 250° C. in 2 hours. At 250° C., the reaction is conducted at the same time with removing water for 8 hour. The acid number of the obtained resin was 82.
Comparative Synthesis Example 8
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 10 except using 50 parts of trimellitic anhydride, resulting in gelation, therefore, the resin for estimating sizing property not being obtained.
Comparative Synthesis Example 9
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 9 except using 8 parts of trimellitic anhydride, resulting in the resin having the acid number of 105.
Comparative Synthesis Example 10
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 10 except not using trimellitic anhydride, resulting in the resin having the acid number of 78.
Comparative Synthesis Example 11
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 10 except not using maleic anhydride or trimellitic anhydride, resulting in the resin having the acid number of 45.
Polymerization of Emulsifier Polymer
Polymerization Example 3
Ten parts of ammonium salt of arylnonylphenol EO 9 mol added sulfate, 45 parts of methacrylic acid, 15 parts of n-butyl methacrylate, 25 parts of styrene, 5 parts of α-methylstyrene, 2 parts of dodecylmercaptan, 7 parts of sodium dodecylbenzensulfate, 350 parts of ion-exchange water and 10 parts of 10% ammonium persulfate were mixed and agitated in the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a tap funnel. And they were kept at 85 C. for 5 hours and cooled to 50 C., then 132 parts of 20% potassium hydroxide being added gradually. Then water was added and Emulsifier A of light-yellow translucent liquid including 20% solid was obtained.
Polymerization Example 4
Ten parts of rosin and 100 parts of isopropyl alcohol were pored into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a tap funnel and said flask was fully degassed with nitrogen gas, then the temperature being raised to the reflux temperature to melt rosin. The mixture solution of 60 parts of styrene, 30 parts of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and 2 parts of azobisisobutylonitrile was dropped into this in 1 hour and the reaction was conducted during the reflux for 6 hours. And about 70 parts of isopropyl alcohol was distilled during heating, then the resolution including 11 parts of acetic acid in 100 parts of water. The resulting water-dispersant was further heated and the residual isopropyl alcohol was distilled.
And 330 parts of water was added, then 18 parts of epichlorohydrine being added. The reaction was conducted at 85-95 C. for an hour and water added, resulting in Emulsifier B of blue-white translucent liquid including the solid of 20%.
Preparation of the Water-dispersant
EXAMPLES 9-12
(high pressure method)
Two hundred parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 9-12 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 50 parts of polymer emulsifier (10 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 3 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed with a homomixer at 40° C. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsifier contained the solid of 37%.
EXAMPLE 13
(high pressure method)
Two hundred parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 9 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and water-dispersant was obtained under the same conditions as said Example 1 except using 100 parts of the polymer emulsifier (20 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 4. The resulting emulsion contained the solid of 37%.
EXAMPLE 14
(inversion method)
One hundred parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 10 was melted at 180° C. and cooled to 130° C. Twelve parts of Softanol MES-12 (3 parts of effective component) was added to this molten resin slowly during agitation, then 50 parts of 10% casein (5 parts of casein and 2.6 parts of 25% aqueous ammonia diluted with water into 50 parts as a whole) being dropped little by little. Sixty parts of additional hot water (95° C.) was dropped little by little and the mixture was inversed into O/W type emulsion.
Thereafter, 130 parts of hot water was added and the internal temperature was rapidly decreased to 30° C. The resulting emulsion contained the solid of 31%.
EXAMPLE 15
(high pressure method)
Two hundred parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 10 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 100 parts of polymer emulsifier (20 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 3 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed with a homomixer at 40° C. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained the solid of 37%.
EXAMPLE 16
(inversion method)
One hundred parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 10 was melted at 180° C. and cooled to 130° C. Twelve parts of Aerosol A-103 (3 parts of effective component) was added to this molten resin slowly during agitation, then 40 parts of 10% casein (5 parts of casein and 2.6 parts of 25% aqueous ammonia diluted with water into 50 parts as a whole) being dropped little by little. Sixty parts of additional hot water (95° C.) was dropped little by little and the mixture was inversed into O/W type emulsion. Thereafter, 130 parts of hot water was added and the internal temperature was rapidly decreased to 30° C. The resulting emulsion contained the solid of 31%
EXAMPLE 17
(high pressure method)
Two hundred parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 11 was dissolved in 200 parts of toluene and 100 parts of polymer emulsifier (20 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 2 and 350 parts of ion-exchange water were added and mixed with a homomixer at 40° C. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homonizer once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little of water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained the solid of 35%.
EXAMPLE 18
(inversion method)
The emulsion was obtained under the same conditions as Example 14 except using the resin according to Synthesis Example 11 instead of that according to Synthesis Example 9.
The polymer according to said Polymerization Example 3 or 2, Aerosol A-103 or Softanol MES-12 was added to the resin according to said Comparative Synthesis Example 7 to 11 at the ratio listed in the following table and the sizing agent water-dispersant was prepared by way of a high pressure method or inversion method. This sample and the sizing agent water-dispersant according to said Example 9 to 18 were tested for storage stability and foaming property and both of the were compared. The results are shown in Table 5.
And the Steckigt sizing degree (second) was measured at pH 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0 of papermaking for the sizing agent water-dispersant according to said Example 9 to 18 and Comparative Example 1 to 9. The results are shown in the following Table 2.
Size Test
Test method
Pulp: L/NBKP (L/N 8/2) CSF 420 ml
Method: The fixed amount of calcium carbonate was added to 2.5% slurry of said pulp and agitated. Cationic starch was added during agitation, two minutes later, the sizing agent being added. Thirty seconds later, liquid alminium sulfate was added. Thirty seconds later, polyacrylamide-based rentention aid was added. Thirty seconds later, manual hand paper (66-70g/m 2 ) was prepared with a laboratory sheet forming machine according to the conventional method.
The obtained handmade paper was kept in a room having constant temperature and constant humidity of 65% for 1 day and then took the sizing test.
______________________________________Adjustment of pHpH7.0 10% calcium carbonate to pulp 2% liquid alminium sulfatepH7.5 10% calcium carbonate to pulp 1% liquid alminium sulfatepH8.0 20% calcium carbonate to pulp 1% liquid alminium sulfate______________________________________
Foaming Property Evaluation
Test Method
Synthesized white water: 0.5 grams of calcium carbonate was dispersed into 900 milliliters of ion-exchange water and 0.7 grams of liquid aluminum sulfate (including 4.2% Al) was added to adjust pH to 7.3. To this liquid was added Na 2 S 04 to adjust the conductivity to 1000 μS/cm. The resulting liquid was used as synthesized white water.
Method: The sizing agent was diluted with said synthesized white water to adjust the concentration of the sizing agent to 0.05% (solid) in the test solution and this solution was tested. One hundred milliliters of test solution was pored into the 200 ml measuring cylinder, a stopper was put on the cylinder and the cylinder was extremely shaken ten times in the vertical direction and stood quietly. The change of the resulting foam was observed. Standing Stability Test
Method: Five hundred grams of each water-dispersant was poured into 550 ml glass container and kept at 25° C. for 2 months, then, the storage stability test was taken. The agglomerate was filtered with a 200 mesh wire sieve and the precipitation amount thereof to total resin was calculated.
As set forth hereinabove, the sizing agent according to the invention shows excellent size effect in neutral to alkaline range. And when the specific emulsifier is used, excellent storage stability and outstanding operation efficiency with no foaming would be generated.
Synthesis Example 13
660 parts of tall oil rosin (acid number 170) is heated and melted at 160° C. under the charge of nitrogen gas into the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a water separator, condenser and nitrogen gas injection tube. At this temperature, 50 parts of glycerol is added. At 250° C., esterification reaction is carried out to give a glycerol ester of tall oil rosin.
Synthesis Example 14
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 13 except using 61 parts of propylene glycol instead of glycerol, resulting in propylene ester of tall rosin.
Synthesis Example 15
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 1 except using 54 parts of pentaerythritol instead of glycerol, resulting in pentaerithritol ester of tall rosin.
Synthesis Example 16
The reaction was conducted under the same conditions as the Synthesis Example 13 except using gum rosin (acid number 170) instead of toll rosin, resulting in glycerol ester of gum rosin.
Polymerization of Emulsifier Polymer
Polymerization Example 5
10 parts of ammonium salt of arylnonylphenol EO 9 mol added sulfate, 45 parts of methacrylic acid, 15 parts of n-butyl methacrylate, 25 parts of styrene, 5 parts of α-methylstyrene, 2 parts of dodecylmercaptan, 7 parts of sodium dodecylbenzensulfate, 350 parts of ion-exchange water and 10 parts of 10% ammonium persulfate were mixed and agitated in the four-neck flask for 1000 CC provided with an agitator, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a tap funnel. And they were kept at 85° C. for 5 hours and cooled to 50° C., then 132 parts of 20% potassium hydroxide being added gradually. Then water was added and Emulsifier of light-yellow translucent liquid including 20% solid was obtained.
Preparation of the Sizing Agent.
EXAMPLE 19
100 parts of the resin according to Synthesis Example 13 and 140 parts of maleic tall rosin (produced by reacting 100 parts of tall rosin with 20 parts of maleic anhydride under heating) and 60 parts of tall rosin were dissolved in 300 parts of toluene and 75 parts of polymer emulsifier (15 parts of effective component) according to Polymerization Example 5 and 525 parts of ion-exchange water was added and mixed with a homomixer at 40° C. Then this dispersant was passed through a piston type high pressure homogenizer(200 kg/cm 2 ) once, resulting in fine dispersant. Thereafter, toluene and a little water were distilled by vacuum distillation, resulting in water-dispersant. The obtained emulsion contained 37% solid.
EXAMPLE 20
100 parts of the resin mixture comprising the resin of to Synthesis Example 14, the maleic tall rosin and the tall rosin with mixture ratio of 5/3/2 is melted at 180° C. and cooled to 130° C. 8.8 parts of Softanol MES-12 (3 parts of effective component) was added to this molten resin slowly during agitation and 50 parts of 10% casein solution (5 parts of casein and 2.6 parts of 25% aqueous ammonia diluted with water into 50 parts as a whole) was dropped gradually. 60 parts of additional hot water (95° C.) was dropped gradually and the mixture was converted into O/W type emulsion. Thereafter, 130 parts of hot water was added and the internal temperature was decreased rapidly to 30° C. The obtained emulsion contained 31% solid.
EXAMPLES 21 AND 22
Those Examples were carried out at the same condition as Example 19 expect using the resins produced in the Synthesis Examples 15 and 16 as the rosin ester, to give emulsion products.
EXAMPLES 23 TO 26
Except using the rosin mixture comprising the resin of the Synthesis Example 13, the maleic tall rosin and the gum rosin with the mixture ratio shown in Table 7, the Examples were carried out at the same condition as Example 19, to give emulsion products.
Comparative Examples 12 to 15
Except using the rosin mixture comprising the resin of the Synthesis Example 21, the maleic tall rosin and the tall rosin with the mixture ratio shown in Table 8, the Examples were carried out at the same condition as Example 19, to give emulsion products.
The Steckigt sizing degree (second) was measured at pH 6.5, 7.0 and 7.5 of papermaking for the sizing agent water-dispersant according to said Example 19 to 26 and Comparative Example 12 to 15. The results are shown in the following Table 9.
Size Estimation
Test method
Pulp: L/NBKP (L/N 8/2) CSF 420 ml
Method: The fixed amount of calcium carbonate was added to 2.5% slurry of said pulp and agitated. Cationic starch was added during agitation, two minutes later, the sizing agent being added. Thirty seconds later, liquid alminium sulfate was added. Thirty seconds later, polyacrylamide-based rentention aid was added. Thirty seconds later, manual hand paper (66-70g/m 2 ) was prepared with a laboratory sheet forming machine according to the conventional method. The obtained handmade paper was kept in a room having constant temperature and constant humidity of 65% for 1 day and then took the sizing test.
______________________________________Adjustment of pHpH6.5 2% calcium carbonate to pulp 5% liquid alminium sulfatepH7.0 10% calcium carbonate to pulp 2% liquid alminium sulfatepH7.5 10% calcium carbonate to pulp 1% liquid alminium sulfate______________________________________
The following Tables 1-9, summarize relevant data pertaining to the prior examples.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________ modification ratio anbydrous resin **GPC analysis (peak area %) reation * OH/COOH maleic acid % specifications E D C B Aresin temp. alcohol rosin rosin AV · SP ***0.835 0.87˜0.90 0.91˜0.93 0.953 1.000__________________________________________________________________________S EX. 1 250° C. PG 0.50 12.0 141.5 · 91.0 -- 33.8 15.3 22.1 28.8S EX. 2 260° C. PG 0.30 12.9 168.0 · 96.0 -- 24.8 10.7 28.2 36.4S EX. 3 240° C. PG 0.90 15.7 100.7 · 91.0 15.1 33.8 20.6 12.6 18.0S EX. 4 260° C. PG 0.70 12.0 120.0 · 95.0 13.5 30.4 17.6 16.0 22.6S EX. 5 240° C. PG 0.70 12.0 123.6 · 94.5 12.9 28.8 17.3 17.7 23.3S EX. 6 250° C. EG 0.62 10.0 119.0 · 88.5 11.0 25.4 19.3 14.4 29.9S EX. 7 230° C. PG 0.70 12.0 131.0 · 98.0 18.0 24.5 13.2 16.9 27.4S EX. 8 260° C. PG 0.70 9.0 107.0 · 86.0 13.2 22.7 24.5 12.2 27.4Com S EX. 1 200° C. PG 0.70 12.0 146.0 · 96.0 21.3 14.5 6.9 20.1 37.3Com S EX. 2 210° C. PG 0.70 12.0 146.0 · 99.0 20.4 14.4 7.6 20.1 37.5Com S EX. 3 210° C. PG 0.43 7.0 140.0 · 87.0 12.5 12.5 12.8 13.4 48.8Com S EX. 4 260° C. PG 0.70 0.0 99.0 · 68.5 -- 7.0 37.1 -- 56.0Com S EX. 5 260° C. -- 0.00 12.0 215.0 · 102.0 -- 12.2 -- 32.7 55.1__________________________________________________________________________ *alcohol; PG: propylene glycol, EG: ethylene glycol **GPC analysis: column: TSKgel G2000H XL 7.8 mm × 30 cm × 2 eluate; THF, flow rate; 1.0 ml/min., detection; RI ***A: rosin acid part (MW 290˜315) B: modified rosin part (MW 390˜420) C: rosin ester compound (MW 580˜660) D: rosin ester compound (MW 670˜880): General formula (1) E: high molecular material (MW 900˜ ) The values at each peak show relative maintaining ratio (on the basis of the rosin maintaining time = 100)
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ *average Compounding ratio particle ** Rosin Casein Emulsion size StandingSizing agent derivatives Emulsifier % % method (μm) Stability__________________________________________________________________________EX. 1 S EX. 1 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>EX. 2 S EX. 2 MES-12 3 5 inversion 0.4 0.1%>EX. 3 S EX. 3 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>EX. 4 S EX. 4 Poly EX. 2 10 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>EX. 5 S EX. 5 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>EX. 6 S EX. 6 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>EX. 7 S EX. 7 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>EX. 8 S EX. 8 A-103 3 4 inversion 0.4 0.1%>Com. EX. 1 Com S EX. 1 -- -- 5 inversion 1.3 1.5%Com. EX. 2 Com S EX. 1 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>Com. EX. 3 Com S EX. 2 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>Com. EX. 4 Com S EX. 3 -- -- 7 inversion 1.8 2.8%Com. EX. 5 Com S EX. 3 -- -- 4 high-pressure 0.4 0.3%Com. EX. 6 Com S EX. 4 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.4 0.3%Com. EX. 7 Com S EX. 5 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high-pressure 0.4 0.3%Com. EX. 8 Com S EX. 6 MES-12 3 -- high-pressure 0.3 0.1%>__________________________________________________________________________ *average particle size: measured by DLS700 (dynamic light scattering method; made by Otsuka Electronics Ltd.) **Standing Stability: precipitation amount (%) for 2 month under keeping at 25° C.
TABLE 3______________________________________ Stockigt sizing degree (second) paper making pitSizing agent 6.5 7.0 7.5______________________________________EX. 1 18.1 16.7 13.2EX. 2 17.5 15.4 11.8EX. 3 17.9 16.3 12.9EX. 4 19.0 18.0 14.8EX. 5 19.5 17.5 13.8EX. 6 18.9 16.8 12.9EX. 7 17.8 16.9 11.7EX. 8 17.8 16.8 11.9Com. EX. 1 12.6 6.8 2.9Com. EX. 2 13.8 6.8 3.1Com. EX. 3 15.3 10.3 4.5Com. EX. 4 7.3 2.8 1.2Com. EX. 5 14.5 8.1 3.4Com. EX. 6 0.0 0.0 0.0Com. EX. 7 13.9 6.5 1.8Com. EX. 8 13.7 2.5 0.0______________________________________
TABLE 4______________________________________Foaming Property Evaluation *deforming test Foam volume (ml)Sizing agent 30 sec. 3 min. 5 min.______________________________________EX. 1 30 <5 <5EX. 3 25 <5 <5EX. 5 30 <5 <5EX. 6 30 <5 <5EX. 7 30 <5 <5Com. EX. 1 35 30 30Com. EX. 4 40 30 30Com. EX. 5 40 35 30Com. EX. 8 35 30 30______________________________________
TABLE 5__________________________________________________________________________Sizing agent (aqueous dispersion) Compounding ratioSizing Rosin Casein Emulsion *1agent derivatives Emulsifier % % method (μm) *2 *3__________________________________________________________________________EX. 9 S EX. 1 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureEX. 10 S EX. 2 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureEX. 11 S EX. 3 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureEX. 12 S EX. 4 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureEX. 13 S EX. 1 Poly EX. 2 10 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ◯ pressureEX. 14 S EX. 1 MES-12 3 5 inversion 0.4 0.1%> ΔEX. 15 S EX. 2 Poly EX. 2 10 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ◯ pressureEX. 16 S EX. 2 A-103 3 4 inversion 0.4 0.1%> ΔEX. 17 S EX. 3 Poly EX. 2 10 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ◯ pressureEX. 18 S EX. 3 MES-12 3 5 inversion 0.4 0.1%> ΔCom. EX. 1 Com S EX. 1 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureCom. EX. 2 Com S EX. 2 NoneCom. EX. 3 Com S EX. 3 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureCom. Ex. 4 Com S EX. 4 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureCom. EX. 5 Com S EX. 3 Poly EX. 2 10 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureCom. EX. 6 Com S EX. 4 MES-12 3 5 inversion 0.4 0.3% ΔCom. EX. 7 Com S EX. 5 Poly EX. 1 5 -- high- 0.3 0.1%> ⊚ pressureCom. EX. 8 Com S EX. 4 A-103 3 4 inversion 0.4 0.1%> ΔCom. EX. 9 Com S EX. 4 -- -- 7 inversion 1.8 3.5%__________________________________________________________________________ *1 average size of particle: measured by DLS700 (dynamic light scattering method; made by Otsuka Electronics Ltd.) *2 Standing Stability: precipitation amount (%) for 2 month under keeping at 25° C. *3 Foaming test: Foam volume after 5 minute stauding. ⊚ 5 ml ◯: 6˜30 ml Δ: 31 ml
TABLE 6______________________________________Size Test Stockigt sizing degree (second) paper making pHSizing agent 7.0 7.5 8.0______________________________________EX. 1 23.2 19.4 17.2EX. 2 24.5 20.3 19.4EX. 3 23.5 20.1 18.9EX. 4 20.2 18.5 17.5EX. 5 23.5 19.6 17.5EX. 6 20.1 18.1 16.9EX. 7 23.5 18.6 17.2EX. 8 20.1 18.0 16.7Com. EX. 1 14.2 7.1 2.1Com. EX. 2 -- -- --Com. EX. 3 13.2 8.5 5.9Com. EX. 4 14.5 10.1 6.1Com. EX. 5 12.8 5.5 1.2Com. EX. 6 12.3 5.2 1.5Com. EX. 7 2.3 0 0Com. EX. 8 6.8 1.2 0Com. EX. 9 6.5 0 0______________________________________
TABLE 7______________________________________Synthesis Maleic tallExample 1 rosin Gum rosin______________________________________EX. 23 50 20 30EX. 24 30 60 10EX. 25 70 30 0EX. 25 30 70 0______________________________________
TABLE 8______________________________________Synthesis Maleic tallExample 3 rosin Tall rosin______________________________________EX. 18 50 10 40EX. 19 20 40 40EX. 20 90 10 0EX. 21 20 60 20______________________________________
TABLE 9______________________________________ Stockigt sizing degree (second) paper making pHSizing agent 6.5 7.0 7.5______________________________________EX. 19 25.3 22.2 20.2EX. 20 20.7 17.5 16.4EX. 21 26.5 22.3 21.5EX. 22 26.8 24.5 23.7EX. 23 26.5 24.3 22.0EX. 24 19.4 17.4 15.3EX. 24 17.9 12.5 11.2EX. 25 20.6 13.2 12.0EX. 18 13.2 8.9 6.1EX. 19 15.4 10.6 8.7EX. 20 7.1 4.8 2.1EX. 21 15.8 8.7 5.5______________________________________
|
The invention provides a sizing agent with good stability, particularly which is rapid in getting started in the neutral zone and a method of producing the same.
A sizing agent for papermaking in neutral zone is characterized by a main component of said sizing agent being selected from the group consisting of a diester of rosin-based substances having a dicarboxylic acid or acid anhydride group expressed by the following formula (I), ##STR1## (in which R 1 represents a rosin acid residue or maleopimaric acid, R 2 represents a dihydric alcohol residue and R 3 represents a maleopimaric acid residue); and 2) a polyester reaction product expressed by the following formula (I'), ##STR2## (in which R' 1 and R' 5 represent a rosin acid residue or an α,β-unsaturated polybasic carboxylic acid added rosin residue, at least one of them represents α,β-unsaturated polybasic carboxylic acid added rosin residue, R' 2 and R' 4 represent polyhydric alcohol residues, R' 3 represents a polybasic carboxylic acid residue being at least tribasic, x and z are integers of 1 to 3, y is 0, 1 or 2 and m and n are 1 or 2); and 3) a mixture comprising a rosin, a rosin modified by α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or or an anhydride thereof and a polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin.
| 3
|
[0001] This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2011/002584, which was filed on May 24, 2011, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2010 025 831.8, which was filed in Germany on Jul. 1, 2010, and which are both herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a radiation protection curtain and an x-ray inspection device, equipped with the radiation protection curtain.
[0004] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0005] As is known, x-ray inspection systems, which have a radiation tunnel having at least one radiation source arranged therein, are employed for inspecting objects such as items of luggage for suspicious articles. To irradiate the objects, these are transported by a conveying device through the radiation tunnel, which must be shielded outwardly in such a way that no impermissible radiation emerges.
[0006] For the purpose of shielding the radiation tunnel, EP 1 271 556 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,280, and which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses closing the entrance and exit of the tunnel by means of radiation protection curtains made of lead. Lead curtains have the disadvantage that they can be moved to the side by the inspection object being transported in and out and thus no longer cover the entire opening.
[0007] Further, the great weight of conventional lead curtains and the great friction can have the result that especially light objects are overturned or even remain hanging on the curtain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a radiation protection curtain, which securely shields a radiation tunnel outwardly and at the same time does not have the above-described disadvantages.
[0009] This object is attained in an embodiment in that the radiation protection curtain is constructed of plates, which are connectable together in the manner of a downwardly hanging flat-top chain and are made of an x-ray-absorbing plastic composite.
[0010] The structure of the curtain has the further advantage that it can be constructed of individual, flat-top chains, hanging downwardly next to one another, with a narrow width. An item of luggage transported through the curtain therefore presses back only the area of the curtain corresponding to the luggage width. Likewise, the individual plates, forming the chain links, can be configured in their height so that a chain is formed from at least 5, preferably from more than 10 links. Thus, during passage of an item of luggage, the opening of the curtain also adjusts to the height of the item of luggage. Openings in the curtain through which radiation can escape to the outside are thereby greatly minimized.
[0011] The production of the plates from an x-ray-absorbing plastic composite makes it possible to reduce the friction compared with lead curtains, because the plates can be provided with a smooth surface. Moreover, injection-moldable plastic composite materials can be used. Thus, complicated shapes, for example, plates with complex hinged parts, can also be produced. Plastic composite materials of this type with x-ray-absorbing properties can be obtained on the market.
[0012] An x-ray inspection device for examining objects, particularly items of luggage, with the use of x-rays comprises, apart from a radiation tunnel in which at least one radiation source is arranged, a conveying device for the objects, which runs through the radiation tunnel. At least the entrance, preferably the exit of the radiation tunnel as well, is shielded outwardly with a radiation protection curtain according to the invention. The radiation protection curtain therefore closes the opening area of the tunnel above the conveying device and during the entry or exiting of an item of luggage is partially lifted by said item.
[0013] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show schematically an x-ray inspection device in a side and front view;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows in an oblique view a plate of the radiation protection curtain, which is configured as a link of a flat-top chain;
[0017] FIG. 4 shows in an oblique view three plates, arranged overlapping next to one another, of three vertical links;
[0018] FIG. 5 shows the middle plate of FIG. 4 in a lifted-up position;
[0019] FIG. 6 shows the section of a curtain formed from a plurality of flat-top chains, whereby each chain has a plurality of plates as links.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] An x-ray inspection device which is used for examining objects 1 for suspicious articles is shown schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The preferred field of application is the inspection of luggage carried by passengers, however, packages, parcels, cargo, shipping containers, and other items can be examined by the device of the present invention.
[0021] The inspection device contains a radiation tunnel 2 , through which a belt conveyor 3 runs as a conveying device. Objects 1 are guided through radiation tunnel 2 on belt conveyor 3 . A radiation source 4 for x-raying objects 1 is arranged in the radiation tunnel. A detector array 5 , by which rays not absorbed by object 1 are detected for an evaluation, is oriented toward radiation source 4 .
[0022] At least one radiation protection curtain 8 each is disposed hanging downwardly at least at entrance 6 of radiation tunnel 2 , preferably also at exit 7 . If necessary, a plurality of radiation curtains can be arranged one behind the other at the entrance or exit of radiation tunnel 2 . Radiation protection curtains 8 shield radiation tunnel 2 outwardly, so that no impermissible x-radiation escapes. The structure of a radiation protection curtain 8 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 to 6 :
[0023] Radiation protection curtain 8 is constructed of plates 9 , which are connected together in the manner of a downwardly hanging flat-top chain 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 and are made of an x-ray-absorbing plastic composite, as is shown in FIG. 6 .
[0024] Each plate 9 has at its upper and lower end in each case hinge elements 9 . 1 , 9 . 2 , which make it possible to connect two plates 9 hingedly. Preferably, hinge elements 9 . 1 , 9 . 2 are configured as loops, and two plates 9 are connected together by insertion of a connecting pin in the loops. On one side, two loop-shaped elements 9 . 1 are disposed spaced apart. A central loop 9 . 2 is located on the opposite side. Central loop 9 . 2 can be moved between the two loops 9 . 1 of another plate 9 to create a connection. A long side of each plate 9 is made as a slightly protruding edge 9 . 3 . Edge 9 . 3 makes it possible to arrange two plates 9 next to one another and with overlapping edges 9 . 3 , so that no gap forms between two plates 9 of two neighboring chains 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 , through which radiation could escape.
[0025] The protruding edge 9 . 3 is lengthened in the direction of hinge part 9 . 1 and thus serves as a stop, which limits the pivoting movement of two plates 9 relative to one another.
[0026] Each plate 9 preferably has smooth outer surfaces, so that friction in regard to an object 1 is reduced.
[0027] The width of a plate 9 and thereby the width of a chain 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 is preferably 10 mm-90 mm, preferably 15 mm-40 mm; in the example it is about 20 mm. The height of a plate 9 , measured in the vertical direction of curtain 8 and in the longitudinal direction of a chain 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 , is preferably between 20 mm and 60 mm, preferably 30 mm-50 mm, in the example about 40 mm. If the width of the opening of a radiation tunnel is 100 cm and the height of the opening 80 cm, radiation protection curtain 8 has at least 12 flat-top chains 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 hanging downwardly next to one another, whereby each flat-top chain 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 is constructed of at least 14 plates 9 as chain links.
[0028] Radiation curtain 8 completely closes the opening of the radiation tunnel above belt conveyor 3 . To this end, each of its chains 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 is hung hingedly above the opening on the housing of radiation tunnel 8 and extends to belt conveyor 3 . Curtain 8 is thereby hung so that its chains 10 . 1 - 10 . 5 can each pivot in the transport direction of belt conveyor 3 . At the entrance side, therefore, they pivot inwardly into radiation tunnel 2 , and outwardly at the exit side. An entering object 1 , for example, an item of luggage, here presses plates 9 coming into contact with it forward, as a result of which said plates lie on the top side of the luggage and thus shield the radiation there as well. In the transverse direction, the curtain is opened only in the area of plates 9 , which are in the conveying path of object 1 and are moved forward by said object.
[0029] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.
|
A radiation tunnel of an X-ray test device is shielded in by means of a radiation protection curtain in order that no impermissible radiation emerges. The radiation protection curtain is constructed from plates which are connected to one another in a manner of a downwardly suspended flat-top chain and are produced from a plastics composite that absorbs X-rays.
| 6
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to decorative devices and particularly to a set of parts in a generally flat configuration which can be assembled easily to resemble a multi-looped ribbon bow.
Decorative bow knots have long been made in ribbons used to secure gift packages. A certain amount of skill and dexterity is required to make attractive bow knots which contain more than a single pair of loops of such ribbon, and fancy hand-tied bows of ribbon may therefore be quite costly. Simulated bow knots are commercially available at low cost in which a number of loops of ribbon are stapled or similarly fastened to a backing member, with the individual loops separated angularly so that the device resembles a multi-looped bow knot. The base member of such a bow can be fastened decoratively to a package by the use of an adhesive layer. Such bows, however, are of quite limited size and occupy a significant amount of space if stored.
Ribbon bows for gift packages can also be made by machines which are able to use fabric ribbon of readily available widths, for example up to about an inch wide. Such bows are also limited in size, however, to rosette diameters of a few inches.
While large bows can be made by tying appropriate ribbon, the ribbon material of which such bows must be made, to be attractive, is quite costly, and the process of tying such bows in an attractive form is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, such hand-tied bows occupy large amounts of space if stored for possible reuse, and are not likely to have as good an appearance when reused as when freshly tied.
Decorative bows of much larger size than those currently available could be used attractively in advertising and sales displays such as in automobile showrooms and similar locations, to attract attention to large products offered for sale.
Artificial flowers have been made of ribbon passed through circular holes arranged on a disc-like base, as shown in Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 1,542,432, but these artificial flowers are not easily disassembled for reuse or storage and do not have the appearance of a hand-tied ribbon bow.
What is desired, then, is a structure for large decorative bows having multiple loops, which present an attractive, rosette-like appearance. Such bows should be relatively inexpensive by comparison to hand-tied ribbon bows of similar size and should be easily assembled and able to be disassembled into a conveniently storable flat configuration. Preferably, such bows should also be able to withstand inclement weather.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention answers the needs set forth above by providing an easily constructed decorative bow device simulating a ribbon bow, which can be made in sizes ranging from a diameter of a few inches or less to a diameter greater than three feet, but with similar proportions. A flat base member of the decorative bow of the invention is of a stiff material such as cardboard or a suitable plastic sheet material, and may be circular or polygonal, with one preferred shape, for example, being a regular pentagon. Slits are provided in the base member to receive portions of each of a plurality of pieces of sheet material each bent into an arcuate configuration to simulate a loop of ribbon of a hand-tied ribbon bow, although the present invention permits construction of a decorative bow of much larger size than is practical for construction of a bow of fabric ribbon tied as a bow knot. Preferably, the slits are two-legged, having the shape of a "V" with its vertex pointing radially outward from a central portion of the base member. The angle of the "V" defined by each slit is made small enough to leave ample material of the base member between adjacent slits, and the slits are preferably arranged in concentric rings to receive loop members so as to form a rosette-like decorative bow.
Loop members, which are strips of generally flat sheet material, are bent arcuately, and their opposite ends are held together in crossing overlying registration to form each of the individual loops. The material of each loop member is chosen for flexibility combined with sufficient stiffness to be self-supporting in an arcuate form resembling a loop of a bow of ribbon.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a manner of constructing a large decorative bow for use in showrooms and similar displays at a reasonable cost.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a large decorative bow which may easily be disassembled, stored, and later reused, with no significant change in appearance resulting from such storage.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a large decorative bow device capable of being used for outdoor display without easily being damaged by the elements.
It is a principal feature of the decorative bow device of the present invention that it provides a combination of a base member and a plurality of individual loop members of sheet material which can easily be assembled into a decorative bow device and again disassembled into a flat configuration for subsequent storage.
Another feature of the present invention is the inclusion in the base member of slits having two legs which meet at an angle so as to provide support for a respective loop member while also gripping the loop member to retain it in position in the base member.
A further feature is the provision of an arrowhead-shaped point adjacent one end, and a slot defined adjacent the opposite end.
A principal advantage of the present invention over previously available decorative bows is that it provides a reusable bow in relatively large sizes at a cost less than that of a hand-tied bow of fabric which cannot be reused.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled decorative bow device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the bow shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a partially assembled decorative bow according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the bow shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a loop member which may be used as a part of the decorative bow shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of a portion of the base member of a bow according to the present invention, together with a portion of a loop member of the bow.
FIG. 7 is an exploded side view of the base member and one loop member of a bow which is an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a partially assembled bow of the type shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a decorative bow device which is another embodiment of the present invention.
FlG. 10 is a pictorial view showing a loop member such as the one shown in FIG. 9 being bent into an arcuate loop form for use in a decorative bow device according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a portion of the base member and one of the loop members of a bow which is another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the base of a decorative bow device according to the present invention, with the top and bottom layers of the base separated from one another, and a loop member being installed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a decorative bow 10 which embodies the present invention. The bow 10 includes a plurality of loop members 12 arranged in four concentric rings each containing five of the loop members 12, together with a single loop member 14 located in the center of the bow 10, all releasably attached to a base member 16 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The bow 10 may be made in any desired size, from a size having a diameter of less than two inches to a diameter greater than three feet, if desired, and may be disassembled for shipment or storage as a flat set of parts.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, five loop members 12 are located in each of four concentric rings, with the individual loop members 12 of each ring being evenly spaced angularly with respect to the center of the bow 10.
The construction of the bow 10 may be seen with greater clarity by referring to FIGS. 3 and 4. A flat base member 16 of a sheet material is in the form of a regular pentagon and includes five "V"-shaped slits 18 of an outermost ring, five slits 20 of a second ring, five slits 22 of a third ring, and five slits 24 of an innermost ring. A center of the base member 16 is indicated by reference numeral 26, and each of the rings of slits is centered about the center 26 of the base member. The slits 18, 20, 22, and 24 are spaced at equal angular separation from one another within each ring, and the slits 20 and 24 are located at positions bisecting the angles about the center 26, between the individual slits 18 and 22.
Each of the slits 18 includes a pair of legs 28 and 30 which intersect to form an angle 32 defining a "V" shape, with the vertex of the "V" pointing radially away from the center 26 of the base member 16. Similarly, each of the slits 20, 22, and 24 includes a pair of legs which intersect in an included angle 34, 36, or 38, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the angles 32 and 34, defined by the legs 30 and 28 of the slits 18, and correspondingly by the legs of the slits 20, are of equal size. The angles 36 and 38 of the slits 22 and 24, however, are of smaller size, in order to maintain sufficiently large spaces 39 between the individual ones of the slits 22 and between the individual ones of the slits 24, so that the base member 16 remains as an integral piece of sheet material.
The radial spacing between adjacent ones of the rings of slits may be somewhat less than the width of the individual loop members 12. For example, with a loop member 12 four inches long and 1 inch wide, the radial distance between the slits of the innermost ring and the next ring is approximately 3/4 inch. However, as the distance between adjacent slits within a particular ring increases, with increasing radial distance from the center 26, successive rings can be spaced somewhat closer to one another, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
The base member 16 may be made of any suitably sturdy and stiff, yet slightly flexible and resilient material, such as a cardboard or sheet plastic, depending on whether intended for indoor or outdoor use. The thickness of the base member, to be appropriate, will depend on the overall size of the bow 10.
As may be seen with reference additionally to FIG. 5, each of the loop members 12 is generally rectangular in shape, having a pair of opposite longitudinal edges 40, and a pair of opposite end edges 42. Ordinarily, the end edges 42 will be perpendicular to the longitudinal edges 40, although it is possible that the loop members 12 may not be rectangular and may not have parallel sides, without departing from the spirit of the invention. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the loop members 12 is preferably bent arcuately about a cone axis or bending axis 44 which extends generally transversely with respect to the longitudinal edges 40. Preferably, the loop member 12 is bent into a conical configuration bringing one of the end edges 42 into alignment with one of the longitudinal edges 40. Portions of the loop member 12 overlie one another closely as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, defining respective opposite end portions 46, 48 of the loop member 12 which are in substantially overlying parallel positions when the loop member 12 has been bent into an arcuately looped configuration, and the end edges 42 are thus respectively aligned with portions of the longitudinal edges 40 within the end portions 46, 48.
A small area of an adhesive material 50 is provided on the end portion 46. Preferably, the adhesive is securely fastened at the location shown in FIG. 5 so as to retain the corner of the opposite end portion 48 so that it will not be loosely exposed. The adhesive preferably is of a reusable type which can be covered protectively when not in use, as by a removable thin sheet of a plastic material. When a loop member 12 is bent into the arcuate configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the protective sheet (not shown) is removed and the adhesive 50 then holds the opposite end portions 46 and 48 of the loop member together in overlying registration with one another, as shown.
The overlapping opposite end portions 46 and 48 define a point, or corner 52 which is inserted through a respective one of the slits 18, 20, 22, or 24, to attach each of the loop members 12 to the base member 16, as may be seen in FIG. 6 in greater detail. A small area 54 of an adhesive similar to the adhesive 50 is provided on the bottom side of the base member 16, near the vertex of the respective angle 32, 34, 36, or 38 in order to retain the loop member 12 in position attached to the base member 16.
The loop member 12 may be constructed of a suitably flexible yet self-supportingly stiff and resilient material, the choice of which will depend upon the size of the bow to be constructed according to the invention. For example, for a bow having a diameter of only a few inches, a suitably sturdy fabric such as a grosgrain satin cloth might be used. For larger bows 10, with which the present invention is primarily concerned, however, a fabric material such as acetate satin supported by a transparent layer of acetate mylar plastic sheet material heat laminated to the satin ribbon has been found satisfactory, in terms of durability, self-supporting stiffness, and appearance. Additionally, it is possible to construct loop members 12 of materials which are transparent or of combinations of materials having transparent or translucent portions as desired to provide special effects in the appearance of a bow 10 according to the present invention.
It will be apparent that the use of a loop member 12, having a 4:1 ratio of length to width, with the end edges 42 perpendicular to the longitudinal edges 40, will result in each loop member 12 having the general configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Variations in the proportions and shape of the loop members 12 are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be understood. For example, the end edges 42 might be disposed at other than a right angle to the longitudinal edges 40, or the longitudinal edges might be arcuate, so as to give a slightly different appearance of the loop members 12. Such variations will result in consequently different appearance of the resulting loop 12 when the respective end portions 46 and 48 are placed in overlying registration with one another. Nevertheless, the respective end portions 46 and 48 of each loop member 12 are held together in substantially overlying registration defining a point 52 extending through one of the slits 18, 20, 22, and 24 in the base member 16.
Preferably, the combination of stiffness and resiliency of the base member 16 and the stiffness and resiliency of the loop members 12 is such that the slits 18, 20, 22, and 24, and the loop members 12 held respectively within the slits, cooperate with one another and result in the loop member 12 being secured to the base member 16 in an attitude which is appropriate to result in a pleasing appearance of the completed bow.
In FIGS. 6 and 7, a part of a bow device 59 including base member 60 is shown. The base member 60 is circular and includes a top layer 62 and a bottom layer 64, shown spaced apart in FIG. 7. The layers 62 and 64 may be interconnected with one another by the use of an adhesive in a plurality of small areas of adhesive 66 located between the layers 62 and 64 as indicated in FIG. 8, but should not be adhesively connected over the entire area of the base member 60.
The bottom layer 64, because it is parallel with and close to the top layer 62, tends to force the corner portions 52 of the loop members 12 into a position closer to parallelism with the base member 60 than might be the case were the bottom layer 64 not present, as in the bow 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4. The resulting bow 59 may then be more suitable for certain applications, because of an increased rigidity of the base member 60 by comparison with the base member 16, and by the possibility of using different fasteners on the bottom layer 64 to fasten the resulting bow 59 in a desired location. For example, a bow 59 of such construction might be more suitable than the bow 10 for outdoors use.
As shown in FIG. 7, it is also possible to mount a lamp such as an electric lamp 70 in the center of a bow according to the present invention instead of the center loop 14. Use of such an electric lamp 70 is particularly effective when particular portions of the loop members 12 are of transparent or translucent construction.
As will be appreciated in view of FIG. 8, the base member 60 may be of a circular plan, rather than the pentagonal plan of the base member 16. It will be appreciated, however, that if the base member extends too far beyond the location of the outermost ring of slits the base member may be visible between the outermost loop members 12 and detract somewhat from the appearance of the completed bow according to the present invention.
Referring now to FIGS. 9-12, a decorative bow 59' is shown which is another embodiment of the present invention.
As shown particularly in FIGS. 9 and 10, a loop member 12' includes a layer of transparent material such as a 0.003 inch thick sheet 80 of an acetate mylar clear plastic material and a smaller rectangular piece of woven fabric 82, such as an acetate satin ribbon material. The woven fabric 82 may be attached to the sheet 80 by having its corners 84 tucked through openings defined in the sheet 80, such as by the slits 86 which include a pair of legs at right angles to one another, defining respective triangular flaps 88 of the sheet 80, beneath which the corner portions 84 of the ribbon 82 may be placed to be held by the resiliency of the sheet 80. Alternatively, a pair of sheets 80, each including a single adhesive facing, may be laminated together with the ribbon material 82, to define a loop member 12' of the same shape, but without the need for the slits 86.
A notch 90 is provided in each end edge 42', and a notch 92 is provided proximate each end of the loop member 12' in one of the longitudinal edges 40' of the loop member 12'. The notches 90 and 92 at each end of the loop member 12' are aligned toward one another, diagonally across the corner defined by the intersection of the respective end edge 42' and the longitudinal edge 40', so that when the loop member 12' is arcuately bent as explained previously with respect to the loop member 12, the notches 90 and 92 align with one another in the point or corner 52', giving an arrowhead-like shape to the point or corner 52', as is shown best in FIG. 11. If desired, a small area 94 of an adhesive material may be provided as shown to retain the two corner portions of the loop member 12' together, and a similar area 96 of adhesive material may be provided in the other corner adjacent the same end of the loop member 12', to hold that corner of the loop member in contact with the surface of a portion of the loop member 12 near the opposite end of the loop member 12.
Preferably, at one end of the loop member 12', instead of or in addition to the area 96 of adhesive material, a tab portion 98 is defined, as by a pair of notches 100 defined in the respective end edge 42' and longitudinal edge 40' proximate their point of intersection. An aperture 102 is provided through the loop member 12', proximate the opposite end of the loop member 12', but spaced apart from the end edge 42' by a distance approximately equal to the length of the end edge 42' on which the tab 98 is defined. When the loop member 12' is bent into an arcuate loop configuration as is shown in FIG. 10, the tab 98 may be positioned lockingly within the aperture 102 to serve the same purpose explained previously with respect to the adhesive 96.
When the loop member 12' has been bent into the arcuate configuration desired, with the point or corner 52' properly formed, the point 52' can be inserted into the appropriate slit, such as the slit 18', in the top layer 62' of the base member 60, as shown in FIG. 11. When the point 52' has been inserted far enough into the slit 18', the notches 90 and 92 will permit the point 52' to lock into place beneath the top layer 62', to retain the loop member 12' in place.
When all of the loop members 12' for the decorative bow device 59' have been inserted in their respective slots, the bottom layer 64' may be attached to the top layer 62' by the areas 66' of adhesive material.
Preferably, the base member 60' is constructed of transparent plastic material, for example, transparent acetate mylar sheet plastic of a thickness giving the appropriate amount of stiffness, depending upon the size of the bow device 59'. Such transparency of the base portion 60' permits the color of an object on which the decorative bow device 59' is placed to be visible.
Not only is the decorative bow constructed according to the present invention attractive in appearance, but it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, because of the materials which may be used in its construction it may be disassembled easily, with each of the loop members 12 being opened into a flat configuration, making the entire bow easily storable as a flat package in a minimum amount of space.
The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.
|
A decorative device simulating a decorative bow knot in ribbon includes a base member and individual pieces which may be bent into a loop configuration, with each of the loop-configured pieces attached to the base member by corner portions which extend through slits defined in the base member. The slits are preferably of two-legged "V" configuration in order to grip the loop members resiliently, and adhesive material may be used to hold the loop members in an arcuate loop configuration and to attach the loop members to the base member. The bow may be made in large sizes and is suitable for outdoor use at a modest cost. The decorative bow may be disassembled and stored flat as a set of parts.
| 3
|
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/552,974, filed on 28 Oct. 2011, and entitled “Probe Assembly,” the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to bioprocessing systems and methods and, in particular, to systems and methods for inserting sensors into bioreactor vessels and tubing, including flexible or semi-rigid bags or tubing.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A variety of vessels, devices, components and unit operations are known for carrying out biochemical and/or biological processes and/or manipulating liquids and other products of such processes. Increasingly, in order to avoid the time, expense, and difficulties associated with sterilizing the vessels used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes, single-use or disposable bioreactor bags and single-use mixer bags are used as such vessels. For instance, biological materials (e.g., animal and plant cells) including, for example, mammalian, plant or insect cells and microbial cultures can be processed using disposable or single-use mixers and bioreactors.
[0004] The manufacturing of complex biological products such as proteins (e.g., monoclonal antibodies, peptides, hormones, and vaccine immunogens) requires, in many instances, multiple processing steps ranging from cell culture (bacteria, yeast, insect, fungi, etc.) and/or fermentation, to primary recovery, purification, and others. Conventional bioreactor-based manufacturing of biological products generally utilizes batch, or fed-batch processing through a series of unit operations with subsequent off-line laboratory analysis conducted on representative samples collected from various points of the process to ensure quality.
[0005] In order to obtain timely information regarding changing conditions within a bioreactor vessel during its operation, the use of sensor technology has been employed. With regard to use of disposable bioreactors, there are recognized difficulties in sterilely inserting a sensor into a flexible-walled bioreactor or flexible tubing that feeds or drains such vessels. Further, optical, electrical, and pH sensors, for example, positioned inside a flexible bag or tubing require an attachment means that allows for a clear signal to be communicated to or from external analytical instrumentation. Thus, there is an ongoing need for an improved sensor connector and a method for inserting a sensor into flexible disposable bioreactor bags or fluid circulating tubing.
[0006] An improved device and method for sterilely inserting a non-disposable sensor or a disposable sensor into a flexible bioreactor bag or tubing would also be beneficial for use in bioreactor-based manufacturing systems that include in-line sensing in order to provide real-time data.
[0007] Because the sensor itself can be expensive, there is an on-going need for an improved device and method for sterilely inserting a sensor into a flexible bag or tubing, a device and method that facilitate the removal of the sensor from the disposable bag or tubing without damaging the sensor. With such an improved device and method, the bag or tubing can be discarded along with the sensor, or alternatively the sensor can be removed, re-sterilized, and re-used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a probe assembly for inserting a disposable or non-disposable sensor into a flexible bag or a semi-rigid vessel or tubing, the assembly including a distal, preferably aseptic, connector for coupling to the vessel or tubing (e.g., via a mating aseptic connector), a probe sheath comprising at least a portion that is rigid, the probe sheath extending longitudinally from the aseptic connector and having at least one inner longitudinal lumen configured to receive an elongate probe body and to permit longitudinal movement of the probe body within the probe sheath lumen, and an actuator for deploying a probe within the vessel or tubing by advancing the probe body through the aseptic connector to a position where the probe can measure at least one parameter within the vessel or tubing. In one embodiment of the invention, the entire probe sheath is rigid.
[0009] In one embodiment of the invention, the probe sheath comprises at least a portion that is non-collapsible and the inner longitudinal lumen is configured to sealably receive an elongate probe body and to permit longitudinal movement of the probe body within the probe sheath lumen.
[0010] Methods of aseptically inserting a probe into a flexible or semi-rigid vessel or tubing are also disclosed. Such methods can include the steps of (1) providing a probe assembly having a distal aseptic connector and a probe sheath extending longitudinally from the aseptic connector and having at least one inner longitudinal lumen configured to receive an elongate probe body, (2) connecting the probe assembly to a port associated with the vessel or tubing (e.g. via a mating disposable aseptic connector) and (3) inserting an elongate probe through a lumen in the probe sheath and advancing the probe through the lumen until at least a sensing portion of the elongate probe is aseptically disposed within the vessel or tubing (or otherwise in a position where the probe can measure at least one parameter within the vessel or tubing).
[0011] Another embodiment of the invention is a method of forming a probe insertion device and inserting it into a flexible-walled container or a tubing system, the method including: partially inserting a probe body into a first end of a first flexible tubing section; attaching a first end of a second flexible tubing section to a tubing port of the flexible-walled container or the tubing system; welding a second end of the first flexible tubing section to the second end of the second flexible tubing section, thereby forming a welded flexible tubing; and advancing the probe body through the welded flexible tubing and partially into the flexible-walled container or the tubing system, while allowing the first flexible tubing section of the welded flexible tubing to fold back upon itself, thereby forming a probe insertion device and inserting it into a flexible-walled container or tubing system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of illustrative embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment can be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 1A is an cross-sectional side view of an exemplary, plunger-type probe assembly according to the invention in a detached position prior to coupling with a bag or tubing.
[0014] FIG. 1B is another cross-sectional side view of the probe assembly of FIG. 1A in a coupled position, joined to a bag or tubing.
[0015] FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional side view of the probe assembly of another embodiment according to the invention of a plunger-type probe assembly in a detached position prior to coupling with a bag or tubing, wherein the probe body includes a connector plug.
[0016] FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional side view of the probe assembly shown in FIG. 1C , wherein the probe assembly is in a coupled position, joined to a bag or tubing.
[0017] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a probe assembly according to the invention (with telescoping elements) in a detached position prior to coupling with a bag or tubing.
[0018] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional side view of the probe assembly of FIG. 2A in a coupled position, joined to the bag or tubing.
[0019] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional side view of yet another embodiment of a probe assembly according to the invention (with a balloon element) in an attached position but prior to probe insertion into a bag or tubing.
[0020] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional side view of the probe assembly of FIG. 3A in a coupled position with the probe inserted into the bag or tubing.
[0021] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional side view of yet another embodiment of an aseptic connector device according to the invention in a position that is prior to welding a section (Part “i”) thereof to a section (Part “ii”) of the tubing that is shown in FIG. 4B , the tubing attached to a flexible walled container or tubing.
[0022] FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional side view of the aseptic connector device of FIG. 4A and the tubing shown in FIG. 4B positioned within a tubing welder.
[0023] FIG. 5B shows Part “i” of the aseptic connector device and Part “ii” of the tubing welded together to form a probe assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 5C shows the probe assembly with the probe body in a position after it has been pushed into the container or tubing system according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 5D shows the system of FIG. 5C including an outer, perimeter hose clamp securing the probe in position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive “or.”
[0027] Additionally, any examples or illustrations given herein are not to be regarded in any way as restrictions on, limits to, or express definitions of, any term or terms with which they are utilized. Instead, these examples or illustrations are to be regarded as being described with respect to one particular embodiment and as illustrative only. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any term or terms with which these examples or illustrations are utilized will encompass other embodiments that may or may not be given therewith or elsewhere in the specification and all such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of that term or terms. Language designating such non-limiting examples and illustrations includes, but is not limited to: “for example,” “for instance,” “e.g.,” and “in one embodiment.”
[0028] The term “flexible,” as used herein, refers to a structure or material that is pliable, or capable of being bent without breaking, and may also refer to a material that is compressible or expandable. An example of a flexible structure is a bag formed of polyethylene film. The terms “rigid” and “semi-rigid” are used herein interchangeably to describe structures that are “non-collapsible,” that is to say structures that do not fold, collapse, or otherwise deform under normal forces to substantially reduce their elongate dimension. “Collapsible” is defined to include substantially flexible material that will fold onto or into itself, such as, for example, fabrics and materials that form “accordion-like” structures in response to a compressive force. Depending on the context, “semi-rigid” can also denote a structure that is more flexible than a “rigid” element, e.g., a bendable tube or conduit, but still one that does not collapse longitudinally under normal conditions and forces.
[0029] A “vessel” as the term is used herein, means a flexible bag, a flexible container, a semi-rigid container, or a flexible or semi-rigid tubing, as the case may be. The term “vessel” as used herein is intended to encompass bioreactor vessels having a wall or a portion of a wall that is flexible or semi-rigid, single use flexible bags, as well as other containers or conduits commonly used in biological or biochemical processing, including, for example, cell culture/purification systems, mixing systems, media/buffer preparation systems, and filtration/purification systems, e.g., chromatography and tangential flow filter systems, and their associated flow paths. As used herein, the term “bag” means a flexible or semi-rigid container, vessel, or tubing.
[0030] Typically a flexible bag used for mixing or bioprocessing is supported by a rigid support structure or supported within a rigid vessel. A probe assembly according to an embodiment of the invention is particularly useful for attaching to a disposable or single use flexible bioreactor or mixer bag, or a flexible tubing. Sterilizing a probe before it is inserted into a reactor bag or vessel is often essential. When the probe is inserted via a probe assembly, it may be necessary to sterilize the entire probe assembly, including any sheaths, connectors, and tubes, as well as the probe itself, prior to inserting the probe into the reactor vessel. Common methods of sterilization include, but are not limited to, autoclaving, radiation treatment, and chemical treatment. When an autoclave is used, it can be important for steam to reach all of the interior surfaces of a probe assembly, as well as the exterior portions.
[0031] A typical industry standard size sensor is about 12 mm diameter×225 mm long, but any size sensor can be used. The sensor can be installed as an elongate probe body that is configured to be advanced into the vessel via a probe sheath. This particularly advantageous when the vessel has a flexible or non-rigid form. An aseptic connector is commonly used to perform the sterile connection between the probe sheath assembly and the sterile vessel.
[0032] Aseptic connectors typically are two-part constructions (either a male and matching female part or a pair of “genderless” parts) that are joined together. One part of the aseptic connect can be joined to the vessel, e.g., by a suitable sized length of tubing. This aseptic connector is then coupled to a corresponding aseptic connector part on the probe assembly, as described below. When the aseptic connector that is mounted on the container is connected to the aseptic connector on the sterilized probe sheath assembly, a sterile passageway is formed between the container and the probe sheath, a passageway through which a sterile sensor or probe can be inserted such that it can take measurements of conditions inside the vessel.
[0033] Plunger Type Assembly
[0034] Turning now to FIG. 1A , a plunger-type probe assembly 100 is shown having a hollow probe sheath 20 which has a barbed tube fitting 24 at a first end 22 which is used to connect the probe sheath 20 to a disposable aseptic connector 26 , and the second end 28 of the probe sheath 20 provides an opening 32 into which a sensor or probe body 40 and plunger 34 is inserted. The disposable aseptic connector 26 is attached using a suitably sized section of tubing 36 to the barbed tube fitting 24 on the first end 22 of the probe sheath 20 , thereby forming a closure 38 at that distal end capable of maintaining a sterile seal. At the left, bag wall 64 has a port 72 formed in the exterior of the bag 512 . Port 72 may have a hose barb plate 70 welded to the inside of the bag wall 64 , and a valve protrusion, such as a hose barb 74 , projecting from the bag 512 .
[0035] The probe sheath plunger 34 has an opening 32 into which the sensor or probe 40 can be inserted and secured such that a seal capable of being sterilized is formed between the sensor or probe 40 and the probe sheath plunger 34 . The probe sheath plunger 34 is positioned inside the opening 32 of the probe sheath 20 such that the sensor/probe body 40 with the sensing element can pass through the inside 42 of the probe sheath 20 and reach to the barbed fitting 24 on the first end 22 of the probe sheath 20 .
[0036] As shown in FIG. 1B , a seal 44 exists between the inside 42 of the probe sheath and the outside 35 of the probe sheath plunger 34 which allows relative movement between the probe sheath 20 and the probe sheath plunger 34 . The plunger 34 can be a manual plunger or a low-rpm, high-torque motor assembly. The seal 44 between the probe sheath 20 and the probe sheath plunger 34 is configured so that the seal 44 will provide a sterile barrier between the volume 42 inside the probe sheath assembly 20 and the outside of the probe sheath 20 when the probe sheath 100 is sterilized.
[0037] The probe sheath plunger 34 can be moved relative to the probe sheath 20 so that when the sensor or probe 40 needs to be inserted through the wall 64 of a flexible or semi-rigid container, column, or tubing, the plunger 34 is moved such that it decreases the internal volume 42 inside the probe sheath 20 , and the sensor or probe 40 then moves down the sheath to the disposable aseptic connector 26 .
[0038] As shown in FIG. 1B , the probe assembly 100 can further include a locking mechanism such as a threaded portion 48 , which portion 48 can include a catch, detent, for example, positioned to maintain the probe sheath plunger 34 in the fully compressed position, as shown in FIG. 1B , when the sensor or probe 40 is through the wall 64 of the flexible or semi-rigid container or tubing. Arrow 60 shows direction of movement of the elongate probe body 40 longitudinally in the direction of the bag 512 .
[0039] The bag 512 can have an entry point or port 72 formed in the exterior of the bag 512 . This port 72 can include a hose barb plate 70 welded to the inside of the bag wall 64 and a valve protrusion, such as hose barb 74 projecting from the bag 512 . The valve protrusion 74 may be integrally formed in the exterior of the bag 512 , for example by welding a hose barb 74 into the bag film 64 in a disposable bag type reactor. The valve protrusion 74 should releasably engage an aseptic connector 76 , such that the aseptic connector can mate with another portion of an aseptic connector 26 . The aseptic connector 76 can be connected in any suitable manner to protrusion 74 , so long as the connection does not leak. FIG. 1B depicts a disposable aseptic connector part 76 mating with a hose barb 74 secured by a clamping mechanism 78 , such as a tri-clover type clamp.
[0040] The aseptic connector can include two separate portions, or parts 26 , 76 . These portions can mate together in a traditional male and female relationship, as is shown in FIG. 1A . Other types of connectors may be used with the disclosed probe assembly. For example, the aseptic connector portions can connect to one-another in a non-mating fashion, such that each portion of the aseptic connector is identical. Clamping mechanisms can be utilized to ensure proper sealing and non-leaking function of the aseptic connector. The aseptic connector can include a non-permeable membrane sealing the connectors portions from contamination from the ambient environment, this membrane being designed to be removed prior to insertion of the probe body through the aseptic connector. The aseptic connector can be appropriately sized to match the diameter of a desired probe, vessel port, probe assembly connection size, or any other desired sizing variable. The type of aseptic connector can be selected without regard to the embodiment of the probe sheath type. Aseptic connectors are available from various commercial sources, such as Colder Products, Pall, Milllipore and GE Healthcare.
[0041] The probe sheath plunger 34 can be disposed within the probe sheath 20 such that no ambient air, liquids, or other matter from the exterior of sheath 20 can pass to the sheath interior 42 . The probe sheath plunger 34 can be formed of a rubber material such that the plunger can slide along the probe sheath 20 and such that the plunger 34 forms a seal directly against the probe sheath 20 . Alternatively, as explained above the assembly can include seals 44 . Alternatively, in another embodiment there is no plunger 34 ; instead, for example, a portion of the probe body serves as the actuator. In this case, the seals 44 contact the elongate probe body directly, aseptically sealing the interior 42 from the ambient environment.
[0042] FIG. 1C depicts another embodiment of the disclosed probe assembly wherein the probe sheath includes at least two parts, one of which comprises a tubular section of the probe sheath which can be removed after the probe sheath has been collapsed and the probe body is locked together with a bag port.
[0043] The embodiment in FIG. 1C includes a plunger-type probe assembly 150 having a hollow probe sheath 20 having an inside wall, a first end 22 , and a second end 28 into which a rear plunger 34 has been inserted through opening 32 . Rear plunger 34 is secured to the inside wall of probe sheath 20 , for example by means of a bayonette fitting with prongs 62 (shown in FIG. 1D but not shown in FIG. 1C ). The front portion of rear plunger 34 includes threads 35 arranged for mating and connecting to a threaded portion 48 of a connector plug 45 in the front portion of the probe sheath 20 . A sensor or probe body 40 is axially positioned within probe sheath 20 and secured at its rear end within rear plunger 34 , and secured at its front end within connector plug 45 . The front portion of sensor or probe body 40 is positioned in a disposable aseptic connector 26 which is attached, for example, using a suitably sized section of tubing to the barbed tube fitting 24 on the first end 22 of the probe sheath 20 , thereby forming a closure capable of maintaining a sterile seal. A detachable tool 509 to which is affixed handle 508 is connected to the probe sheath 20 . The seals 44 between the probe sheath 20 and the probe sheath plunger 34 are configured so that the seal 44 will provide a sterile barrier between the inside of the probe sheath 20 and the outside of the probe sheath 20 when the probe sheath 20 is sterilized. Seals 44 can be o-rings.
[0044] Arrow 624 shows the direction in which the rear plunger 34 is moved to advance the probe body 40 into the bag 512 as shown in FIG. 1D .
[0045] FIG. 1D shows the plunger type probe assembly 160 in a collapsed position from the position that is depicted in FIG. 1C . At the left, bag wall 64 of container 512 has a port 72 formed in the exterior of the bag 512 . Port 72 may have a hose barb plate welded to the inside of the bag wall 64 , and a valve protrusion, such as a hose barb 74 , projecting from the bag wall 64 . The sensor/probe body 40 with the sensing element has advanced, passing through the inside of the probe sheath 20 , and through the disposable aseptic connector 26 with end wall 38 , and through the bag wall 64 to the interior of bag 512 . Clamping mechanisms 78 secure the probe body 40 .
[0046] FIG. 1D also shows a connection port 36 a of the disposable aseptic connector 26 connected to the barbed tube fitting 24 of the probe sheath 20 . The threaded portion 35 of probe sheath plunger 34 is shown mated with the threaded portion 48 of connector plug 45 . The tubular portion of probe sheath 20 has been removed, along with tool 509 with handle 508 , the tool having being used to detach the probe sheath 20 . The connector plug 64 is shown with the pins 62 that had been used to attach the rear plunger 34 to the inside wall of probe sheath 20 .
[0047] Telescoping Assembly
[0048] FIG. 2A is a side elevation, partially cutaway view of a telescoping plunger probe assembly 200 according to another embodiment of the invention. The telescoping assembly 200 differs from the above description only in that the probe sheath 20 may consist of one or more sections 50 that allow the sections of the probe sheath 20 to be telescoped into one another, such that the overall length of the probe sheath 20 is reduced when the plunger 34 is fully compressed into the probe sheath 20 , as shown in FIG. 2B . Arrow 68 shows direction of movement of the elongate probe body 40 longitudinally in the direction of the bag wall 64 . The telescoping sections 50 are configured to provide moveable seals 52 between the sections 50 , and these seals 52 are such that they, along with the other seals 44 described above can provide a sterile interior space 42 formed inside the probe sheath 20 once the assembly has been sterilized.
[0049] As discussed above, the probe sheath assembly can again include a locking mechanism such as a threaded potion 48 , a catch, detent, etc. to maintain the telescoping sections 50 or segments of the probe sheath 20 in their fully compressed configuration as shown in FIG. 2B , or telescoped configuration when the probe sheath plunger 34 is in the fully compressed position and the sensor or probe is inserted into the flexible or semi-rigid container or tubing 64 .
[0050] Balloon Plunger Type Assembly
[0051] FIGS. 3A and 3B are side elevation, partially cutaway views of a balloon plunger type probe assembly 500 according to another embodiment of the invention, wherein a rigid or semi-rigid sheath 502 is connected to a flexible sheath portion 504 . The flexible sheath portion 504 can be connected to an elongate sensor or probe body 506 or to an elongate probe handle 508 that is attached to the elongate probe body 506 disposed within the probe sheath 502 , 504 .
[0052] The flexible portion 504 can be fixed to the rigid or semi-rigid sheath portion 502 with means known in the art, such as clamp 510 . The flexible portion 504 can be elastic, or inelastic, so long as it is deformable and is able to maintain a seal with sheath 502 when the probe body 506 or handle 508 is moved longitudinally in the direction of the bag 512 . When the probe 506 is disposed within the bag 512 , the flexible portion 504 can be disposed within the rigid or semi-rigid portion 502 , as shown in FIG. 3B .
[0053] The sensor used in a probe sheath 20 according to an embodiment of the invention can be any type of sensor. Non-limiting examples include conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity sensors.
[0054] The probe sheath 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention facilitates the removal or retraction of a sensor from a flexible or semi-rigid container 64 or a flexible or semi-rigid tubing 64 so that the sensor can be sterilized and re-used in another device.
[0055] Probe Insertion Device Not Requiring A Gas-Permeable Membrane Connector
[0056] At the outset, this invention of the invention is described in its broadest overall aspects, with a more detailed description following.
[0057] A probe insertion device that does not require a gas permeable membrane connector is described. The probe insertion device 700 B, FIG. 5B , according to an embodiment of the invention includes a thin-walled collapsible tubing 604 A, 605 B that can be folded in upon itself, as shown FIGS. 5B , 5 C, and 5 D.
[0058] One embodiment of a method of producing the disclosed probe insertion device is depicted in FIGS. 4A through 5D . FIG. 4A depicts a first starting component 600 A including a disposable or non-disposable probe body 606 having an elongate probe handle 608 and which is partially inserted into a first end of a section of flexible tubing 604 and clamped in place by clamp 610 A. The section of autoclavable or irradiatable, weldable, thin-walled, flexible tubing 604 is of sufficient length to fit in a standard tubing welder. The second end of flexible tubing 604 is clamped by clamp 610 B to a sterile, autoclavable, gas vent filter 612 having an open end partially inserted into the flexible tubing 604 . Filter 612 may be, for example, a 0.2 micron filter.
[0059] FIG. 4B depicts a second starting component 600 B comprising a section of flexible tubing 605 having a plug 615 or welded closing at a first end. Flexible tubing 605 , in one embodiment of the invention, has a wall that is thicker than the wall of tubing 604 . The section of flexible tubing 605 is autoclavable or irradiatable and weldable and of sufficient length to fit in a standard tubing welder. Tubing 605 is clamped by clamp 610 C or otherwise attached to a container tubing port 620 secured to wall 64 of flexible container 512 or to a tubing system. The flexible container 512 or tubing system has preferably been irradiated, autoclaved or otherwise sterilized.
[0060] The first and second starting components 600 A and 600 B, respectively, are autoclaved, irradiated, or otherwise sterilized. The middle sections of the starting components are then placed in a standard tubing welder 625 . FIG. 5A depicts an arrangement, 700 A, wherein a middle section of each of the first starting component 600 A and the second starting component 600 B are positioned within a standard tubing welder 625 . Part i, 604 A and Part ii, 605 B are welded together at weld joint 622 as shown in FIG. 5B . The filter 612 of the first starting component 600 A and the plugged tubing end of the second starting component 600 B are discarded.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 5B , the probe insertion device 700 B in FIG. 5B has been formed from two flexible tubing parts, Part i and Part ii , 604 A and 605 B, respectively, which have been autoclaved, irradiated, or otherwise sterilized along with a sacrificial gas permeable vent filter 612 that is discarded after the parts 604 A and 605 B are placed in a tube welder 625 and welded together. As also shown in FIG. 4B , FIG. 5A and 5B , flexible tubing 605 and/or Part ii, 605 B is clamped by clamp 610 C or otherwise attached and fluidically connected to container tubing port 620 of flexible or semi-rigid container 512 or to a flexible tubing into which the probe 606 is to be inserted. After Parts i and ii, 604 A and 605 B respectively have been welded together as shown in FIG. 5B , the probe body 606 is advanced in the direction of arrow 624 and inserted into the container 512 by collapsing the flexible tubing 604 , 604 A inward as the probe is pushed or otherwise advanced through the weld, through tubing 605 , 605 B and through the container tubing port 620 and into the container 512 . FIG. 5C shows the resulting probe assembly 700 C.
[0062] FIG. 5C shows that the flexible tubing Part i, 604 A has folded back on itself , and is now positioned inside of flexible tubing Part ii, 605 B. Probe body 606 with attached probe wire 630 is shown as positioned or “sandwiched” between two surfaces formed of tubing 604 A. As shown in FIG. 5D , a perimeter or outer hose clamp 640 can be attached to secure the probe body 606 in position and to prevent backward leaking.
EQUIVALENTS
[0063] One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
|
A probe assembly for inserting a probe into a flexible or semi-rigid vessel or tubing having a distal aseptic connector for coupling to the vessel or tubing, the probe sheath comprising at least a portion that is rigid, the probe sheath extending longitudinally from the aseptic connector and having at least one inner longitudinal lumen configured to receive an elongate sensor or probe body and to permit longitudinal movement of the sensor/probe body within the probe sheath lumen, and an actuator for deploying a probe within the vessel or tubing by advancing the probe body through the aseptic connector to a position where the probe can measure at least one parameter within the vessel or tubing is disclosed herein.
| 0
|
PRIORITY AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
This is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/693,660, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Creating a Pathway in an Animal”, filed Oct. 24, 2003; which is a provisional of U.S. Ser. No. 60/369,941, entitled “Artificial Insemination Device for Swine”, filed Apr. 3, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of creating a pathway into an animal. More particularly, the present invention relates to more effective methods and apparatus for safely creating pathways in mammals for applications such as artificial insemination (AI).
In order to feed the world population that is swelling rapidly year after year, there is an urgent need for a safer and more efficient AI of swine and other farm animals, where fresh or frozen semen and/or embryo transfer technology can be used to transfer high genetic value materials, thereby increasing the quality and quantity of the livestock litters. FIGS. 1A and 1B show conventional AI catheters for swine.
Unfortunately, freezing is usually necessitated by the short life span of fresh genetic materials and the logistics of distribution. Even with advanced freezing techniques, thawing causes a reduction in the mobility, motility and fertility of the spermatozoa, resulting in the need for trans-cervical intra-uterine AI to obtain commercially acceptable conception rates.
Referring to FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C, a number of attempts have been made to deposit the weakened spermatozoa directly in the uterus or uterine horn by trans-cervical intra-uterine AI using rigid trans-cervical deep insemination catheters. These rigid deep insemination catheters are basically reduced diameter catheters that are enclosed and extend from within a conventional AI catheter.
The rigid deep insemination catheters are pushed and/or threaded through cervical canals using bulbous ends or slight angles on their tips in an attempt to navigate the curves and turns of the cervical canal. One inherent flaw of these rigid deep insemination catheters is their hard tips that can easily damage or puncture soft tissue areas during entry and exit procedures, often injuring or even killing the animal. Other disadvantages of these rigid catheters include the need for a professional, such as veterinarian or a highly trained technician, to perform these trans-cervical intra-uterine AI procedures, which reduces but does not substantially eliminate the risk of serious trauma and resulting sterility or death.
Hence there is a need for a safer and more effective deep trans-cervical intra-uterine AI catheter that causes minimal discomfort and risk of trauma, and does not require the services of a highly trained AI professional. Such a safer and easier-to-use AI catheter will be especially beneficial to the small farmers in third world countries who cannot afford the services of a professional.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for safer and more effective deep trans-cervical intra-uterine artificial insemination (AI) is provided. Such a deep AI catheter causes minimal discomfort and risk of trauma, and does not require the services of a highly trained AI professional
In one embodiment, a catheter is inserted into the cervical tract of the animal to begin creating a pathway in the reproductive tract of an animal. A membrane, initially positioned inside a tube section of the catheter, is extended from an opening in the tube and into the tract under pressure. The membrane extends into the tract without friction, i.e. without sliding action between the membrane and the tract, thereby reducing the discomfort and the risk of trauma or injury to the animal. When the membrane is fully extended into the tract, pressure causes the tip of the membrane to open thereby releasing the AI fluid and depositing the genetic material suspended in the fluid into the reproductive tract.
In addition to AI and embryo transplant, other applications for the pathway include other therapeutic, diagnostic or procedures, such as introducing fluoroscopic cameras, instruments, and drug delivery. Note that the various features of the present invention, including the extending membrane and the nozzle, can be practiced alone or in combination. These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
FIGS. 1A and 1B are exemplary conventional AI catheters.
FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C show deep rigid deep insemination catheters extending from conventional AI catheters.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views of the before and after deployment, respectively, of one embodiment of the catheter in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 4A through 4F show the assembly of the embodiment of the catheter of FIGS. 3A and 3B .
FIGS. 5A , 5 B and 5 C show one embodiment of the catheter attached to two exemplary AI dispensers.
FIGS. 5D and 5E show the catheter during and after deployment.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged drawing of one embodiment of a tapered nozzle for the catheter.
FIGS. 7A through 7E show the insertion and deployment of the catheter in a sow.
FIGS. 8A , 8 B and 8 C are cross-sectional views of alternative embodiments of the membrane for the catheter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 3A and 3B are views of one embodiment of catheter 300 , prior to and after deployment of a membrane. FIGS. 4A through 4F illustrate the assembly of catheter 300 of FIGS. 3A and 3B .
FIGS. 4A , 4 B and 4 C show a membrane 410 , a catheter tube 420 , and a subassembly 430 comprising membrane 410 and tube 420 . Membrane 410 can be attached to catheter tube 420 by inserting distal tip 418 of membrane 410 into distal opening 421 of tube 420 , until deployable sections 414 and 416 of membrane of 410 are inside hollow 424 of tube 420 . Next, a leading edge 412 , at a first end, of membrane 410 is snapped into a position ring 422 located on the outer surface of catheter tube 420 , as shown in FIG. 4C . Positioning ring 422 can be machined or molded depending on the manufacturing process. Other chemical and/or physical means of attaching membrane 410 to tube 420 can also be used, e.g., adhesive, heat bonding, ultrasonic welding, chemical bonding or heat staking.
As shown in FIGS. 4D , 4 E and 4 F, subassembly 430 can be press fitted into catheter nozzle 440 , by engaging membrane edge 412 of subassembly 430 into an internal positioning ring 442 of nozzle 440 . Although subassembly 430 can be sufficiently mechanically coupled to nozzle 440 , the various components of assembled catheter 300 can be further secured to each other by sonically welded or heat staked to prevent separation during deployment, such as inside the reproductive tract during artificial insemination (AI).
Alternatively, subassembly 430 can be replaced by a one-piece membrane-tube combination that can be manufactured by, for example, blow molding. Another method for constructing subassembly 430 is to insert catheter tube 420 over a membrane die, similar to dies used in balloon manufacturing, dipping the die and the attached catheter tube 420 into a suitable liquid membrane media until the entire die and about half inch of the end of catheter tube 420 is coated with the membrane media. After the liquid membrane media is cured, membrane tip 418 is cut. A downward movement of catheter tube 420 detaches tube 420 from the die and also automatically inverts membrane 410 into catheter tube 420 , thereby forming subassembly 430 .
Membrane tip 418 can include an opening such as a slit or a circular or oval hole. Alternatively, instead of an opening, tip 418 can include a soluble plug or a pre-weakened seal designed to dissolve or fail under pressure at the right time.
Depending on the specific application, nozzle 440 can be of different shapes and sizes, and combination thereof, including but not limited to spirals, bulbous knobs, including the nozzles illustrated by FIGS. 1A , 1 B, 2 A, 2 B, and 2 C. Although spirals are optional, approximately one to three spirals may be optimal when catheter 300 is used in swine. Shorter nozzles are also possible because membrane 410 is self-sealing, longer and self-guiding. In some embodiments, nozzle 440 is tapered to aid in insertion into the tract.
Different membrane materials and size thickness depend on applications and target animal. For virgin sows, also known as gilts, nozzle 440 may have a smaller diameter and shorter length. Conversely, for second to seventh parity sows with larger birth canals, nozzle 440 may have a larger diameter and longer length to facilitate the deposit of genetic materials and/or diagnostic instruments. For example in sows, the overall length of membrane 410 can be approximately four to eight inches and tapering gently from one-eighth of an inch.
Depending on the specific type and size of the target application, different materials, size, and thickness can be employed. Suitable materials for nozzle 440 and membrane 410 of catheter 300 include silicone, silicone gel packs, foam, latex, ClearTex™ (available from Zeller International, New York), polymers, plastics, metals, or combinations thereof. Other candidate materials include the polyolefins, polyethylene and polypropylene, the polyacetals, ploy-butadiene-styrene copolymers, the polyfluoro and polyfluorochloro-polymers, such as Teflon™ and other polymers and copolymers.
As shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 8A and 8B , other embodiments include a membrane 810 that are similar to a children's party noisemaker and an inwardly-rolled embodiment 820 not unlike a condom, respectively. A twin forked-membrane 830 is also possible for deployment into the dual uterine horns of a sow, as shown in FIG. 8C .
Many variations of catheter 300 are possible. For example, catheter 300 may have multiple tubes with multiple membranes. Such an embodiment may be useful in laparoscopy where one pathway is created for a camera and a second pathway is created for an instrument during surgery. Alternatively, a large diameter catheter 300 can also be used to create a large pathway within which one or more smaller catheters can be deployed.
FIGS. 5A , 5 D, and 5 E, show catheter 300 , before, during and after deployment, respectively. FIGS. 5B and 5C one embodiment of the catheter attached to two types of AI dispensers. FIGS. 7A through 7E show the insertion and deployment of catheter 300 in a sow 780 . Catheter 300 is deployed by introducing genetic material suspended in a suitable fluid under pressure into sow 780 . As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C , the AI fluid can be transported in a suitable dispenser, such as a squeeze bottle 560 or a pre-packaged tube 570 .
Referring to FIG. 7A , catheter 300 is inserted into vaginal cavity 782 of sow 780 . Catheter 300 is gradually pushed further into sow 780 until nozzle tip 556 is fully inserted into vagina cavity 782 , as shown in FIG. 7B .
In FIG. 7C , catheter 300 is then gently eased into cervical tract 784 of sow 780 until nozzle tip 556 engages at least the first cervical ring of cervical tract 784 . Unlike conventional catheters, membrane 410 is not advanced until catheter 300 is positioned in cervical tract 784 , thereby preventing contaminated materials that may be contained in vaginal cavity 782 , or fluids from cervical tract 784 , from being accidentally transferred into uterus 788 or uterine horns of sow 780 . Hence, bio-security of uterus 788 is maintained.
Next, as shown in FIG. 7D , AI fluid under pressure is fed into catheter 300 . Pressure can be generated manually via a dispenser 560 or by a suitable pump, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic pump. The effect of the pressure causes membrane 410 to begin unfolding in an inside-out manner not unlike removing one's sock by pulling from the open end. Although catheter 300 includes an opening in membrane tip 418 , the AI fluid under pressure keeps the opening of tip 418 closed until membrane 410 is fully extended into cervical tract 784 .
Referring now to FIG. 7E , membrane 410 of catheter 300 continues to advance in a frictionless manner into the curved and narrow passageway of cervical tract 784 , automatically centering the ever-expanding forward most portion of membrane 410 in the direction of least resistance. It is this expansion and automatic centering action of membrane 410 that advantageously enables membrane 410 to worm its way through cervical tract 784 without damaging or irritating delicate tissues. Eventually, when membrane 410 is fully extended and membrane tip 418 is near to or at the entrance of uterus 788 , the pressure causes tip 418 to open thereby allowing the AI fluid to be deposited at the deeper end of cervical tract 786 and/or directly into uterus 788 .
While a slight taper of membrane 410 aids deployment in cervical tract 786 , the taper may not be necessary for proper deployment. In some applications, partial penetration of membrane 410 into the uterine horns (not shown) is also possible, allowing for example the introduction of embryo transplants.
Hence the invention eliminates the need for multiple removable sheaths by progressively feeding new portion of membrane 410 in an unfolding process. Every newly extended portion of membrane 410 is sterile because there is no prior contact with other biological tissue, such as vaginal cavity or other body fluids.
When a suitable amount of AI fluid has been deposited into sow 780 , membrane 410 collapses after the fluid pressure dissipates, allowing for safe and easy withdrawal of the relatively flat, flexible, smooth and lubricated surface of membrane 410 , causing minimal discomfort and posing minimal risk of trauma and damage to the recipient animal.
The use of trans-cervical intra-uterine AI advantageously reduces the volume of AI fluid needed for successful insemination by delivering the genetic materials where nature intended, i.e., into uterus 788 . For example, a normal dose of 4-6 billion fresh swine semen may be reduced to fewer than 1 billion for successful AI when trans-cervical intra-uterine AI is employed.
In conventional AI, a small window of opportunity for a successful deposit of genetic material suspended in the AI fluid occurs during standing heat, which lasts for only five to eight minutes every one to three hours during estrus, when sow 780 is receptive to boar mounting. During standing heat, when a boar mounts sow 780 , cervical tract 784 clamps onto the boar's penis to assist ejaculation, and uterine contractions draws the semen through cervical tract 784 . If conventional AI is attempted outside this small window of opportunity, sow 780 will not assist in the drawing of the semen through cervical tract 784 , and much of the AI fluid will backflow out the sow's vulva and is wasted, thereby reducing the probability of a successful litter.
Unlike conventional AI, catheter 300 is effective during refractory heat, which is the much longer period during estrus when cervical tract 784 is relaxed, allowing easier penetration of cervical tract 784 . Since catheter 300 bridges cervical tract 784 and deposits the genetic material suspended in the AI fluid much closer to uterus 788 , resistance caused by clamping cervical tract 784 during standing heat is not needed and probably undesirable. Hence catheter 300 is effective during the much longer refractory heat period because semen can be deposited efficiently and with minimal restriction in cervical tract 784 .
Hence the advantages of trans-cervical intra-uterine AI can be combined with the relative safety and effectiveness of catheter 300 of the present invention. Farmers can now use AI in the much longer refractory heat period, allowing these swine farms to operate more efficiently, since successful AI is no longer limited to the much shorter standing heat period.
Yet another significant advantage of the present invention is the ability of membrane 410 to deploy in a self-centering and self-directing manner, when deployed under pressure. During manufacture, a suitable lubricant may be applied to the surface of membrane 410 that may come into contact with the tract of the animal, further reducing discomfort and risk of trauma during deployment and withdrawal of catheter 300 .
In addition, unlike the conventional rigid deep penetration catheters, once membrane 410 of catheter 300 has been deployed and withdrawn from cervical tract 784 , it is difficult to reinsert membrane 410 back into catheter nozzle 440 and tube 420 , thereby discouraging the reuse of the now contaminated membrane 410 .
Once fully extended into a tract of a recipient animal, e.g., into the reproductive tract, respiratory tract, circulatory tract or digestive tract, catheter 300 provides a protective shield for the insertion of devices such as endoscopes, tracheal tubes, or other diagnostic and therapeutic instruments. Membrane 410 shields the tract from the scraping, scarring and discomfort caused by the contact and friction of the hard, semi-blunt instruments and probes on the otherwise unprotected tract. As a result, healing time and the risk of infection are significantly reduced, thereby lowering recovery time and cost.
Although the described embodiment of catheter 300 uses an inverted membrane 410 which is turned inside-out during deployment, the concepts of a self-guiding, frictionless, membrane 410 which is deployed with minimal discomfort and trauma to recipient animals has many applications. In addition to AI and embryo transplant, many other applications for catheter 300 are possible. For example, catheter 300 can also be used for diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications in which pathways are created in the reproductive tract, respiratory tract, circulatory tract or digestive tract of the recipient animal or a patient. These pathways enable procedures such as embryo transplant and drug delivery to be performed. Laparoscopic procedures such as introducing cameras and instruments are also possible. Depending on the application, the size and shape of catheter 300 may vary.
While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute 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. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
|
A method and apparatus for safer and more effective deep trans-cervical intra-uterine artificial insemination (AI) is provided. Such a deep AI catheter causes minimal discomfort and risk of trauma, and does not require the services of a highly trained AI professional. First, a catheter is inserted into the cervical tract of the animal. A membrane, initially positioned inside a tube section of the catheter, is then extended from an opening in the tube and into the tract under pressure. The membrane extends into the tract without friction thereby reducing the discomfort and the risk of trauma or injury to the animal. When the membrane is fully extended into the tract, pressure causes the tip of the membrane to open thereby releasing the AI fluid and depositing the genetic material suspended in the fluid into the reproductive tract. In addition to AI and embryo transplant, other applications for the pathway include other therapeutic, diagnostic or procedures, such as introducing fluoroscopic cameras, instruments, and drug delivery.
| 0
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention disclosed herein relates generally to lighting control apparatus and methods, and more particularly to lighting controls which provide nonabrupt changes in luminance to achieve eye comfort and speed eye adaptation to different illumination intensities.
It is well known that rapid changes in lighting intensity affect comfort and ability to see. For example, turning on a bright bathroom light during the night or going from a dark restaurant or bar into the bright outdoor sun causes considerable temporary eye discomfort. Ability to see is also temporarily impaired.
Similarly, when passing from a brightly lit area into a dark place, ability to see is impaired for a longer time. For example, when entering a dark movie theater, it may be difficult at first even to see which seats are empty. However, after a few minutes the surroundings can be seen quite well.
The foregoing phenomenon is described, explored and analyzed in detail in numerous references, of which the following are representative examples.
Baker, H. D., "Initial Stages of Dark and Light Adaptation", Journal of the optical society of America, 53(1), 1963, pp. 98-103.
Baker, H. D., "Some Direct Comparisons Between Light and Dark Adaptation", Journal of the Optical Society of America, 45(10), 1955, pp. 839-844.
Baker, H. D., "The Course of Foveal Light Adaptation Measured by the Threshold Intensity Increment", Journal of the Optical Society of America, 39(2), 1949, pp. 172-179.
Boyce, P. R., Human Factors in Lighting. New York: MacMillan, 1981.
Brown, K. T., "Physiology of the Retina", Medical Physiology, C.V. Mosby Co., 1974.
Hopkinson, R. G. and Collins, J. B., The Ergonomics of Lighting, MacDonald & Co., 1970.
Luckiesh, M., The Science of Seeing, Van Nostrand, 1973.
Records, R.E., Physiology of the Human Eye and visual System, Harper & Row, 1977, pp. 368-372.
As described in these references, the actual process of eye adaptation to changes in illumination intensity has three components. The first component is characterized by a rapid adjustment, and presumably involves neural mechanisms. A second component characterized by medium time adjustment involves change in pupil size. A third component characterized by relatively slow adjustment is governed by the rates of photochemical processes at the cones and rods of the retina.
The overal rate of adaptation is governed by the slow photochemical phase, the actual time taken depending on the starting and final luminances. This is because the adaptation processes for rods and cones have different time constants, on the order of two minutes for cones and seven to eight minutes for rods. In general, when both starting and final luminances are in the photopic range, adaptation is relatively rapid. The adaptation time is typically a few minutes because only the cones are involved.
When the starting luminance is in the photopic range and the final luminance is in the scotopic range, a much longer two stage process occurs. The first stage involves the cones and the second stage involves the rods. Complete adaptation to darkness from a high photopic luminance can take up to an hour.
When both starting and final luminances are in the scotopic range, then only the rods are involved and adaptation is fairly rapid, typically on the order of several minutes.
Thus, it is apparent that benefits can be in the areas of eye comfort and improved seeing can be achieved by avoiding rapid changes in illumination intensity.
A variety of lighting control techniques and systems which provide for dimming or fading are alos well known. These range from simple, manually controlled dimmers implemented with variable resistors and/or silicon controlled rectifier chopping circuits to elaborate, computer controlled, programmable systems for a light level control. It is also known to use photodiodes or other light sensors to measure ambient light level, and to adjust illumination brightness in accordance with the sensed ambient luminance.
However, none of the known systems appear to specifically take into account the adaptation characteristics of the human eye, or to have as a specific objective the tailoring of changes in illumination intensity to the ability of the human eye to respond. The benefits to be gained from controlling changes in illumination intensity to adaptation characteristics of the eye include reducing discomfort when moving from dark to bright areas, reducing impact of transitions from dark to light to dark on darkadapted eyes, and saving energy when increased lighting levels do not improve discrimination.
The applicants have specifically considered the adaptation characteristics of the human eye in devising a unique light control method and apparatus which are based on controlling changes in luminance so that the rate of change tracks adaptability of the human eye to changes in luminance, thus achieving the foregoing benefits. Accordingly, many of the shortcomings of prior variable intensity lighting control systems are avoided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a lighting control method and apparatus in which, upon a commanded change in illumination intensity, the intensity is changed in accordance with a rate function corresponding to adaptability of the human eye to changes in illumination intensity. The luminance to which the user's eyes were exposed immediately prior to a commanded change may be sensed and used to derive a more precise rate function. In addition, if there is a commanded increase in tensity from a level below the discrimination range of the human eye, the intensity is immediately increased to within the range.
Apparatus for executing the foregoing method includes a function generator which responds to an input commanding a change in illumination intensity by providing a characterized ramp signal to a light controller. Specifically, the ramp signal is characterized to cause the lighting controller to change illumination intensity in accordance with a rate function corresponding to adaptability of the human eye to changes in illumination intensity. The input is provided by command input means which may take a variety of forms ranging from a simple manual switch to a central computer which transmits over a radio frequency or infrared communication link.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a family of curves showin dark adaptation characteristics of the human eye;
FIG. 2 is a family of curves showing light adaptation characteristics of the human eye;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a simple lighting controller in accordance with the applicant's invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a lighting controller similar to that of FIG. 3 shown in a representative installation;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a lighting controller in accordance with the applicant's invention in which lighting commands are transmitted over a wireless communication link;
FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a simple adaptive function generator or processor suitable for use in the lighting controllers of FIGS. 3-5;
FIG. 7 is a graphical illustration of the useful range of discrimination of the human eye; and
FIGS. 8a and 8b together are a logic diagram usable in the adaptive function generator or processor of the lighting controllers of FIGS. 3-5 for implementing a lighting control function which takes into account the useful discrimination range of the human eye illustrated in FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As illustrated by the dark adaptation curves of FIG. 1, dark adaptation follows a somewhat complex function. The first stage of the curves represents the rate at which the cone system of the retina adapts to darkness from several representative light intensities. Dark adaptation of the cone system may take in the order of one to five mintes. The discontinuity in the dark adaptation curves represents the point at which the rod mechanism comes into operation. For the rods to be fully dark adapted may take another ten to thirty minutes.
In contrast, as shown in the curves of FIG. 2, the rate at which the human eye adapts from darkness to increased light intensity, or light adaptation, follows a simpler function and is substantially complete in a much shorter time. Very generally, 80% of the light adaptation occurs within the first thirty seconds.
Light control apparatuses or systems which take into account the eye adaptation characteristics illustrated in FIG. 2 and, to a lesser extent, FIG. 1 is shown in block diagram form in FIGS. 3-5. The reason for lesser accommodation of dark adaptation characteristics is that the associated time constants are sufficiently long as to make it unacceptable in many applications to decrease illumination intensity at a pace which would maintain full eye light adaptation.
The simplest emdodiment of such a system is shown in FIG. 3 in which reference numeral 11 identifies an adaptable function generator or processor capable of generating signals corresponding to the families of curves shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in response to an input command for a change in illumination intensity. As shown in the controller of FIG. 3, the input command is provided by a simple manually actuated light switch 12. Generator 11 also receives an input 13 indicative of illumination intensity to which the eyes of a person occuping the illuminated space were exposed just prior to the commanded change in illumination intensity. The light detector may, for example, be in a hall outside the door to a room in which illumination is being controlled, as shown in the controller of FIG. 4. In another arrangement, the sensor may be located in the room in which illumination is being controlled to provide for increasing the illuminance in the room in accordance with the eye adaptability function when the room light is turned on at night.
In a simple implementation, the eye adaptability function can be approximated by a time constant adjustment.
Adaptable function generator 11 may be provided with such a time constant adjustment at indicated as reference numeral 15.
Generator 11 provides a variable output signal as indicated by reference numeral 16 to a variable light controller 17 which controls energization supplied from a public utility or other suitable source as shown at 18 to one or more electric lights 20.
In operation, as switch 12 is turned on or off, generator 12 produces an output signal in the form of a rate function corresponding to the adaptation curve of the human eye to the luminance indicated by luminance signal 13, and whether the input command is for increased or decreased luminance in the space in which light is being controlled. The output signal is then used by controller 17 to control energization to lights 20 in a corresponding manner.
The light controllers of FIGS. 4 and 5 are illustrated as employing the same adaptable function generator or processor and light controller as in the light control apparatus of FIG. 3. The same reference numerals are applied to these elements in FIGS. 4 and 5 as in FIG. 3. However, in the light controller of FIG. 4 the command input is provided by an occupancy sensor 22 in the space in which light is being controlled. This occupany sensor may be combined with a manually operable switch, a light level sensor and/or a dimmer. Occupany sensor 22 is shown with an input 23 which provides for manual or automatic operation, and manually operable time constant and light intensity adjustment 24 and 25 respectively.
In the automatic mode, lights 20 will be turned on upon entry of a person into the room. The rate of increase in intensity will track the eye adaptation function produced by generator 11. In the manual mode, it is possible to set the ramp up time and final light intensity as desired by time constant and light intensity adjustments 24 and 25.
The light controller of FIG. 5 is similar to the light controllers of FIGS. 3 and 4 except that the input command is received over a wireless communication link. Reference numerals 30 and 31 identify a transmitter and receiver for achieving the wireless communication. Transmitter 30 is supplied with a desired light intensity command which it transmits to receiver 31. Receiver 31 in turn, supplies a corresponding input to adaptable function generator 11. The wireless communication may be over either a radio frequency or infrared optical link.
Adaptable function generator or processor 11 in the lighting control apparatus of FIGS. 3-5 may be implemented as shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 6. The input command is produced by a manually operable switch or occupancy sensor 31 corresponding to 12 or occupancy sensor 22 in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively. A photodiode CR3 provides an illumination intensity signal corresponding input 13 to that supplied to of adaptable function generator 11 in FIGS. 3-5.
Switch S1, when operated, energizes a relay K1 through a switch debounce circuit formed of an integrated circuit (IC) U2 and associated passive components. When relay coil K1 is energized normally closed contract the relay in a signal integrating circuit, included IC U1A and associated passive components, opens and release the short across a capacitor C1, thus enabling the integrating circuit to function.
At the same time, ambient light level is sensed by photodiode CR3 which converts the light level to a voltage signal. This voltage signal is then amplified by an IC U6A and associated passive components. The amplified voltage signal is then compared to a reference signal by an U6B and its associated passive components.
If the amplified voltage signal representing the light level, exceeds the reference voltage provided by a voltage divider formed of resistors R19 and R20, a negative voltage is applied to the negative power supply terminal of IC U1A IC. U1A is thus turned on and procedes to integrate and develop a voltage ramp. The output ramp voltage is further buffered an IC U1B and inverted as IC U1C.
The resulting inverted and buffered ramp voltage is applied to an IC U3 where it is transformed to an alternating current of variable duty cycle suitable for control an SCR. The resulting chopped alternating voltage is applied to SCR Q2 which allows current to flow from the power supply to the load in proportion to the duty cycle. The power input to the load and therefore light level is proportional to this chopped SCR control signal.
ICs U4 and U5 and their associated passive components shown in FIG. 6, provide regulated ±15 volt DC electrical power to the active components in the circuit.
FIG. 7 illustrates the range of object luminances within which discrimination is possible for different adaptation luminances. The limit lines shown are not sharp boundaries. Glare and loss of highlight detail gradually increase as luminance increases, loss of shadow detail gradually merges into subjective black as luminance decreases.
Nevertheless, this characteristic can be utilized to produce a more advanced lighting controller than those to which FIGS. 1-6 relate. In such a controller, if the eyes are already somewhat light adapted when a command is given to switch on a light in a room, the controller will immediately increase light intensity to within the useful discrimination range, rather than gradually increasing intensity from a level too low to permit optimum seeing,
The illustrated characteristic also can be utilized to provide for continuing increases in light intensity as light adaptation of the eyes increases. FIGS 8a and 8b, which will be further described hereinafter, illustrate a logic program which utilizes the characteristics illustrated in FIG. 7 to accomplish the foregoing operation.
The upper and lower boundaries of the useful discrimination range can be represented by respective functions
f.sub.1,(l)=1.45+0.45l; and
f.sub.2 (l)=-1.598+0.66l +0.071l.sup.2
A further function useful for performing the logic program of FIGS. 8a and 8b is
f.sub.3 (m)=0.355+0.672m -0.115m.sup.2 +0.006m.sup.3
where:
0<n<1 and the value of n is selected emperically to compensate for uncertanity in the data on which FIG. 8 is based.
0<m<30, m being the number of seconds the light level is held constant before moving to a higher level. This value is somewhat application dependent and impacts whether the system provides what appears to be a continuous increase in light level or a step increase. Typical values would range from 1 to 10 seconds. As apparent from FIG. 3' there is no sigificant change in light adaptation for time values over 30 seconds.
f 1 (l) is a function calculating maximum acceptable lighting level for a given level of eye adaptation.
f 2 (l) is a function calculating where the ability to discriminate is degraded for a given level of eye adaptation
f 3 (m) is a function calculating how much the eye has adapted in time period m.
|
Light control apparatus and method in which commanded changes in luminance in a space are executed in accordance with a rate function generated by a function generator to correspond to adaptability of the human eye to changes in luminance. A luminance sensor detects the luminance to which a person occupying the space was exposed just prior to the commanded change in luminance. The sensed luminance is used to determine the discrimination range of the occupant, and, upon a commanded increase in luminance in the space, the luminance is immediately increased to within the range.
| 8
|
RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of PCT Application No. PCT/US94/03350, filed Mar. 29, 1994 as a continuation-in-part of my prior U.S. application Ser. No. 08/038,924, filed Mar. 29, 1993 and now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to portable commodes having a removable waste container. More specifically, the invention relates to products such as a child's potty, medical commodes and bed pans which use waste containers to receive body waste. The removable container has a portable support which may be moved to afford dumping of the contents of the container into residential or institutional fixed commodes and rinsed with fresh water until clean. After cleaning, the container is returned to its operative position and fresh water may be deposited into the container to limit sticking of body waste to the container when reused.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known prior art devices include portable supports having removable waste containers. The portable supports are designed to accommodate infants or toddlers or medical patients who cannot use conventional fixed commodes because of their immaturity or their physical limitations. The prior portable commodes vary in size and design. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,325 discloses a portable commode in the form of an assimilation of an automobile. The Lumex Company of Bayshore, N.Y., markets a portable commode in the form of a chair having a cushion which comes off to access the commode. In practically all cases, the body waste container is independent of the seat portion of the support and either slides into position under the seat or is dropped into position under the seat on the support structure. With prior art portable commodes, water is usually deposited in the bottom of the waste container prior to use, and this water along with the waste is dumped into a fixed commode. The emptied container is then rinsed at a separate facility, such as an institutional or commercial sink, or a tub or shower, or similar source of fresh water. Depending upon the nature of the waste, the rinsing and dumping process is sometimes repeated frequently for cleaning satisfaction. In transferring the waste container from the commode for dumping to the water supply for rinsing, spillage may occur leading to unsanitary conditions.
Repeated rinsing of the waste container is wasteful of resources, and the present invention is designed to eliminate the necessity for repeated rinsing and dumping and transferring of the waste container from the water source to the fixed commode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable commode having a removable and reusable body waste container which may be cleaned by setting the portable commode on top of the waste-receiving bowl of a flush toilet and using fresh toilet water from the flushed toilet to rinse the waste container. The rinse water is dumped into the bowl.
The present invention provides a support for the waste container which inverts the waste container to rinse it and dump it while positioned on top of the fixed commode. The container has a horizontal rest position which renders the container in an operative waste-receiving position and an inverted position which renders the container in a dumping condition.
Specifically, the present invention enables the use of fresh water from the bowl of the fixed commode to rinse the container as it is dumped into the bowl.
In a preferred embodiment, the use of water from the bowl of the fixed commode permits the discharge of the waste material from the waste container with a single flushing of the fixed commode after the waste container is dumped by operating the container from its operative condition to its dumping condition.
The present invention provides a flushing nozzle for the waste container which eliminates the need to remove the waste container from the portable support for cleaning and rinsing.
The present invention provides for automatic cleaning of the waste container by toilet water without need for special plumbing to supply additional water to the cleaning station.
The present invention enables a portable commode to incorporate the advantages of known prior art commodes with the additional advantage of ease of cleaning provided by the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
All of the objects of the invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable commode embodying the present invention as seen from the front of the portable commode with portions broken away to shown interior parts;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the portable commode shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 showing the unit positioned on a fixed commode with its front facing the rear of the fixed commode (shown in broken lines);
FIG. 4 is a horizonal sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sectional views taken on the lines 5--5, 6--6 and 7--7, respectively, of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 8A-8E are diagrammatic views illustrating the sequence of operation of the operating lever;
FIGS. 9A-9E are diagrammatic views showing the sequence of operation of the pump handle; and
FIGS. 10A-10E are diagrammatic views showing the sequence of movement of the waste container.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a portable toilet embodying the present invention is illustrated, having a hollow support structure 14 with a seat 15 positioned on it. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 15 is accessible from the front of the hollow support structure 14 so that when the support structure 14 is resting on the floor, the child may straddle the support structure 14 and sit on the seat 15. Behind the seat 15, there is a pump housing 18 having a handle 17 for carrying purposes and for stabilizing the portable toilet when it is resting on the fixed commode. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixed commode is a regular household toilet whose bowl contains clean toilet water to receive waste for flushing into a sewer pipe or other drain, but the present invention may be used with any regular toilet having clean water for flushing.
A bellows-type pump 170 having a pump handle 128 is positioned within the pump housing 18 which is defined between a front wall 200 and a rear wall 400. A spring-powered hose control lever 162 is pivoted to the rear wall 400 and has an operator 163 projecting through an arcuate slot 165 in the wall 400. Pivotal movement of the lever 162 by the operator 163 causes the lever to pivot to the lower position past a latch actuator 167 and to engage behind a latching device 169 adjacent the bottom of the slot. As shown in FIG. 3, the lever 162 has a pivot shaft 160 which is journaled in the walls 200 and 400 and has a hose arm 69 which extends radially from the shaft and has a hose holder 168 which engages the open end of an intake hose 172 of the pump 170. Preferably the intake end of the hose is a flexible conduit which incorporates a check valve to maintain the intake hose filled with toilet water, regardless of whether it is immersed in water or removed from water. When the lever 162 is in the upper position, the free end of the hose 172 is elevated into the interior of the housing 14 and when the lever is actuated to the bottom of the slot 165, the free end of the hose dips into the fresh toilet water in the bowl B of the fixed commode shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. The lever has a spring bias tending to return the lever to the top of the arcuate slot, but is latched in the lower position against the bias by a suitable latch 169 coupled to the pump handle 128 by a connection not shown in the drawing.
With the hose 172 dipped into the water in the bowl B, the pump 170 is actuated by rotating the handle 128 on an axle to fill the bellows of the pump with water from the bowl B. Preferably, the pump handle 128 is lowered prior to or concurrently with the displacement of the lever 162 to evacuate the bellows so that the bellows may be filled with water from the bowl B by elevating the handle 128 to the position shown in FIG. 1. At that position, the bellows is filled with fresh toilet water from the bowl. The bellows of the pump 170 constitutes a pump chamber which enables retention of the water drawn through the hose 172. Upon completion of the upward stroke of the pump handle 128, the latch which holds the lever 162 in the lower position is released to allow the lever to return to its upright position and thereby raise the end of the inlet hose 172 out of the toilet water and into the interior of the housing 14. The check valve in the outlet end of the hose maintains the hose 172 filled as it is elevated.
Within the housing 14, a waste container 100 is positioned in its waste-receiving condition shown in full lines in FIG. 3. The waste container 100 is journaled on pivots in the housing so that it may be rotated from the waste-receiving condition shown in FIG. 3 to a dumping condition shown in full lines in FIG. 10D.
In the present instance, the container 100 is mounted in journals 16 for rotary movement between a horizontal rest position shown diagrammatically in FIG. 10A and an inverted dumping position shown in FIG. 10D. The container has a return spring (not shown) associated with the journals to bias the container to the rest position. The container 100 may be operated by a cable 154 attached to the bottom of the container 100 and extending through the pump housing 18. The end of the cable 154 is connected to a slider, shown diagrammatically at 152 in FIGS. 8A to 8E, which slides in an arcuate track 150 concentric with the arcuate slot 165. The container 100 is biased toward in its horizontal operative position shown in full lines FIG. 3 so that when the slider is displaced to the top of its track 150, the container 100 is inverted against the bias of the spring-loaded journals to the dumping position shown in FIG. 10D by the cable 154. Suitable guides in the form of pulleys and conduits (not shown) permit freedom of movement of the cable to actuate the container 100 between its two positions. Displacement of the cable operates against the bias of the spring-loaded journals to afford tilting of the container 100 to dump its contents in the bowl B.
The operation of the device is diagrammed in FIGS. 8A-10E. After use of the portable toilet, the support 14 is placed on the bowl B with its forward end facing the back of the fixed bowl. Preferably, the conventional toilet seat on the bowl is raised so that the hollow support 14 rests directly on the bowl as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. The handle 17 is used to stabilize the portable toilet as the device is operated. At this point, the lever 162 is upright as shown in FIG. 8A; the pump handle 128 is down to collapse the bellows 170 as shown in FIG. 9A, and the container 100 is in its horizontal loading position shown in FIG. 10A. In the first operation, the lever 163 is displaced to the bottom of the arcuate slot 165 as diagrammed in FIG. 8B so as to displace the free end of the hose 172 into the toilet water in the bowl B. The lever 162 has a spring bias tending to return the lever to the vertical position so that the displacement of the handle from the position shown in FIG. 8A to the position shown in FIG. 8B is effected against the bias of the spring. The lever is latched in its lower position, for example by the latch mechanism 169. When latched, the lever 162 also interlocks the end of the lever 162 with a slider 152 which rides in a track 150 behind the slot 165 shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 8A-8E.
With the lever 162 latched in the lower position, the pump handle 128 may be raised as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 9B to expand the bellows chamber in the pump 170 and draw toilet water into the chamber through the hose 172 whose end is immersed in the bowl. At the top of its stroke, the pump 170 actuates the latch mechanism 169 to release the lever 162 and permit it to return to its upright position shown in FIG. 8C, under the spring bias of the lever. Upward movement of the lever 162 lets the hose arm 69 raise the hose end 172 out of the bowl B.
Since the lever is interlocked with the slider 152 at the end of the cable, the slider 152 is displaced to the upper end of its arcuate track 150 when the lever is moved to the top of its slot 165. The movement of the slider 152 extends the cable and tilts the container 100 as shown in FIG. 10C against the bias of the spring return mechanism in the journal 16. The displacement of the pump handle 128 operates the pump 170 to discharge the toilet water from the pump chamber through a check valve (not shown) in the outlet hose 174 and through the jets of a flushing outlet nozzle 102 at the rear of the container 100. The forceful discharge of the toilet water through the hose 174 sprays the interior of the container to rinse any waste material which has not been dumped during the inversion of the container and discharges the rinse water along the rear wall of the container 100 and into the bowl.
Before the pump chamber in the bellows pump is fully collapsed, for example when the chamber is 90% discharged, the downward movement of the handle 128 actuates the return mechanism for the container 100 so that the container is free to return to its horizontal position as shown in FIG. 10E under the action of the spring return mechanism in the journals 16. The pivotal return of the container 100 to the horizontal position extends the cable 154 to return its slide 152 to its normal position at the bottom of its track 150 where it is available to be engaged by the lever 162. Upon return of the container to its horizontal position, the final traverse of the pump handle to its bottom position discharges the toilet water remaining in the bellows compartment of the pump into the bottom of the container 100 to provide a residual amount of water to maintain the inside of the container sufficiently wet to avoid sticking of waste material to the bottom of the container during subsequent use. The portable potty may then be removed from the bowl B and the bowl may be flushed in the usual way.
If it is found that the container 100 required additional rinsing, the cycle may be repeated after flushing the bowl B.
The particular mechanisms described in connection with the preferred embodiment are not critical to the operation of the invention and different mechanical movements and operating parts may be employed to achieved the desired results. For example the preferred embodiment of the invention draws toilet water from the same part of the fixed commode which later receives the waste discharged from the container. Where the design of the fixed commode permits, the toilet water may be drawn from a different part of the regular toilet, or from a separate source of water.
|
An apparatus for disposing of body waste in a children's toilet is comprised of a container (100) and an associated housing structure (14) which are adapted to be seated on a conventional toilet (B). Waste in container (100) is dumped into the toilet via a cable the intake stroke of a hand pump (170). A water intake hose (172) is manually lowered into the toilet water via a hose control handle (162) prior to the operation of the pump. While the container (100) is in a vertical dumping position, the exhaust stroke of pump (170) forces water siphoned from the toilet through a jet outlet (180) to clean the interior of the container (100). The container (100) automatically returns to its rest, or horizontal, position due to the action of a return spring.
| 4
|
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/158,424, filed May 7, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/318,891, filed Apr. 6, 2016, the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.
[0002] This invention was made with government support under Grant/Contract No. NSF CMMI-1344222 awarded by NSF, Grant/Contract No. NNX14AG47A awarded by NASA, and NNX14AM40H awarded by NASA. The government has certain rights in the invention.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to digital material assembly, and more specifically to digital material assembly by passive means and assembly of discrete cellular lattices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention describes a set of machines, and a structural system capable of building structures by the additive assembly of discrete parts. These digital material assemblies (described, in part, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,848,838, US20120094060, WO2014025944, US20140302261, US20140300211) constrain the constituent parts to a discrete set of possible positions and orientations. In doing so, the structures exhibit many of the properties inherent in digital communication such as error correction, fault tolerance and allow the assembly of precise structures with comparatively imprecise tools. The machines responsible for assembling digital materials should leverage, to the extent possible, the interlocking and error-correction naturally present in the discrete parts.
Field of Technology
[0005] Prior work has been done in making machines that assemble structures from discrete parts. Hiller et al. showed a method of parallel part placement of voxel spheres in [J. Hiller and H. Lipson, “Methods of Parallel Voxel Manipulation for 3D Digital Printing,” in Proceedings of the 18th solid freeform fabrication symposium., 2007, p. 12.]. These voxels, however, do not interlock in a structural way and so a binder must be used after depositing the spheres. Customizable pultrusion systems have been used for creating high performance iso-grid tubes [D. Darooka and D. Jensen, “Advanced Space structure Concepts and their development”, in AIAA Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2001.]. Deployable composite structures have been used in space applications for decades, and their reliability and stiffness to weight ratio are optimized [T. Murphey, “‘Booms and Trusses,’” in Recent Advances in Gossamer Spacecraft, 2006, p. 1-43.]. Few of these processes are reversible, incremental, or able to result in volumetric structures. 3D printing of lattices results in ultralight, high performance structures [X. Zheng, et al, “Ultralight, ultrastiff mechanical metamaterials.,” Science, vol. 344, no. 6190, pp. 1373-7, 2014.], but is not scalable beyond the printing machine. Assembled cellular lattices have been used as sandwich materials [H. Wadley, et al, “Fabrication and Structural Performance of Periodic Cellular Metal Sandwich Structures”, Composites Science and Technology, 63, p. 2331-2343, 2003.] and space filling structures [K. Cheung and N. Gershenfeld, “Reversibly assembled cellular composite materials.,” Science, vol. 341, no. 6151, pp. 1219-21, 2013.], but their assembly is manual and thus throughput and scale limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] This invention describes a set of machines, and a structural system capable of building structures by the additive assembly of discrete parts. These digital material assemblies constrain the constituent parts to a discrete set of possible positions and orientations. In doing so, the structures exhibit many of the properties inherent in digital communication such as error correction, fault tolerance and allow the assembly of precise structures with comparatively imprecise tools. The machines responsible for assembling digital materials should leverage, to the extent possible, the interlocking and error-correction naturally present in the discrete parts.
[0007] A part type that demonstrates this behavior is a triangle shape. The triangle can be combined into any number of geometric shapes—cells—which when repeatedly patterned, or tiled, form rigid or deformable closed cell polyhedral volumes that make up lattice structures. A single, triangular, nearly planar part type assembles to form the four faces of a tetrahedron or the eight faces of an octahedron, or other triangulated geometries. The repeated tiling of these geometries form lattice structures whose global stiffness properties are dependent on the relative orientation of the polyhedral enclosed volumes and the connectivity of struts between the nodes of the triangles. In this manner rigid or deformable lattice structures may be constructed.
[0008] Assembly of discrete cellular lattices is implemented by three varying strategies incorporating these common features of discretely interlocked base elements.
[0009] Assembly of discrete cellular lattices is implemented by feeding (triangular) base elements from a magazine-like storage in an axially symmetric manner, their placement mechanically timed such that they form closed polyhedral when interlocked to a previously placed layer forms a rigid structure.
[0010] Assembly of discrete cellular lattices is implemented by feeding (triangular) base elements that are connected by a carrier that physically defines a distance constraint between neighboring elements such that they are pulled through a forming die that enforces further geometry constraints that lock the elements into a rigid structure.
[0011] The modular isotropic lattice extruder system (MILES) assembles discrete cellular lattices by pulling strings of lattice elements through a forming die, enforcing geometric constraints and programmatically controlled interlocking of elements into a rigid structure that can then be extruded out of the die as an assembled, load-bearing structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1A shows discrete elements arranged in cells and column motif.
[0013] FIG. 1B shows interface components.
[0014] FIG. 1C illustrates mechanical testing of column structure.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a looped interface.
[0016] FIG. 3 is an assembly sequence and features of column.
[0017] FIG. 3A shows the mating of element interfaces.
[0018] FIG. 4 is an active assembler latched to structure.
[0019] FIG. 5A is a passive assembler, working on principles similar to a 3D zipper.
[0020] FIG. 5B is a passive assembler, related to FIG. 5A .
[0021] FIG. 6A is a head mandrel for the assembly of FIGS. 5A or 5B .
[0022] FIG. 6B depict alternate views of the assembly head mandrel.
[0023] FIG. 7 shows the assembly sequence enforced by mandrel geometry.
[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates another interface for an alternative lattice assembly.
[0025] FIG. 9 is another view of interface components shown in FIG. 1B .
[0026] FIG. 10 is a side view of the Modular Isotropic Lattice Extrusion System (MILES).
[0027] FIG. 11 is an isotropic view of a MILES module with material feeding through the forming section.
[0028] FIG. 12 is a view of a MILES unit and an exploded view of the MILES unit.
[0029] FIG. 13 shows MILES modular scaling.
[0030] FIG. 14 shows a cam-lock interface, showing an exploded view, pre-lock, post-lock and locked voxels.
[0031] FIG. 15 illustrates the MILES system producing an airplane fuselage.
[0032] FIG. 16 is a side view of a prototype MILES.
[0033] FIG. 17 is a front view of a prototype MILES.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0034] FIG. 1A shows tiles 102 in three states: alone, arranged in cells to form a volume, and as cells placed in a column motif. FIG. 1B shows these tiles as interface components 102 , isolated pre-assembly. FIG. 9 is another view of interface components shown in FIG. 1B . Note that two vertices (feet) each have a relatively small tab structure, bending out at an angle of sixteen degrees. The third vertex of the triangular tiles as depicted has a larger profile, bending out at thirty-five degrees, with a slot capable of receiving two of the smaller vertices/feet. The two smaller vertices each have apertures for receiving optimal external fasteners (discussed later). FIG. 1C illustrates mechanical testing of column structure 100 , made of interface components 102 after assembly. One embodiment of assembled triangles form stacked octahedra—an exactly constrained structural geometry. When the octahedra are assembled face to face, and placed upon the previous cell, only three triangular faces are required to effectively form the eight faces of each octahedron cell. This construction is statically and kinematically determinate following Maxwell's stability criterion; each frame consists of six joints, or nodes, connected by twelve non-collinear struts. FIG. 2 illustrates a looped interface of the two small feet engaged in a slot. Looking at it another way one node 202 is connected by six non-collinear struts 204 , exactly constraining each node 202 ( FIG. 2 ). Adjacent elements self-align, the next element locks the previous elements together. Columns generated with this geometry form a truss structure that forms an exactly constrained, triple, co-directional cross-linked helix 100 ( FIG. 1 ). The truss distributes axial loads into transverse loads, effectively increasing the allowable aspect ratio of the buckling criteria of the column. Columns can be assembled into multiples of volumes. Alternatively, octahedral cells may be placed in an edge connected fashion to form complex multiples of volumes while retaining the node connectivity, and stiffness.
[0035] The triangular components are designed such that load paths align directly at the interface between components. The exact point of load alignment may not necessarily reside within the physical volume of the part, rather a virtual node may exist through which the loads effectively pass. The joint interface transmits primarily axial loads along the struts of the triangle, however it may also be designed such that moment couples are transmitted through the joint. The auxiliary geometry surrounding the interface node provides kinematic alignment features: geometry which passively, and repeatedly align the interfaces with respect to one another. In addition to alignment, the geometry at the interface also provides features for fixturing adjacent cells ( FIG. 2 ).
[0036] Geometry of the discrete elements comprise constraints to adjacent cells that fixture their interfaces such that loads are transmitted directly through the geometry of the part. The geometry may include a feature that could be described as a loop, where material of one element surrounds the interface of at least one or more adjacent elements ( FIG. 2 ). The loop from the next placed element locks the previously placed elements together, forming a constrained and load bearing cell. The geometry of the interface, that is the alignment of nodes, struts, alignment features and loops provides a system where tension and compression of the overall assembly both load the joint into a stable configuration such that secondary fastener components such as pins, clips, screws are not necessary. Secondary components can, though, be used to manage unexpected load conditions and for redundant connections. Pins or clips can provide additional resistance to separation of unloaded joints during torsion and bending. Traditional fastener types such as rivets or threaded interfaces may also be utilized to again provide robust fixturing.
[0037] FIG. 3 is an assembly sequence and features of the column 100 . Assembly of the parts follows a specific trajectory to allow the element interfaces 102 to mate (shown in FIG. 3A ). For the loop geometry it is possible to have a trajectory that follows a single degree of freedom along the centroidal plane normal vector ( FIG. 3 ). The combination of this trajectory, the loop interface, and the arrangement of load paths allow an assembly procedure independent of material modulus of elasticity, where elastic coupling or flexural joints are not required, nor is a secondary fastener required to transmit load. Secondary fasteners may, however, be preferred for mechanical redundancy. Complex trajectory involving at least one or more degrees of freedom may also be utilized in other embodiments where the interface fixture geometry is aligned as orthogonal as possible to all other intentional load paths of the structure. Elastic joints may also be used to interlock the interface between discrete elements and also between cells.
[0038] The part geometry may be comprised of nearly planar shapes with at least one or more bends enabling a material and process independent manufacturing process ( FIG. 1 ). Sheet-metal, concrete, formed wood, composites, injection molding, casting, 3d printing, additive or subtractive manufacturing are examples of processes capable of producing the discrete elements. The open face circumscribed by the struts is left unadulterated to allow placement of functional components such as: skins, health monitoring, actuation, energy harvesting, lighting, etc.
[0039] Assembly of the discrete elements exploits the integration of geometry between the discrete elements and the assembler mechanisms. Alignment features are shared between the two systems to balance complexity between the part and the machine. Previous digital material assemblers specified a machine that included: a chassis, connected to a locomotion or actuation system, connected to an assembly head, and connected to a parts feeder, all of this controlled by a computer processor. The geometry of the assembler in this embodiment integrates part feeding, locomotion, and chassis into one system. This assembler also removes the requirement for position controlled actuation, and removes the computer processor requirement; it can be driven with or without at least one prime mover. By making part placement with respect to the assembler, the number of assembler subsystems are reduced, and placement is made relative only to immediately local lattice elements, rather than discrete locations across the global structure, and the placement uncertainty is further reduced.
[0040] Three example embodiments are described that integrate multiple subsystems and remove the computer control requirement by integrating mechanical design with the periodic, structured nature of the lattice. The geometry of the assembler is designed to match the physical, periodic dimensions of the lattice. This allows mechanical timing of end-effector/foot trajectory through conventional power transmission systems (such as linkages, gears, belts, cables, track followers, hydraulics, pneumatics). Electrical timing is also possible by use of processor controlled actuators. The integration of locomotion actuation with parts placement also integrates error correction. At each step along the lattice the assembler becomes locked to the structure by attaching to either an already placed part or feeding a new part into place. The feeding mechanism is passive, such that a part is automatically driven into place by a stored energy mechanism. Parts are stored either locally in a magazine cartridge, a reel of components, remotely in a hopper type of system. Intermediate assembly mechanisms may also co-exist that allow more dense packing of discrete elements before being formed into cells to be placed. In some embodiments discrete elements may be formed into discrete cells which are then placed into the lattice.
[0041] Similar to a swiss screw machine mechanism features internal to the machine produce desired output: the timing, trajectories and forces necessary to perform the assembly or disassembly process. Mechanical timing is possible due to the periodic lattice structure and reduces the need for a computer based control system at the assembler level. In some instances it may still be beneficial to retain a computer control where sizing and integration of mechanical power transmission systems is non-trivial, or for convenience or flexibility in design.
[0042] FIG. 4 is an active assembler 400 latched to structure 100 . The active assembler 400 includes at least one or more repeating tiles 102 that latch together as they step along the lattice ( FIG. 4 ). The foot is also the part placement, parts feeder and error correction mechanism. All operations happen internally and in parallel rather than as separate external systems, they can be mechanically or electrically driven. The feet have features (e.g., the slot in a large foot sized to receive two smaller feet) that provide kinematic alignment with the other foot mechanisms, therefore passively locating and locking each one to adjacent feet. Once located, either the new part is placed or the already placed part is locked-onto by the internal feed mechanisms, fixing the assembler to the structure. The previously placed foot of the assembler that was also attached to the previous part and adjacent feet then releases and is able to take the next step. The assembler moves the foot through a trajectory to get to the next position, this trajectory generation being comprised by conventional mechanical timing and power transmission systems. The necessary trajectory is dependent on lattice geometry and part interface design. A single prime mover, such as a motor is capable of driving the machine through the stepping process while a series of mechanical timing mechanisms or electrically controlled actuators drive the assembly and locking chain of events.
[0043] FIG. 5A is a passive assembler, with properties similar to a so-called 3D zipper. A carrier element sets a distance constraint or timing between elements. FIG. 5B is a prototype of the passive assembler of FIG. 5A . A passive assembler relies on a three dimensional geometry of an assembly head, or a mandrel 502 , to define the path that the discrete element tracks along as it is placed or removed from the lattice ( FIG. 5 ). FIG. 6A shows the zipper assembly head mandrel 502 . Tracks 504 in the mandrel enforce trajectory paths. FIG. 6B depict different views of the mandrel 502 . The discrete element 102 follows along the path formed into the assembly head 502 . Elements 102 are fixed in place by the placement of the following element 102 . That is, the part is only fully constrained after the placement of following adjoining parts. FIG. 7 depicts the assembly sequence enforced by mandrel 502 geometry. FIG. 8 illustrates an interface for the assembly. The trajectory necessary to mate part interfaces is iteratively defined by the interface fixturing geometry while it is itself, also, informed by the possible trajectory ( FIGS. 7, 8 ). Control of the timing for placement is defined by a distance constraint between parts that are to be collinear in their placed configuration. The distance constraint may be established by a carrier, such as a belt, cable or chain. In this way the assembly system is similar to that of a zipper, where individual elements are constrained by their neighbors in one direction, by a carrier in the opposite direction and their assembly trajectory is defined by a physical track that the parts are pulled through. The kinematics of this assembly strategy are that of a three-dimensional zipper. A single degree of freedom is necessary to pull the zipper assembly head along the structure. This degree of freedom may be actuated by external systems, or even the mass and inertia of the motion of an initial seed assembly sequence, where gravity provides the constant pulling force that drives the elements through the assembly head. The discrete elements may be stored in a magazine, cartridge, reel or hopper type of system.
[0044] An active carrier based method of assembly is possible where the discrete elements have a distance constraint formed by a rigid intermediary component connected by pivots, composing the discrete elements into a chain. A rack and pinion type of arrangement of rollers feeds the elements into the lattice, while locomoting along the lattice. The rigid elements pivot on their integrated carrier as they roll along the rollers, similar to a chain on a sprocket. The arrangement of adjacent rollers enables connecting the chains into volume enclosing structures.
[0045] Another embodiment of the assembler trades the carrier distance constraint for a mechanical timing constraint. In this way the discrete elements require no carrier. The track still provides the passive trajectory control while an active mechanism times the dispersal of discrete elements from their storage location and along the track. The latching may be performed by tooth geometry, adhesion such as vacuum, magnetics, hook and loop, adhesive bond, etc. Upon attachment of element to lattice the latch disengages. This mechanism may also provide a locomotion system that traverses along the already formed structure, such that the assembly is capable of self locomotion along the lattice.
[0046] FIG. 10 is a side view of the Modular Isotropic Lattice Extrusion System (MILES) 1000 . MILES consists of three main components: the material feed 1002 is a chain of pre-assembled voxels, fed through a locomotion and joining assembly platform 1004 , which uses a forming die to lock the elements together, and the final, joined, isotropic lattice 1006 which is ready for structural applications once it leaves the assembly platform 1004 . Polyhedra are pre-assembled with connections along a node or an edge such that a string, or, chain of polyhedra is formed with at least one degree of freedom remaining between each neighboring polyhedra element ( FIG. 10 ).
[0047] FIG. 11 is an isotropic view of a MILES module with material feeding 1002 through the forming section 1004 . Four separate chains of material are seen coming into the assembly platform 1004 , and they exit as a joined, 2×2 voxel chain 1006 . This is the minimum required chain-to-structure ratio, and as a result, the assembly platform module 1004 as shown is considered the basic MILES unit.
[0048] FIG. 12 is a view of a MILES unit 1004 and an exploded view of the MILES unit 1004 . A rear mounting plate grid 1008 is the basic substructure and spacing enforcement for the MILES units. This should also be modular, so that the overall MILES system can be shaped based on functional requirements and constraints. MILES sub-modules mount directly to the grid. The locomotion module 1010 consists of a motor, whose control and power are assumed to be routed through the sub-grid 1014 . The motor is coupled to a specialized worm gear, whose pitch and diameter is designed to match the internal spacing of the lattice being constructed around it. Thus, the driving worm gear moves the structure forward, bringing in new material feed 1002 and outputting completed structure 1006 . The guide rail modules 1012 is a structural extrusion capped on all 4 sides with a low-friction contact surface (i.e.: PTFE) which guides the free material chains into their correct orientation. This guiding is critical because it lines up the nodes which are eventually forced together and joined with a reversible mechanical cam-lock interface ( FIG. 14 ).
[0049] The chain of elements is pulled through a forming die that forces the elements into the final configuration orientated relative to neighboring strings of elements ( FIGS. 10, 11, 12 ). In doing so, interlocking features at the nodes are forced into position. A secondary locking mechanism can then also be enforced as the nodes are dragged past a lock enforcement mechanism. One embodiment of the interlocking mechanism is shown in FIG. 14 , where an eccentric self engaging cam is rotated into a locked position by a lever that is pulled past a special lock enforcement feature in the die. FIG. 14 shows a cam-lock interface 1400 , showing an exploded view 1402 , pre-lock 1412 , post-lock 1422 and locked voxels 1432 . A voxel in the material chain has a node with a male interface ( 1403 ). This tapered cylinder has a crescent shape cut out of it, which will be used to engage the cam-lock. It is forced by the guide rails into the neighboring voxel chain with female interfaces ( 1404 ). As shown in the center image, the lock pin is pre-inserted through its guide hole in the female interface ( 1405 ). It is kept in place by a pin feature at the bottom of the shaft ( 1406 ). The male interface is allowed to pass by the lock pin due to a feature in the pin ( 1407 ). The lock pin has a lever arm ( 1408 ) that is passively turned roughly 90 degrees as the material chains pass through the assembly platform. This engages a cam-locking interaction between ( 1403 ) and ( 1407 ), whereby the male interface is prevented from pulling out, and pulling on it forces the lock pin to rotate in a direction that further tightens the interface. This joint is completely reversible and because it comes pre-assembled it requires no additional hardware.
[0050] This lock enforcement feature may be active or passive such that lock engagement at specific nodes can be programmatically controlled enabling arbitrary structural geometries to be generated, or, it may be passive in the case of constructing large bulk materials. A motion inducing mechanism then forces the already assembled, rigid, structure out of the die. This system can be constructed as a standalone module or it can then be assembled alongside other modules into extensible arrays of modules ( FIG. 13 ).
[0051] FIG. 13 shows MILES modular scaling (L TO R). FIG. 13 depicts a 6×4 lattice extruder 1302 with additional units nearby 1304 , where the new units are added to make an 8×6 lattice extruder 1306 . The basic MILES module can be added incrementally to result in customizable MILES platforms. The direction of expansion (up, down, left right) as well as the boundary condition (side, corner) will determine the required composition of the new MILES modules (i.e.: 3 guide rails, 1 locomotion) as well as the orientation of the sub-components. This design allows a constant ratio of extruded structure to locomotion systems, ensuring that motors do not become overload and stall. Management of material feed chains will be addressed in later designs.
[0052] The extensibility of modules enables the formation of an arbitrarily sized extrusion head that has the ability to extrude, in parallel, complex, discrete cellular lattice structures ( FIG. 15 ). FIG. 15 illustrates the MILES system producing an airplane fuselage (L to R). A large rectangular array of MILES modules 1502 is shown (material feed chains are not shown), with the desired structure extrusion profile shown emerging 1504 . The full structure is extruded and now can be extracted and used. In this case, it can be skinned and assembled to wing and fairing structures to be used as the fuselage of a plane.
[0053] As described, MILES consists of three main components: the material feed is a chain of pre-assembled voxels, fed through a forming die that locks the elements together, and is fed by motion mechanism.
[0054] The pre-assembled voxel chains are fed into the MILES platforms with a specific distance constraint defining the spacing between the elements. In other systems, such as the standard zipper, the locking components are fed along a secondary tensile carrier that enforces the distance constraint. In MILES the interlocking elements are integral to the structural lattice itself, reducing the feed stock to a single type of feed element.
[0055] Upon entering the locomotion and joining station, they are forced into their final configuration by guide rails that are essentially a forming die. This forming die may be constructed as a modular system attached to a gridded support structure. The two universal cartridge types are the driver cartridge or motion mechanism, and, the rail cartridge. In one embodiment the driver cartridge consists of a motorized screw drive that pushes along the rigidly assembled structure. The rigidly assembled structure, still being attached to the feedstock, pulls the feedstock into the forming module as it is pushed out of the module. The rail cartridge has 4 guide rails to support the feed stock from all necessary directions such that a single drive mechanism can push four strings of feedstock ( FIG. 12 ).
[0056] Next, the passive locking feature that rigidly constrains the neighboring strings is actuated, reversibly connecting the parts without any need for external hardware, as it passes by an actuating feature along its way through the forming die. The design for this locking feature is based on a self-tightening cammed pin (this locking mechanism is similarly used in triple for attaching a chuck to the spindle of a lathe ( FIG. 14 )) with a tab that is pushed by a passive feature on the machine. Tapered leading edges on the male interface help with alignment, and the locking pin is captive, not external. Pin rotation occurs passively as the elements are pulled past a tab feature on the extrusion head that forces the lever arm of the pin to rotate. Motion of the voxel elements is provided by central locomotion worm gear pushing on the already assembled rigid structure.
[0057] What is further unique to MILES is its modularity. The basic MILES unit can extrude a 4-voxel (2×2) lattice, and to do so uses 8 guide rail modules and a single central locomotion module. These modules are designed to mount to a rear mounting plate grid, which can be of any dimension necessary. This modular system enables simplified expansion with the addition of more modules. This allows customized extruder platforms to be quickly setup without relying on monolithic gantry-type elements. This way it will be possible to extrude large high performance structures such as aerospace components.
[0058] FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 are a side and front view, respectively, of a prototype MILES. Shown is rear mounting plate grid ( 1602 ), guide rail structure ( 1604 ), motor ( 1606 ), guide rail surfaces ( 1608 ), passive cam-lock enforcement armature ( 1610 ), worm gear material feed locomotion mechanism ( 1612 ), and assembled structure with locked joints ( 1614 ).
[0059] While the above specification and examples provide a description of the invention, many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are provided as illustrative only, and does not limit or define the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments are also within the scope of the claims.
|
A set of machines and related systems build structures by the additive assembly of discrete parts. These digital material assemblies constrain the constituent parts to a discrete set of possible positions and orientations. In doing so, the structures exhibit many of the properties inherent in digital communication such as error correction, fault tolerance and allow the assembly of precise structures with comparatively imprecise tools. Assembly of discrete cellular lattices by a Modular Isotropic Lattice Extruder System (MILES) is implemented by pulling strings of lattice elements through a forming die that enforces geometry constraints that lock the elements into a rigid structure that can then be pushed against and extruded out of the die as an assembled, loadbearing structure.
| 4
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser apparatus for irradiating an object to be irradiated with a laser beam.
2. Description of Related Art
As a laser apparatus for irradiating an object to be irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a laser source, there is a laser treatment apparatus that irradiates an affected part of a patient with a treatment laser beam to treat the affected part. Such the laser apparatus is so configured as to have two operating statuses; an irradiation-ready status (hereinafter referred to as a READY mode) in which laser irradiation is enabled when a laser irradiation start signal (a trigger signal) is entered and a standby status (hereinafter referred to as a STANDBY mode) in which laser irradiation is locked even when a laser irradiation start signal is entered.
The two operating modes can normally selectively be switched at the push of predetermined keys on a control panel. Accordingly, in switching from the READY mode to the STANDBY mode, an operator must search and push an appropriate key for switching to the STANDBY mode from among many keys on the control panel. This would be troublesome to the operator. In an emergency where operators and assistants have to quickly react, particularly, it would be difficult for them to promptly search and press an emergency stop button and the key for switching to the STANDBY mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide a laser apparatus capable of correctly easily switching from a READY mode to a STANDBY mode.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the purpose of the invention, there is provided a laser apparatus for irradiating an object to be irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a laser source, the laser apparatus including: a display serving as display means provided with a screen for displaying laser irradiation conditions, the display being a touch panel type capable of detecting a touch position on the screen; input means for inputting a signal to start laser irradiation; mode selection means for selecting one of an irradiation ready mode of enabling the laser irradiation when the signal is input from the input means and a standby mode of locking the laser irradiation even when the signal is input from the input means; and control means for controlling the laser irradiation in accordance with the mode selected by the mode selection means, and locking the laser irradiation when detects a touch within a predetermined area on the screen of the display during the laser irradiation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the objects, advantages and principles of the invention.
In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a laser apparatus in an embodiment according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a main part of an optical system and a control system of the laser apparatus in the embodiment; and
FIG. 3 is an example of a screen of a liquid crystal display of the laser apparatus for setting laser irradiation conditions in the embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a laser apparatus embodying the present invention will now be given referring to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the laser apparatus in the present embodiment.
A main unit 1 of the laser apparatus is provided at its front with a large-sized liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as LCD) 2 of a touch panel-type for displaying various laser irradiation conditions and other. It is to be noted that the touch panel in the present embodiment has a resistance membrane system (which may be either a digital or analog type) capable of detecting a touch position of a finger of an operator in X- and Y-directions (coordinates) of the panel. The thus configured touch panel will show no react even if for example clothes of the operator slightly touch the panel. The main unit 1 is also provided with a fiber cable 4 and a communication cable 5 which are extended from the top of the main unit 1 to a hand piece 3 . An emergency stop button 6 is provided at the front face of the main unit 1 . At the push of this button 6 , supply of electric power to the main unit 1 is shut down.
FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of the main part of an optical system and a control system of the laser apparatus. A laser source 10 is constructed of a plurality of diode laser sources each of which emits a treatment laser beam (hereinafter simply referred to as a treatment beam) that is a near-infrared light having a wavelength in the range of 800-820 nm in the present embodiment. This treatment beam is useful for treatments such as laser depilation in which a laser beam is irradiated to hair roots to cauterize them for depilation. The treatment beams emitted from the laser source 10 are condensed by condensing lenses 12 a and introduced into the entrance ends of fibers 13 a . The emergence ends of the fibers 13 a are bound into a bundle as shown in FIG. 2, thereby allowing emission of a treatment beam of high power.
A laser source 11 emits an aiming laser beam (hereinafter simply referred to as an aiming beam) that is a red visible laser beam having a wavelength in the range of 620-650 nm in the present embodiment. The aiming beam emitted from the laser source 11 is condensed by a condensing lens 12 b and introduced into the entrance end of a fiber 13 b . The emergence end of the fiber 13 b is bound with those of the fibers 13 a , whereby to make the aiming beam coaxial with the treatment beam.
The treatment beam and the aiming beam emerged from the emergence ends (i.e., fiber bundle portions) of the bound fibers 13 a and 13 b are then condensed by a group of condensing lenses 14 and introduced into a fiber cable 4 . This fiber cable 4 is connected to the hand piece 3 . Thus, the treatment beam and the aiming beam are introduced into the hand piece 3 through the fiber cable 4 .
Galvano-mirrors 16 a and 16 b are disposed in the hand piece 3 . These galvano-mirrors 16 a and 16 b are driven for causing the treatment beam and the aiming beam to scan a wide area. That is, the treatment beam and the aiming beam introduced into the hand piece 3 are made into parallel luminous flux by a collimator lens 15 , moved or swung in X- and Y-directions by the galvano-mirrors 16 a and 16 b , and thus concentrated on a part to be treated by a condensing lens 17 .
Numeral 18 is a glass plate which will be placed on the treatment part in direct contact therewith during treatment. This glass plate 18 is arranged at the condensing point of the beams by the condensing lens 17 , thus bringing the condensing point into correspondence with the treatment part. The size of the glass plate 18 is so designed to cover all the area to be scanned by the treatment beam and the aiming beam. In treating, an operator holds the hand piece 3 with the glass plate 18 pressed against the treatment part so that the surface of this treatment part becomes equally flat, whereby to uniformly perform laser irradiation to the part.
Numeral 20 is a controller for controlling the whole apparatus. This controller 20 is mainly connected with the LCD 2 , the galvano-mirrors 16 a and 16 b through the communication cable 5 , and a footswitch 21 for generating a laser irradiation start signal (a trigger signal).
FIG. 3 is an example of a screen of the LCD 2 for setting of laser irradiation conditions. In the left section of the screen, there are arranged an energy density display section 30 a which indicates the energy density (J/cm 2 ) of the treatment beam, an irradiation power display section 30 b which indicates the irradiation power (W) of the treatment beam, an irradiation time display section 30 c which indicates the irradiation time (ms) of the treatment beam, an interval time display section 30 d which indicates the interval time (s) in repetitive irradiation, and others.
In the right section of the screen, on the other hand, there are arranged a READY key 32 a for selecting a READY mode, a STANDBY key 32 b for selecting a STANDBY mode, a scanning area information display section 33 which displays the information on an area to be scanned by the treatment beam (shape, size, etc. of the scanning area), an aiming light quantity display section 34 which indicates the luminous intensity of the aiming beam, and others.
If requiring changing of the laser irradiation conditions, the operator touches one of the display sections 30 a - 30 d , 33 , 34 on the screen to select an option or item to be changed, and presses UP/DOWN keys 31 to increase or decrease a set value of the selected option to a desired value. For the shape of the scanning area, the operator presses a SHAPE key 33 a in the display section 33 to select a desired one.
Operation of the laser apparatus having the above configuration will be explained below.
When a surgeon or assistant (which will hereinafter be referred to as an operator) turns on the power of the laser apparatus, the controller 20 runs diagnostic checks on itself before startup. Upon startup, the STANDBY mode is established. In this mode, the STANDBY key 32 b is displayed in a bright color, e.g., orange, while the READY key 32 a in a dark color, e.g., gray. Such the keys 32 a and 32 b allow the operator to easily recognize the current operating mode. In the STANDBY mode, even when the controller 20 receives a trigger signal from the footswitch 21 depressed, the controller 20 does not supply power to the laser source 10 . Thus the treatment beam is not emitted.
Subsequently, the operator controls the keys on the LCD 2 to set the laser irradiation conditions as needed. After completion of preparation for laser irradiation, the operator pushes the READY key 32 a to place the apparatus in the READY mode. Upon turn-on of the READY key 32 a , the controller 20 performs laser a power check (calibration) to detect whether the irradiation power is a predetermined value. When it is determined that the irradiation power is proper, the apparatus is put into the READY mode. In the READY mode, the READY key 32 a is displayed in a bright color, e.g., blue, while the STANDBY key 32 b is displayed in a dark color, e.g., gray. In this mode, when the controller 20 receives a trigger signal from the footswitch 21 , it supplies power to the laser source 10 to emit the treatment beam.
After confirming that the READY mode is established, the operator depresses the footswitch 21 . In response to the trigger signal from the footswitch 21 , the controller 20 causes the laser source 10 to emit the treatment beam under the set irradiation conditions such as the irradiation power. The controller 20 simultaneously drives the galvano-mirrors 16 a and 16 b to cause the treatment beam to scan the predetermined scanning area (shape, size, etc.), thereby irradiating the treatment part.
After the treatment is completed or when changing the laser irradiation conditions is required, the operator has only to touch the screen of the LCD 2 . This establishes the STANDBY mode. It is to be noted that the operator may touch any portion or position on the screen of the LCD 2 besides the keys arranged on the LCD 2 . During the READY mode, the controller 20 recognizes the whole area of the screen of the LCD 2 as a STANDBY key to switch from the READY mode to the STANDBY mode. If any portion except the STANDBY key 32 b is touched, therefore, the controller 20 acts in the same manner that the STANDBY key 32 b is exactly touched.
In the READY mode, as mentioned above, the simple control of touching any portion or position on the LCD 2 by the operator makes it possible to easily switch to the STANDBY mode. Accordingly, the need for searching the STANDBY key 32 b can be eliminated, which can reduce labors of the operator. If a larger LCD 2 is used, its operability can be more improved. In the case of needing emergency stop of the laser irradiation because of some troubles in the patient or operator, the laser irradiation can be stopped with the touch of the screen of the LCD 2 having a wide area by the operator without a search and push of the emergency button 6 . Thus, the operator can correctly easily react in case of emergency.
As described above, according to the above embodiment, the laser apparatus can properly easily be switched from the READY mode to the STANDBY mode.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.
It is to be noted that the area of the screen of the LCD 2 (the area to be recognized as a STANDBY key) for switching the apparatus from the READY mode to the STANDBY mode is sufficient if it is larger than at least the STANDBY key 32 b . Preferably, the area is determined to be larger including the display sections 30 a - 30 d used as condition setting keys, the key 31 , and others. More preferably, the area recognized as a STANDBY key is determined to be the whole screen of the LCD 2 as in the above embodiment. However, the area is not strictly limited to the whole screen. The area is sufficient if including most of the main area serving as a touch panel.
In the above embodiment, the controller 20 does not supply power to the laser source 10 during the STANDBY mode to thereby lock laser irradiation. Alternatively, a shutter may be inserted on the beam path to lock laser irradiation.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. The embodiment chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents.
|
A laser apparatus for irradiating an object to be irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a laser source is disclosed. The laser apparatus includes a display provided with a screen for displaying laser irradiation conditions, the display being a touch panel type capable of detecting a touch position on the screen; an input device for inputting a signal to start laser irradiation; a mode selector for selecting one of an irradiation ready mode of enabling the laser irradiation when the signal is input from the input device and a standby mode of locking the laser irradiation even when the signal is input from the input device; and a controller for controlling the laser irradiation in accordance with the mode selected by the mode selector, and locking the laser irradiation when detects a touch within a predetermined area on the screen of the display during the laser irradiation.
| 0
|
The invention relates to novel crosslinking agent masterbatches comprising marker substances, to novel crosslinkable rubber mixtures, and to a process for producing these, and to the use of these.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PCT/EP2009/058041 discloses separate production of crosslinking agent masterbatches with the aim of introducing these continuously into the parent mixtures produced batchwise. Although this process has the advantage that it can produce crosslinkable rubber mixtures in a manner which is more practical and which provides better performance, the quality of dispersion of the crosslinking agent masterbatch in the rubber mixture cannot be demonstrated—or if it can be demonstrated this is possible only offline.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It was therefore an object of the present invention to provide novel crosslinking agent masterbatches which permit online, and also preferably inline, detection for determining the quality of dispersion of the crosslinking agent masterbatch.
The object underlying this invention was achieved via crosslinking agent masterbatches which comprise marker substances.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1-4 show a detected ultrasound signal from various embodiments according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention therefore provides crosslinking agent masterbatches comprising at least one pulverulent marker substance of density greater than 2 g/cm 3 and at least one crosslinking agent selected from the group of sulfur, sulfur donors, peroxides, resorcinol, aldehyde-amine condensates, bisphenols, quinone dioximes, carbamates, triazines, thiazoles, dithiocarbamates, thiurams, thioureas, mercapto accelerators, sulfenamides, thiophosphate accelerators, dithiophosphate accelerators, and/or guanidine.
It is preferable that at least one compound selected from the following groups is used as pulverulent marker substance for the purposes of the invention:
the alkali metal compounds and alkaline earth metal compounds, the compounds of the transition groups of the periodic table of the elements, the silicon compounds, the aluminum compounds, the selenium compounds and tellurium compounds, the tin compounds, the lead compounds, the bismuth compounds, the compounds of the rare earths,—the heavy metal powders, the coated metal powders and/or compounds of these, the metal carbides, particularly preferably tungsten carbides, and/or the naturally occurring minerals, the heavy metal powders (density>5 g/cm 3 ), for example carbonyl iron powder, and/or the coated heavy metal powders and/or their compounds, for example phosphated or silicon-dioxide-coated iron powder.
Particular preference is given here to the following as marker substances:
halides, sulfates, carbonates, oxides, and/or sulfides of rubidium-, of cesium, of calcium, of strontium, and/or of barium, very particularly preferably barium sulfate or barium oxide, oxides of magnesium, zinc, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, iron, silicon, aluminum, tin, lead, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, hafnium, gadolinium, and/or cerium, sulfides of zinc, tungsten, lead, and/or bismuth, tantalum powder, tungsten powder, gold powder, platinum powder, and/or iridium powder, tungstates, ferrites, silicates, particularly preferably barium silicate, aluminates, particularly preferably strontium aluminates, and/or rare-earth-doped strontium aluminates and/or rare-earth-doped alkaline earth metal aluminates, tin chlorides, carbonyl iron powder, and/or phosphated or silicon-dioxide-coated iron powder, and/or tungsten carbides, and/or minerals selected from the group of antimonite, apatite, albite, almandine, anhydrite, aragonite, argentite, anglesite, arsenopyrite, baryte, bauxite, galena, cassisterite, cerussite, chloanite, celestine, dolomite, feldspar, fluorite, graphite, mica, ilmenite, kaolin, corundum, cryollite, corrundum, magnetite, molybdenite, muscovite, montmorilonite, monazite, magensite, pyrite, quartz, rutile, scheelite, sperrylite, strontianite, tantalite, topaz, uraninite, vanadinite, bismuth, bismuthinite, wolframite, wollastonite, willemite, wulfenite, cinnabar, and/or zircon.
Preference is given to inorganic compounds as marker substances.
In another embodiment of the invention, preference is given to the use of oxidation-resistant compounds.
Preference is equally given to the use of a combination of compounds from the abovementioned groups. The term combination here means either a combination of compounds from the individual groups or else within the abovementioned groups, or else a combination thereof.
The substances involved here are commercially available. The coating of the powders is achieved by the processes familiar to the person skilled in the art.
The density of the marker substances is preferably at least 3.5 g/cm 3 , particularly preferably greater than 5.5 g/cm 3 , very particularly preferably greater than 7.5 g/cm 3 .
Preference is given here to pulverulent marker substances with a particle size of from 1 μm to 100 μm, particularly from 1 μm to 25 μm.
The term pulverulent here encompasses all of the abovementioned substances that are solid at temperatures below 130° C., preferably below 100° C.
The pulverulent marker substances here can also optionally be used in pelletized form, for example as polymer-bound additives.
The proportion of marker substances is preferably less than 50% by weight, with preference less than 10% by weight, with particular preference less than 5% by weight, based on the crosslinking agent masterbatch.
The marker substances here are preferably suitable for detection by means of ultrasound, but other measurement methods are not excluded, examples being XFA (X-ray fluorescence analysis), NIR (near-infrared spectroscopy), LIPS (laser-induced plasma spectroscopy), terahertz spectroscopy, and UV/VIS spectroscopy.
The term crosslinking agent masterbatch here encompasses a blend of at least one crosslinking agent with at least one marker substance and optionally with further additives, e.g. binders and/or optionally stabilizers, plasticizers, fillers, and/or other auxiliaries.
For the purposes of the invention, crosslinking agents are: substances forming network nodes, e.g.
sulfur (soluble or insoluble) and/or sulfur donors, e.g. dithiomorpholine (DTDM), tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD), dipentamethylenethiuram terasulfide (DPTT), phosphoryl polysulfide, e.g. Rhenocure® SDT/S from Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH, and/or peroxides, e.g. di-tert-butyl peroxide, di(tert,butylperoxytimethylcyclohexane, di(tert,butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene, dicumyl peroxide, dimethyldi(tert-butylperoxy)hexyne, butyldi(tert,butylperoxy) valerate, resorcinol, aldehyde-amine condensates, e.g. hexamethylenetetramine, resorcinol-formaldehyde precondensates, and/or vulcanization resins, e.g. halomethylphenol resin, quinone dioximes, and bisphenols,
accelerators, e.g.
carbamates or triazines, e.g. hexamethylenediamine carbamate (HMDC), organic triazines, thiazoles, e.g. 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), zinc mercaptobenzothiazole (ZnMBT), thiadiazoles (TDD), sulfenamides, such as cyclohexylbenzothiazolesulfenamide (CBS), dibenzothiazyl disulfide (MBTS), butylbenzothiazolesulfenamide (TBBS), dicyclohexylbenzothiazolesulfenamide (DCBS), 2-(4-morpholinylmercapto)-benzothiazole (MBS), thiurams, such as tetramethylthiuram monosulfide (TMTM), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD), tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD), tetrabenzylthiuram disulfide (TBTD), dipentamethylenethiuram tetra(hexa)sulfide (DPTT), dithiocarbamates, such as Zn dimethyldithiocarbamate (ZDMC), Cu dimethyldithiocarbamate, Bi dimethyldithiocarbamate, Zn diethyl-dithiocarbamate (ZDEC), tellurium diethyldithiocarbamate (TDEC), Zn dibutyldithiocarbamate (ZDBC), Zn ethylphenyldithiocarbamate (ZEPC), Zn dibenzyldithiocarbamate (ZBEC), Ni dibutyldithiocarbamate (NBC), selenium diethyldithiocarbamate (SeEDC), selenium dimethyldithiocarbamate (SeDMC), tellurium diethyldithiocarbamate (TeEDC), thiophosphate- and dithiophosphate, e.g. zinc O,O-di-n-butyl dithiophosphate (ZBDP), zinc O-butyl-O-hexyl dithiophosphate, zinc O,O-diisooctyl dithiophosphate (ZOPD), dodecylammonium diisooctyl dithiophosphate (AOPD), e.g. the Rhenogran® products ZDT, ZAT, and ZBOP from Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH urea/thioureas, e.g. ethylenethiourea (ETU), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylthiourea (TMTU), diethylthiourea (DETU), dibutylthiourea (DBTU), 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron) etc., and/or xanthate accelerators, e.g. zinc isopropyl xanthate (ZIX), guanidines, e.g. diphenylguanidine (DPG) and/or N′,N-di-ortho-tolylguanidine (DOTG), and the guanidine-free replacement accelerators, such as Rhenogran® XLA 60,
retarders, e.g.
N-nitrososdiphenylamine, N-cyclohexylthiophthalimide (CPT), e.g. Vulkalent® G), sulfonamide derivatives (e.g. Vulkalent® E/C), phthalic anhydride (Vulkalent® B/C), where both of the Vulkalent® products are obtainable from Lanxess Deutschland GmbH, and also benzoic anhydride.
All of the abovementioned products are products which are available commercially and which are optionally also used in pelletized form, for example as polymer-bound additives.
It is preferable here to use mixtures of various crosslinking agents, such as sulfur, sulfur donors, peroxides, resorcinol, aldehyde-amine condensates, bisphenols, quinone dioximes carbamates, triazines, thiazoles, dithiocarbamates, thiurams, thioureas, mercapto accelerators, sulfenamides, xanthate accelerators, thiophosphate accelerators, dithiophosphate accelerators, and/or guanidine.
Preference is given here to a mixture of crosslinking agents where the melting point thereof is below 120° C., particularly preferably below 100° C., an example being a mixture of sulfur, CBS (cyclohexylbenzothiazylsulfenamide), and also MBTS (methylbenzothiazyl disulfide).
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the crosslinking agent masterbatch of the invention also comprises binders and/or optionally stabilizers, fillers, plasticizers, and/or other auxiliaries.
The proportion of these additional constituents, such as binders, etc., is preferably less than 30%, based on the crosslinking agent masterbatch.
Binders selected are preferably water-insoluble uncrosslinked polymers of which the polarity, melting points, crystallinity, and/or surface structures are similar to those of the rubber mixture, with resultant improvement of the mixing process, i.e. with resultant rapid achievement of a homogeneous result of mixing. The binders can moreover preferably be crosslinked with the rubber mixture. The glass transition temperature is preferably <0° C.
Particularly suitable polymers are natural rubber (NR), isoprene rubber (IR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), isoprene-isobutylene rubber (IIR), polychloroprene rubber (CR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HNBR), carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (XNBR), hydrogenated carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HXNBR), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM), fluoro rubber (FKM), perfluorinated fluoro rubber (FFKM), acrylate-ethylene rubber (AEM), acrylate rubber (ACM), ethylene-methylene-acrylate rubber (EMA), chlorinated polyethylene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber (EVA), ethylene-epichlorohydrin rubber (ECO), epichlorohydrin rubber (CO), and/or polyurethane rubber (PU).
Examples of stabilizers for the purposes of the invention are coloring and noncoloring antioxidants, e.g. paraphenylenediamine, isopropylphenylparaphenylenediamine (IPPD), para-phenylenediamine (6PPD), N,N-ditoly-p-phenylenediamine (DTPD), etc., amines, e.g. trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline (TMQ), (phenyl)amine)-1,4-naphthalenedione (PAN), bis(4-octylphenyl)amine (ODPA), styrenated diphenylamine (SDPA), mono- and bisphenols, e.g. 2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol (BPH), 2,2′-isobutylidenebis(4,6-dimethylphenol) (NKF), 2,2′-dicyclopentadienylbis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol) (SKF), 2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-cyclohexylphenol (ZKF), 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (BHT), substituted phenol (DS), styrenated phenols (SPH), mercatpbenzimidazoles, e.g. 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI), 2-mercaptomethylbenzimidazole (MMBI), zinc 4- and 5-methyl-2-mercaptobenzimidazole (ZMMBI), etc., olefins, and paraffinic and/or aromatic plasticizers. The composition here is selected to be appropriate to the desired final product.
Examples of fillers for the purposes of the invention are in particular pale-colored inorganic fillers, e.g. mica, kaolin, siliceous earth, silica, chalk, talc powder, carbon fillers, e.g. carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, magnetizable fillers, such as carbonyl iron powder, iron oxides, ferrites, and/or fibers, e.g. aramid fiber pulp, and carbon fibers
Examples of plasticizers for the purposes of the invention are long-chain esters and/or ethers, e.g. thioesters, phthalic esters, alkylsulfonic esters, adipic esters, sebacic esters, dibenzyl ethers, and/or mineral oils (paraffinic, aromatic naphthenic or synthetic oils).
Examples of auxiliaries for the purposes of the invention are dispersing agents, e.g. fatty acids, stearic acids and/or oleic acid, and/or activators, for example lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate and/or calcium hydroxide.
It is preferable that the composition of the crosslinking masterbatch here is as follows: zinc oxide (about 10% to 50%), sulfur, CBS (cyclohexylbenzothiazylsulfenoamide, about 10% to 30%), and/or MBTS (methylbenzothiazyl disulfide, about 10% to 30%), and/or ZBOP (about 10 to 30%), EPDM/EPM, EVA, and/or plasticizer (about 20%) together with at least one pulverulent marker substance (about 10%), where the data are based on percentages by weight and the entirety of the components used is 100%.
The melting point of this mixture, below 100° C., is markedly lower than that of the individual components, where the melting points of the individual components are as follows:
sulfur (melting point: about 115° C.), CBS (melting point: about 100° C.), and MBTS (melting point: about 180° C.).
These components are accordingly markedly more difficult to process as individual components at T<100° C.
The crosslinking agent masterbatches of the invention can be produced here by mixing the marker substances with the crosslinking agent, and optionally also binder and/or optionally stabilizers fillers, plasticizer, and/or further auxiliaries at temperatures which are ≦120° C., preferably ≦100° C., with particular preference ≦80° C. This is ideally achieved in such a way that no reaction of the crosslinking agents takes place during the mixing process.
This problem-free method can give a very homogeneous mixture of the marker substances with the crosslinking agent and optionally also binder and/or optionally stabilizers fillers, plasticizer, and/or further auxiliaries. It is possible here to use any of the conventional mixing assemblies, such as powder mixers, concrete mixers, agitator systems, mixing drums, internal mixers, twin-screw or other extruders, or the like.
Examples of homogeneous mixtures for the purposes of the invention are mixtures of powders, drum-mixed mixtures of pellets of polymer-bound additives, polymer-bound powder mixtures produced in an internal mixer or extruder, etc.
The processes for producing the crosslinking agent masterbatches of the invention, by which marker substances are mixed with crosslinking agents and optionally also binder, and/or optionally stabilizers fillers and/or further auxiliaries at temperatures which are preferably ≦100° C.
The invention further provides crosslinkable rubber mixtures comprising the crosslinking agent masterbatches of the invention which have been described above.
For the purposes of the invention, the crosslinkable rubber mixtures involve a parent mixture which comprises rubber. This mixture comprises polymers and blends of these, where the blends have elastic properties after crosslinking, examples being natural rubber (NR), isoprene rubber (IR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), isoprene-isobutylene rubber (IIR), polychloroprene rubber (CR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HNBR), carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (XNBR), hydrogenated carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HXNBR), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM), fluoro rubber (FKM), perfluorinated fluoro rubber (FFKM), acrylate-ethylene rubber (AEM), acrylate rubber (ACM), chlorinated polyethylene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber (EVA), ethylene-epichlorohydrin rubber (ECO), epichlorohydrin rubber (CO), and/or polyurethane rubber (PU).
Other constituents of the parent mixtures can in particular be pale-colored inorganic fillers, e.g. mica, kaolin, siliceous earth, silica, chalk, talc powder, zinc oxide, carbon fillers, e.g. carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, and/or magnetizable fillers, such as carbonyl iron powder, iron oxides, ferrites, fibers, e.g. aramid fiber pulp, carbon fibers, and/or coloring and noncoloring antioxidants, such as paraphenylenediamine (isopropylphenylparaphenylenediamine/(IPPD), para-phenylenediamine (6PPD), N,N-ditolyl-p-phenylenediamine (DTPD), etc)., amines, e.g. trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline (TMQ), (phenyl)amine]-1,4-naphthalenedione (PAN), bis(4-octylphenyl)amine (ODPA), styrenated diphenylamine (SDPA), etc.), mono- and bisphenols, e.g. the Vulkanox products 2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol (BPH), 2,2′-isobutylidenebis(4,6-dimethylphenol) (NKF), 2,2′-dicyclopentadienylbis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol) (SKF), 2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-cyclohexylphenol (ZKF), 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (BHT), substituted phenol (DS), styrenated phenols (SPH), mercatobenzimidazoles, e.g. 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI), 2-mercaptomethylbenzimidazole (MMBI), zinc 4- and 5-methyl-2-mercaptobenzimidazole (ZMMBI), etc.), and olefins and/or paraffinic, aromatic and/or naphthalenic plastizers, dispersing agents, and also optionally a portion of the crosslinking agents (e.g.: sulfur). However, the parent mixture can also be composed exclusively of rubber.
The invention further provides a process for producing a crosslinkable rubber mixture by mixing the crosslinking agent masterbatch of the invention continuously with a parent mixture which comprises rubber and which is produced batchwise. The resultant crosslinkable rubber mixture is preferably extruded continuously.
The parent mixture is preferably produced by the processes familiar to the person skilled in the art, for example those described in PCT/EP2009/058041.
The crosslinking agent masterbatch is then metered continuously into said parent mixture produced batchwise, and the finished mixture is then extruded continuously.
Since the crosslinking agents in the preferred crosslinking agent masterbatch of the invention have already been mixed homogeneously with one another, the continuous metering process facilitates homogeneous dispersion of the crosslinking agents in the parent mixture. The overall resultant effect can be to reduce the risk that the mixing of the parent mixture with the crosslinking agents is a cause of failure of the desired continuous production process under practical conditions.
It is preferable here that the proportion of crosslinking agent masterbatch, based on the crosslinkable rubber mixture, is less than 10% by weight.
In a preferred embodiment of the process of the invention, the crosslinking agent masterbatch is mixed continuously with the parent mixture. This can be achieved, for example, by means of gravimetric metering assemblies with integrated differential metering balance, e.g. from Brabender.
In one embodiment of the invention, the crosslinking agent masterbatch is introduced with high pressure into the parent mixture, which is in particular conveyed at comparatively low gauge pressure here. For the purposes of the present invention, a high pressure is in particular more than 10 bar, preferably at least 50 bar, particularly preferably at least 100 bar. A result of this, solely due to the high feed pressure, is that turbulence causes immediate dispersion of the crosslinking agent masterbatch in the parent mixture, and this contributes to rapid production of a homogeneous mixture.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, for the crosslinking of a mixture, the crosslinking agent masterbatch is pumped with a high pressure which is preferably at least 50 bar into a parent mixture which comprises rubber, and the parent mixture is then mixed with the crosslinking agent masterbatch in a mixing apparatus.
It is preferable that the parent mixture is transported in an extruder which preferably has only one screw, while the crosslinking agent masterbatch is pumped with high pressure into the parent mixture. The large pressure difference produces turbulence. Accordingly, the time required for the extruder to achieve further mixing can be reduced.
In another embodiment of the invention, the crosslinking agent masterbatch is pumped by a gear pump into the parent mixture. A gear pump can firstly generate the desired high pressure and can secondly provide suitable metered introduction of the material.
In another embodiment of the invention, further separate metering apparatuses, e.g. metering balances, extruders, gear pumps, are used to meter crosslinking agents optionally with binder, stabilizers, fillers, and/or plasticizer, separately from the crosslinking agent masterbatch of the invention, into the parent mixture.
The invention also provides crosslinkable rubber mixtures attainable by the abovementioned processes of the invention.
The invention also provides the use of the crosslinking agent masterbatches of the invention for controlling the dispersion of the crosslinking agents in the rubber mixture, where the quality of dispersion is preferably measured by means of ultrasound, but other measurement methods are not excluded, examples being RFA (X-ray fluorescence analysis), NIR (near-infrared spectroscopy), LIPS (laser-induced plasma spectroscopy), terahertz spectroscopy, and UV/VIS spectroscopy. It is preferable here that the crosslinkable rubber mixture is conveyed continuously, for example by an extruder, through a measurement head.
The examples below serve to illustrate the invention, but without any limiting effect.
WORKING EXAMPLES
The substances used here comprised the following:
SMR10=natural rubber (Standard Malaysian Rubber SMR 10),
N550=carbon black from Evonik Degussa, AG,
Vivatec 500=a mineral oil (TDAE oil) as plasticizer,
Dutral CO 054=an ethylene-propylene-diene polymer from EniChem SpA,
Weissiegel zinc oxide, obtainable from Brüggemann,
Sulfur powder, obtainable from Brüggemann,
MBTS=di(benzothiazol-2-yl)disulfide, obtainable as Vulcacit® DM/C from Lanxess Deutschland GmbH,
Rhenocure® ZBOP/S from Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH,
Paraffinic plasticizers (R2 spindle oil from Shell AG),
PL pigment MHG-4E and PL pigment MHG-4B=doped strontium aluminates
(SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu +2 ,Dy +2 ,B +3 ), obtainable from LanXi MinHui Photoluminescent Co., Ltd.
Sicopal Schwarz K0095=chromium iron oxide, obtainable from BASF AG, 5.2 g/ml,
Hostasol Yellow 3G=fluorescent naphthalimide, obtainable from Clariant AG,
Hostasol Red 5B=thioindigold colorant, obtainable from Clariant AG.
Data in phr relate to data in parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber
Working Example 1
A single-screw extruder (compact extruder from Brabender) was used at 60 rpm and T=90° C. to extrude a pelletized rubber mixture KM with Mooney viscosity ML 1+4 (100° C.)=60 MU, composed of 100 phr of SMR 10 natural rubber, 55 phr of N550 furnace black, 5 phr of plasticizer (Vivatec 500), and 1 phr of stearic acid. Throughput was about 1 kg/h. The extruded strip was about 5 cm wide and 4 mm thick. The measurement die had two ultrasound transducers from Krautkrämer. The average frequency of the sound source was 5 MHz. The pulse-transmission method was used to determine the amplitude attenuation during extrusion of the extruded strip, between the ultrasound source and the ultrasound receiver. Two measurements were made, with different amounts added of the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1.
FIG. 1 shows the curve for ultrasound signal (attenuation) plotted against time, covering both of the measurements. Variation (baseline drift) during extrusion of the rubber mixture is very small at <20 m−1. Baseline noise is about 1 m−1.
The following were fed into the rubber mixture (pulsed input), about 3.2 g of the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1 of the invention (density=1.75 g/ml) composed of 100 phr of EPM (Dutral CO 054 from EniChem SpA), 233 phr of Weissiegel zinc oxide with density 5.6 g/ml (Brüggemann), 100 phr of sulfur powder, 100 phr of MBTS (Vulcacit® DM/C Lanxess Deutschland GmbH), 53 phr of a dithiophosphate accelerator (Rhenocure ZBOP/S from Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH), and also 33 phr of a paraffinic plasticizer (R2 spindle oil, Shell). The single-strip extruder has little mixing action, and this is apparent from the fact that, after addition of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1, the response signal detected rises steeply and in turn immediately falls, taking the form of a peak at t=3 min. The height of the peak is about 100 m −1 . The response signal is attributable to the change in attenuation properties resulting from the changed constitution of the extruded strip (addition of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1).
When about 1.6 g of the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1 of the invention are added, the signal detected is in turn more intense at t=18 min. The height of the peak is again about 100 m −1 . Because the amount added of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1 is smaller, the full width at half height of the peak here is smaller than that of the peak at t=3 min (addition of 3 g of CB1). The baseline is moreover somewhat higher.
The measurements show that the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 1 of the invention can be detected with the aid of ultrasound technology.
Working Example 2
In accordance with working example 1, the rubber mixture KM was extruded with a Mooney viscosity ML 1+4 (100° C.)=60 MU, being composed of 100 phi of SMR 10 natural rubber, 55 phr of N550 furnace black, 5 phr of plasticizer (Vivatec 500), and 1 phi of stearic acid. The extrudate was analyzed as in working example 1, using the ultrasound transducers.
The amounts listed below of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 of the invention were fed (pulsed input) into the rubber mixture KM as in working example 1. Crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 is composed of the constituents mentioned in working example 1: 100 phr of Dutral CO 054 EPM from EniChem SpA, 156 phr of zinc oxide (Weissiegel from Brüggemann), 67 phr of sulfur powder, 67 phr of MBTS (Vulcacit® DM/C Lanxess Deutschland GmbH), 36 phr of a dithiophosphate accelerator (Rhenocure® ZBOP/S from Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH), and also 33 phr of a paraffinic plasticizer (R2 spindle oil, Shell). Crosslinking agent masterbatch CB2 also comprises further marker substances, in each case using a proportion of 33 phr: CM standard grade carbonyl iron powder (BASF, 7.9 g/ml), 2 luminescent pigments made of europium/dysprosium/boron-doped strontium aluminates with density of 3.6 g/ml (PL pigment MHG-4E and PL pigment MHG-4B LanXi MinHui photoluminescent Co., Ltd. In each case 3.6 g/ml) with different average particle size, chromium iron oxide (Sicopal Schwarz K0095 BAS, using 5.2 g/ml), with a fluorescent naphthalimide (Hostasol Yellow 3G, 1.17 g/ml), and with a fluorescent thioindigold colorant (Hostasol Red 5B, Clariant, 1.6 g/ml). The proportion of powder chemicals of density >3 g/ml is 43%. The density of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 is 1.79 g/ml, being comparable with that of crosslinking agent masterbatch 1 of working example 1.
FIG. 2 shows the curve for the ultrasound signal plotted against time during extrusion of the parent mixture. As in working example 1, the variation (baseline drift) during extrusion of the rubber mixture is very small at <20 m −1 . Baseline noise is about 1 m −1 . Three measurements were made with different amounts added of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 of the invention.
When 3.2 g of VB2 were fed into the material (pulsed input), a peak is detected at t=3 min. with height 210 m −1 . When 0.3 g of VB 2 is fed into the material, the ultrasound signal at t=10 min. is about 30 1/m, and after 1.7 g of VB2 is fed into the material the ultrasound signal at t=18 min. amounts to about 110 m−1. The ultrasound signal is therefore proportional to the amount of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 metered into the material.
The amount of crosslinking agent masterbatch in a rubber mixture can therefore be detected by ultrasound.
Comparison of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 moreover shows that when the same amount of crosslinking agent masterbatch is VB1 and VB2 is added, the attenuation (height of peak) for crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 is markedly greater than for VB1. Even when the amount of VB 2 fed into the material is very small, 0.3 g, the signal in FIG. 2 can be clearly distinguished from the baseline drift. The higher attenuation provided by crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 here cannot be attributed to a difference in density of the two masterbatches. The difference between the density calculated from the individual components is small: VB1 at 1.75 g/ml and VB 2 at 1.79 g/ml. The proportions of powder chemicals of density >3 g/ml are likewise comparable, with 37% (only ZnO) for VB1 and 43% (ZnO, iron carbonyl, chromium iron oxide, and doped strontium aluminates). The higher attenuation is therefore attributed to the presence of the carbonyl iron powder with density 7.9 g/ml. The sensitivity of the measurement method (intensity of the ultrasound signal) appears to be markedly more susceptible to heavy particles than to the less heavy marker substances used here.
Working Example 3
As in working example 1, the rubber mixture KM is first fed to the extruder. From the juncture t=0 min., a change is made from the feed of the rubber mixture to the feed of the crosslinkable rubber mixture VKM, plotted against time.
The crosslinkable rubber mixture was produced in advance by conventional roll processes from 161 phr of the rubber mixture KM and 14.3 phr of the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2. The mixing time on the roll here was 10 min, with resultant reliably homogeneous dispersion of the crosslinking chemicals and of the marker substances of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 in the crosslinkable rubber mixture.
The extruded strip is analyzed inline as in working example 1 with the aid of two ultrasound transducers. FIG. 3 shows the curve for attenuation of the ultrasound by the extruded strip from t=0 min., plotted against time.
At the juncture t=0 min., the rubber mixture KM is still in the measurement dye. From the juncture t=1 min., the crosslinkable rubber mixture VKM reaches the ultrasound measurement chamber. The ultrasound signal (attenuation) rises in particular because of the marker substances present in the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2. After a short time, the signal reaches a plateau. The crosslinkable rubber mixture has completely filled the ultrasound measurement dye. The crosslinkable rubber mixture is fed continuously to the system. The ultrasound signal remains constant over time. Only small variations in the range of about 10 to 20 m −1 are discernible, corresponding to a crosslinkable rubber mixture in which the dispersion of the crosslinking agents and of the marker substances is homogeneous.
After conclusion of the experiment, the extruded strip is divided into 7 g portions. These specimens were vulcanized for 15 min. at 160° C. in an MDR rheometer from Alpha Technologies. The determination of the rheometer curves corresponds to offline quality control in the batchwise production of crosslinkable rubber mixtures. The difference F max -F min between the maximum and minimum torque was determined from the resultant rheometer curves. This difference is proportional to the proportion of crosslinking agent. In FIG. 3 , the F max -F min values for the respective specimens have been inserted on the curve for the ultrasound signal plotted against time. F max -F min is initially (t<1 min) close to zero, since the rubber mixture KM comprises no crosslinking agents. From t≧1 min., the values for F max -F min increase and likewise reach a plateau. The curve for the values of F max -F min plotted against time is the same as that for the ultrasound signal. The average spread for F max -F min is very small, <1%, as expected for homogeneous dispersion of the crosslinking agents. The identical curves can provide impressive evidence that the crosslinking agent masterbatches of the invention permit inline spectroscopic monitoring of the crosslinking agent mixture. The two measurement methods provide evidence that dispersion of the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB 2 in KM is homogeneous.
Working Example 4
As in working example 1, the rubber mixture KM is extruded, and two ultrasound transducers are used to analyze the attenuation properties of the extruded strip. Unlike in working example 3, pellets of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 are fed irregularly to the rubber mixture KM from the juncture t=0 min. The single-screw extruder has only little mixing action, and although therefore a crosslinkable rubber mixture VKM is produced at the outgoing end of the extruder the dispersion of the crosslinking agents is very heterogeneous, because of the low level of mixing action and the irregularity of the amounts added.
This is apparent in FIG. 4 . Here, attenuation has again been plotted against measurement time t. Initially only small variations in the ultrasound signal are detected for feed at t<1 min. to the homogeneous rubber mixture KM. With additional irregular feed of pellets of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 (t>1 min.) to the material, although attenuation rises as in working example 3, FIG. 3 , the ultrasound signal varies markedly. The variation of the ultrasound signal are in the region of about 80 m −1 , corresponding to markedly inhomogeneous dispersion of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 and, respectively, inhomogeneous dispersion of the marker substances. If feed of crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2 to the material is terminated (t>18 min), attenuation of the signal reduces. The original baseline for rubber mixture KM is regained, with little variation of the ultrasound signal.
Here again, as in working example 3, specimens are taken from the extruded strip and vulcanized for 15 min. at 160° C. (offline analysis). In FIG. 4 , the F max -F min values from the rheometer curves are again inserted on the curve plotted against time. It can be seen that the curve for the of F max -F min plotted against time corresponds to the curve for the ultrasound signal plotted against time. The average spread of the values for F max -F min between t=1 min and t=18 min. is markedly greater than the spread of the F max -F min values in FIG. 3 for the homogeneously accelerated mixture.
Comparison of working example 4 with working example 3 shows that with the aid of inline ultrasound analysis it is possible to distinguish between homogeneous dispersion and heterogeneous dispersion of the crosslinking agent masterbatch VB2. The marker substances here (in the case of VB2 in particular iron powder) with high density >3 g/ml ensure high sensitivity of the measurements. The results using inline ultrasound analysis correlate with the results from the rheometer curves (conventional offline quality control for accelerated rubber mixtures).
|
The invention relates to novel batches of cross-linking agents, containing marking substances, to novel cross-linkable rubber mixtures, to a method for the production thereof and to the use of same.
| 2
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of model driven development and more particularly to user interface management in a model driven development environment.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach has been proposed and promoted over the past few years as a methodology for streamlining the design and implementation of enterprise systems. Generally, in MDA each design artifact of the enterprise system can be represented as a Platform Independent Model (PIM) that is generated by or is compliant with a Computation Independent Model. This PIM is able to be transformed to a corresponding Platform Specific Models (PSM) and ultimately to source code that complies with specific programmatic paradigms and patterns. In this context, a PIM represents the elements and components of a software system in a way that is not bound or dependent to a specific implementation technology. By comparison, a PSM represents the elements and components of a software system in a way that directly relates to the implementation technology that will be used for implementing such a system.
[0005] Even though MDA frameworks have caught the attention of the software engineering community as a way to increase programmer productivity and overall system robustness through the disciplined manipulation and transformation of models and ultimately code generation, MDA as a methodology has remained so far only as a “guideline” or “standard practice” that is left to be implemented by the individual organizations and software vendors. In this respect, important questions regarding which types of models are to pertain to PIMs and PSMs, how transformations are to be encoded and enacted, how constraints are to be denoted and validated, and how source code is to be generated, remains left to software vendors, software architects and software developers to further design and implement.
[0006] Currently, there are a number of tools that support MDA compliant or semi-compliant software development. More specifically, existing MDA tools can be classified in two main categories namely, “full-MDA-capability” tools that incorporate modeling, transformation, and code generation infrastructure, and “limited-MDA-capability” tools that incorporate only code generation infrastructure using specific, typically unified model language (UML), models as input. In either circumstance, ensuring that modeling tools satisfy every aspect of the development process can be the key to successful model driven development.
[0007] A typical software development lifecycle involves several stages: requirements, design, implementation, testing and operation, and several persons with different roles working on the various stages. Depending on the development model chosen, each of the development lifecycle states may be revisited during the development process. For consistency, a single modeling tool may be chosen to carry out modeling the entire development process. Such a tool can become very complex and overwhelm the developer, when the intent was to ease adapting to change and simplify use through a unified interface.
[0008] The modeling tool interface can grow in complexity as the number of supported tool components increase. To reduce the complexity, a separate view of the model may be setup for each component. This however has the drawback, for those developers which take on several roles, of switching views constantly to gain access to the interface tools they need. These developers would be better off with an interface tailored to their role. The role of the developer will be dependent upon their job role as well as the type of model being worked on. Although a developer's role may involve design and implementation, the model itself may only support requirements and design. Therefore the modeling tool interface should not be tailored to the model to satisfy the model, but to decrease complexity experienced by the developer. More to the point, the modeling tool interface should be tailored to provide a simplified experience for the developer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to modeling tools and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for extensible context based user interface simplification of modeling components for a modeling tool. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for extensible context based user interface simplification can be provided for a model driven development tool. The method can include detecting a context change to a new context in a model driven development tool, locating tool items mapped to the new context, and displaying the located tool items in the model driven development tool.
[0010] In one aspect of the embodiment, detecting a context change to a new context in a model driven development tool can include detecting a selection of a model component associated with a context object in the model driven development tool, the context object providing the context. In another aspect of the embodiment, detecting a context change to a new context in a model driven development tool can include detecting a selection of a model associated with a context object in the model driven development tool, the context object providing the context.
[0011] In yet a further aspect of the embodiment, locating tool items mapped to the new context can include locating tool item providers providing tool items for the new context, and selecting only ones of the tool items mapped to the new context. In even yet a further aspect of the embodiment, the method also can include further selecting an intersection of the ones of the tool items mapped to the new context and also ones of the tool items mapped to other contexts. Finally, in even yet another aspect of the embodiment, displaying the located tool items in the model driven development tool further can include hiding tool items configured for mapping to contexts, but not mapped to the new context.
[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, a model driven development data processing system can include a workbench providing a view to a model including different model components. The system can include a listener coupled to the workbench and configured to detect a change to a new context in the model, and a tool item registry of tool items mapped to respective contexts. The system also can include a tool item service coupled to multiple different tool item providers of tool items in the workbench. The service can include program code enabled to respond to a context change to a new context detected by the listener, to locate tool items mapped in the tool item registry to the new context, and to display the located tool items in the workbench.
[0013] Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a process for extensible context based user interface simplification for a model driven development tool;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a model driven development data processing system configured for extensible context based user interface simplification; and,
[0017] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for extensible context based user interface simplification for a model driven development tool.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for extensible context based user interface simplification for a model driven development tool. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the context object for a selected model component in a model driven development tool can be compared to a set of related tool items for the model driven development tool. Thereafter, those tool items matching elements of the context object can be selected and reduced to eliminate redundancies and the remaining matched tool items can be displayed in the model driven development tool while other tool items can be hidden from view in the model driven development tool. In this way, the complexity of the user interface for the model driven development tool can be reduced.
[0019] In further illustration, FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a process for extensible context based user interface simplification for a model driven development tool. As shown in FIG. 1 , a model driven development tool 110 can be provided to include multiple different tool items 120 in support of a model driven development project. As an end user interacts with model components through the model driven development tool 110 , a listener 140 can detect a change of selected context object as the user selects different model components of the model under study. In response, elements of the new context object can be compared to a mapping 150 to identify a set of tool items 120 associated with the elements of the context object. In turn, simplification logic 160 can reduce the identified set of tool items 120 to eliminate redundancies and a selection of the tool items 120 for display in the model driven development tool 110 while others can be hidden from view.
[0020] The process shown in FIG. 1 can be implemented in a model driven development environment. In illustration, FIG. 2 schematic depicts a model driven development data processing system configured for extensible context based user interface simplification. The system can include a host computer 210 supporting a workbench application 230 functioning as a model driven development tool. Specifically, the workbench application 230 can include a model 220 with multiple different interrelated components loaded for editing and management through the host computer 210 .
[0021] A listener 240 can be coupled to the workbench 240 . The listener 240 can be configured to detect a context change in the model 220 . A handler 250 , in turn, can be coupled to the listener 240 . Further, a tool item service 270 can be coupled to the handler and also to a tool item registry 260 which in turn can be coupled to the workbench 230 . The tool item registry 260 for example can include a listing of user interface components such as menus, menu items, context menu items, toolbar actions, and palette entries registered for participation in the user interface simplification process. Tool items listed in the tool item registry 260 can be provided manually by the user, for example.
[0022] In operation, the listener can detect a change in context for the workbench 230 through the selection of a component of the model 220 . In response, a context object for the selected component can be identified and elements of the context or the context object itself (or a reference thereto) can be provided to a coupled handler 250 responsible for invoking a simplification of the user interface for the workbench 230 in response to the selection of a new context within the workbench 230 . The handler 250 in turn can provide the context to the tool item service 270 .
[0023] The tool item service 270 can include program code enabled to loop through each tool item provider 280 providing tool items for the workbench 230 to identify tool items mapped to elements of the provided context object or elements of other context objects. Additionally, the program code of the tool item service 270 can be enabled to compute an intersection of the identified tool items both to eliminate redundancies amongst the tool items and also to ensure that tool items common to all context objects remain. Finally, the program code of the tool item service 270 can be enabled to render the selected tool items as viewable in the workbench 210 while other tool items can be hidden from view in the workbench 210 .
[0024] In yet further illustration, FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a process for extensible context based user interface simplification for a model driven development tool. Beginning in block 310 , a selection change can be detected in the model driven development tool such as the selection of a component in a model accessible through the model driven development tool or a different model in its entirety. In block 320 , a new context object for the selection in the model driven development tool can be determined and in block 330 , a context can be determined for the context object.
[0025] In block 340 , different providers of tool items in the model driven development tool can be queried to determine support for the determined context. In decision block 350 , if a provider of tool items can be located, in block 360 a registry of tool items can be consulted to select those of the tool items provided by the provider that have been mapped to the determined context. Thereafter, in decision block 370 if more providers remain to be processed, in block 340 another provider of tool items can be located that supports the context. In decision block 370 , when no further providers of tool items remain to be processed, in block 380 the intersection of selected tool items can be computed and in block 390 the resultant set of tool items can be enabled for viewing in the model driven development environment.
[0026] Embodiments of the invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, and the like. Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system.
[0027] For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and DVD.
[0028] A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers. Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modem and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters.
|
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to modeling tools and provide a method, system and computer program product for extensible context based user interface simplification of modeling components for a modeling tool. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for extensible context based user interface simplification can be provided for a model driven development tool. The method can include detecting a context change to a new context in a model driven development tool, locating tool items mapped to the new context, and displaying the located tool items in the model driven development tool.
| 6
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates, generally, to the field of brake rotor preforms and to apparatuses and methods for manufacturing brake rotor preforms and similarly fabricated articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many high-performance brake rotors used in aircraft, automobiles, and other vehicles are manufactured from fibrous brake rotor preforms (also sometimes referred to herein as “preforms”). The preforms are typically formed using two methods. According to the first method, the preforms are made from layers of annular-shaped segments of woven and/or non-woven cloth having fibers extending in chordal, radial, or both directions, or having some other ordered structure. According to the second method, layers of woven or nonwoven cloth are combined to create an ordered structure with the in-plane fibers. In both methods, the layers are then needled together in the vertical direction with a needling machine in an attempt to form a unitary structure from the layers. After needling, the structure formed in the second method is cut into toroidal-shaped preforms, resulting in twenty percent (20%) to thirty percent (30%) of the cloth being wasted. Typically, the preforms of both methods are then carbonized by heating to a temperature of greater than 1,200 degrees Celsius in a non-reactive atmosphere. Subsequently, a carbon matrix is added to the preforms using a carbon vapor deposition (CVD) or resin infiltration process to make a carbon-carbon composite friction material. After optional heat treating in a furnace, the preforms are then machined to produce brake rotors.
[0003] Unfortunately, manufacturing woven and non-woven material from fiber is relatively expensive and, hence, preforms made from woven and non-woven material can be expensive. Also, woven fabric material tends to block the diffusion of gases, thereby making the uniform addition of the carbon matrix to the preforms more difficult and causing the preforms to have carbon matrices that are not uniform throughout the preforms. As a consequence, woven fabric material has an additional disadvantage in the manufacture of the preforms. In addition, an inventory of woven and non-woven segments or cloth must be maintained, with the woven and non-woven materials being separately handled and loaded into the needling machine. Such inventorying and handling are time-consuming and increase production costs. Therefore, there is a need in the industry for preforms made from less expensive material and for apparatuses and methods for manufacturing such preforms that do not require the inventorying and handling of woven and non-woven materials, that permit the uniform addition of a carbon matrix to the preforms, and that resolve these and other problems, difficulties, and shortcomings associated with the manufacture of carbonized brake rotor preforms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Broadly described, the present invention comprises a continuous fiber brake rotor preform and apparatuses and methods for manufacturing the preform. According to an example embodiment, the continuous fiber brake rotor preform comprises a plurality of continuous fiber streams or filaments forming a substantially helical structure having layers or flights that are compressed together in the longitudinal direction of the structure. Each continuous fiber stream or filament may comprise the same type of fiber as that of other continuous fiber streams or filaments, or may comprise one or more types of fibers that are different from those of other continuous fiber streams or filaments. Each continuous fiber stream or filament extends substantially from a first end of the helical structure to a second end disposed longitudinally opposite the first end. Generally, each continuous fiber stream or filament resides laterally adjacent to another continuous fiber stream or filament within each layer or flight of the helical structure and adjacent to one or more other continuous fiber streams or filaments of longitudinally adjacent layers or flights. The continuous fiber streams or filaments are arranged such that the radial distance between each continuous fiber stream or filament and the structure's longitudinal axis varies with angular location about the longitudinal axis within a layer or flight of the helical structure. The radial distance also varies for each continuous fiber stream or filament at each angular location about the structure's longitudinal axis from layer-to-layer or flight-to-flight such that the same continuous fiber stream or filament does not substantially overlay itself from layer-to-layer or flight-to-flight.
[0005] The continuous fiber brake rotor preform further comprises web or z-direction fiber interspersed and mixed within the helical structure. Certain of the web or z-direction fibers and certain of the continuous fiber streams or filaments extend at least partially in the longitudinal direction between layers or flights of the helical structure. According to an example embodiment, the continuous fiber streams or filaments comprise tow fiber and the web fiber comprises loose or cut staple fiber.
[0006] The apparatuses for manufacturing the continuous fiber brake rotor preform comprise, in accordance with an example embodiment, an apparatus configured with a spreader to receive a continuous fiber input stream and to divide, or spread, the continuous fiber input stream into multiple continuous fiber output streams or filaments. The apparatus is also configured with a rotating and elevationally-positionable bowl having an annular-shaped cavity for receiving and layering the continuous fiber output streams or filaments to produce a helical structure having layers or flights and in which a large portion of the continuous fiber output streams or filaments extend from a first end of the helical structure to a longitudinally opposed second end of the helical structure. The spreader is adapted to move in a radial direction relative to the bowl's central longitudinal axis during rotation of the bowl such that the radial distance of each continuous fiber output stream or filament relative to the longitudinal axis generally varies at each angular location about the longitudinal axis and varies from layer-to-layer or flight-to-flight.
[0007] According to an example embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a delivery head for delivering web fiber to the bowl. The delivery head is configured to translate in a radial direction relative to the bowl's longitudinal axis in order to spread the web fiber across the continuous fiber output streams or filaments already present within the bowl. A radially-extending roller located between the spreader and delivery head is operative to act in concert with vertical positioning of the bowl and compresses the continuous fiber output streams or filaments and web fiber of the preform as the continuous fiber brake rotor preform is built up within the bowl. In addition, the apparatus comprises a needling head adapted for movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second longitudinal ends of the preform being formed and for needling the preform to pull fibers of the continuous fiber output streams and web fiber generally in the longitudinal direction and between layers or flights of the preform. A linear vertical displacement transducer and associated circuitry are adapted to control the elevation of the bowl (and, hence, of the preform) relative to the spreader, roller, delivery head, and needling head.
[0008] The methods for manufacturing the continuous fiber brake rotor preform comprise, according to an example embodiment, forming a helical structure of continuous fiber generally extending between longitudinally disposed ends thereof and having a plurality of layers or flights therebetween. The methods include, without limitation, steps of receiving a continuous fiber input stream, splitting the continuous fiber input stream into multiple continuous fiber output streams, and arranging the continuous fiber output streams in such layers or flights. The step of arranging includes varying the radial distance of each continuous fiber output stream relative to the central longitudinal axis of the preform within each layer or flight and between longitudinally adjacent layers or flights at angular locations about the longitudinal axis. The methods further include steps of adding web fiber between the layers or flights of the preform and needling the continuous fiber output streams and web fiber to better link the layers or flights together with fibers of the continuous fiber output streams and web fiber pulled between the layers or flights substantially in the direction of the preform's longitudinal axis.
[0009] Advantageously, the continuous fiber brake rotor preform has more uniform and improved mechanical and structural properties than other preforms due, at least in part, to the continuous fiber output streams or filaments extending substantially between the preform's longitudinal first and second ends. The more uniform and improved mechanical and structural properties are also due, at least in part, to the varying radial distances of each continuous fiber output stream or filament relative to the preform's longitudinal axis within layers or flights and between longitudinally adjacent layers or flights. Also advantageously, the use of continuous fiber or filaments eliminates the need to inventory and handle of woven and non-woven annular segments and eliminates difficulties in carbonization attributable to woven materials.
[0010] Other uses, advantages and benefits of the present invention may become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 displays a schematic, side view of certain components of a needling machine, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, for manufacturing a continuous fiber brake rotor preform.
[0012] FIG. 2 displays a schematic, top plan view of the components of the needling machine of FIG. 1 .
[0013] FIG. 3 displays a schematic, cross-sectional view of a portion of a continuous fiber brake rotor preform manufactured in accordance with the example embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 3 - 3 of FIG. 2 .
[0014] FIG. 4 displays a schematic, top plan view of tow fiber of a first layer of a continuous fiber brake rotor preform manufactured in accordance with the example embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 displays a schematic, top plan view of tow fiber of a second layer of a continuous fiber brake rotor preform manufactured in accordance with the example embodiment of the present invention that is vertically adjacent to the first layer of FIG. 4 .
[0016] FIG. 6 displays a schematic, top plan view of the tow fibers of the first and second vertically adjacent layers of a continuous fiber brake rotor preform manufactured in accordance with the example embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the radial offset of the tow fibers of vertically adjacent layers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent like elements or steps throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively display schematic, side and top plan views of certain components of an apparatus 100 , in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, for manufacturing a continuous fiber brake rotor preform 102 (also sometimes referred to herein as a “preform 102 ”) substantially comprising tow fiber 104 . The apparatus 100 (also sometimes referred to herein as a “needling machine 100 ”) includes a bowl 106 having a vertical inner wall 108 and vertical outer wall 110 that form a body of revolution about a central vertical axis 112 . The bowl 106 defines an annular-shaped cavity 114 (see FIG. 2 ) extending between the inner and outer walls 108 , 110 for the receipt of tow fibers 104 and, according to the example embodiment, staple fibers 116 . The inner and outer walls 108 , 110 are located at radii relative to the central vertical axis 112 that are appropriate for the dimensions of the particular preform 102 then being made so as to receive the tow fibers 104 of preform material therebetween and aid in forming the preform 102 as a continuous helix-like structure primarily of tow fibers 104 . The bowl 106 also has a false bottom formed by a bottom plate 118 that is annularly-shaped and sized to translate vertically between the bowl's inner and outer walls 108 , 110 . A drive mechanism (not visible) is configured to raise and lower the bottom plate 118 during operation of the needling machine 100 . The drive mechanism is also adapted to rotate the bowl 106 and bottom plate 118 about central vertical axis 112 at an appropriate rotational speed.
[0018] The needling machine 100 also comprises a foam base 120 that has an annular-shape and that is sized to extend substantially between the bowl's inner and outer walls 108 , 110 . The foam base 120 sits atop the bottom plate 118 and is raised and/or lowered in unison with the bottom plate 118 . The foam base 120 has an upper surface 122 and an opposed lower surface 124 , and defines a thickness, T, therebetween. The upper surface 122 supports the preform 102 and the lower surface 124 rests on and adjacent to the bottom plate 118 . According to the example embodiment, the foam base 120 is manufactured from a foam material having a low density and/or a fast rebound rate such that when barbed needles 176 (described below) of the needling machine 100 penetrate and downwardly deflect portions of the upper surface 122 of the foam base 120 during needling of the preform 102 , the deflection is minimized and any deflected portions of the foam base 120 rapidly return to their original non-deflected position and state. Such foam material may comprise a cross-linked polyethylene or similar semi-rigid material having a density in the range of 2.5 to 8.0 pounds per cubic foot, with densities between 3.0 and 3.5 pounds per cubic foot being most desirable. Also according to the example embodiment, the foam base 120 may have a thickness, T, measuring generally between 0.75 inch and 3.0 inches, with a thickness, T, of 1.0 inch being most common.
[0019] Additionally, the needling machine 100 comprises a spreader 130 for receiving a continuous input stream 132 of tow fiber 104 from a tow fiber source (not visible, but perhaps comprising a roll or drum about which tow fiber 104 has been previously wound) and spreading the input stream 132 into multiple output streams 134 of tow fiber 104 , with each output stream 134 comprising one or more filaments of tow fiber 104 . The spreader 130 directs the output streams 134 of tow fiber 104 into the bowl 106 substantially parallel to one another and at respective distances from the bowl's central vertical axis 112 . Since the bowl's central vertical axis 112 is collinear with the central vertical axis 136 of the preform 102 , the tow fibers 104 of the preform 102 are also substantially parallel to one another and located at respective distances from the preform's central vertical axis 136 as the output streams 134 of tow fibers 104 exit the spreader 130 .
[0020] According to the example embodiment and as indicated by arrow 138 , the spreader 130 translates back and forth in cooperative timing with rotation of the bowl 106 in order to vary the respective distance of each output stream 134 of tow fiber 104 from the bowl's central vertical axis 112 as the bowl 106 rotates. By varying the respective distance of each output stream 134 in this manner, the respective tow fibers 104 of the preform 102 are located at different distances from the preform's vertical central axis 136 at different angular positions about the preform's central vertical axis 136 . Also according to the example embodiment, the spreader 130 translates back and forth as indicated by arrow 138 such that the tow fibers 104 corresponding to a particular output stream 134 of each vertically adjacent layer 142 (or “flight 142 ”) of the preform's helix-like structure are generally offset at different radial distances from the preform's central vertical axis 136 , or “out of phase”, at each angular location about the preform's central vertical axis 136 .
[0021] The needling machine 100 also comprises a delivery head 150 that, as indicated by arrow 152 , translates back and forth between the bowl's inner and outer walls 108 , 110 along a radius 154 of the bowl 106 . The delivery head 150 receives loose staple fiber 116 via a conduit 156 extending between the delivery head 150 and a staple fiber source 158 . According to the example embodiment, the staple fiber source 158 may comprise a device for chopping staple fiber 116 into a desirable size and for blowing the staple fiber 116 through conduit 156 to the delivery head 150 . As the bowl 106 rotates, the staple fiber 116 falls from the delivery head 150 onto the preform 102 being manufactured at random locations and as distributed by the translation of the delivery head 150 . The chopped, loose staple fiber 116 acts as web, or z-direction, fiber of the preform 102 .
[0022] Additionally, the needling machine 100 comprises a roller 160 mounted between the bowl's inner and outer walls 108 , 110 along a radius 162 extending from the bowl's central vertical axis 112 . According to the example embodiment, the roller 160 is located arcuately between the spreader 130 and delivery head 150 . During operation of the needling machine 100 , the roller 160 rotates about a shaft (not visible) and in contact with the upper surface of the preform 102 being manufactured. The roller 160 , according to the example embodiment, has a conical cross-sectional shape when cut by a horizontal plane and has a smaller diameter nearest the bowl's inner wall 108 and a larger diameter nearest the bowl's outer wall 110 . The roller 160 exerts a generally downward force on the preform 102 tending to press, or compress, the tow fiber 104 of the vertically adjacent layers 142 of the preform 102 together in the vertical direction. Operation of the roller 160 also tends to push the staple fiber 116 generally downward into the vertically adjacent layers 142 of the preform so as to aid in linking the vertically adjacent layers 142 together in the preform's vertical direction.
[0023] In addition, the needling machine 100 comprises a needling head 170 and a needling board 172 mounted to and vertically beneath the needling head 170 . The needling head 170 is driven by a drive mechanism (not visible) that causes the needling head 170 and, hence, the needling board 172 to travel rapidly and repeatedly in vertically up and down directions as indicated by double-headed arrow 174 . The needling board 172 has a plurality of barbed needles 176 securely mounted therein such that when the needling board 172 translates up and down, the barbed needles 176 move up and down through a fixed distance. During operation of the needling machine 100 and needling of the tow fiber 104 and staple fiber 116 to form the preform 102 , the barbed needles 176 pull fibers of the preform's uppermost vertically adjacent layers 142 downward into vertically adjacent layers 142 located beneath the uppermost layers 142 or into the foam base 120 . By pulling fibers of the uppermost vertically adjacent layers 142 into vertically adjacent layers 142 beneath the uppermost vertically adjacent layers 142 , the uppermost and lower vertically adjacent layers 142 become interconnected and form a substantially unitary preform structure.
[0024] Further, the needling machine 100 includes a vertical linear displacement transducer 180 (also sometimes referred to herein as “VLDT 180 ”) that is fixedly secured to other structure of the needling machine 100 above the bowl's annular-shaped cavity 114 at a position along a radius 182 extending from the bowl's central vertical axis 112 and between the bowl's inner and outer walls 108 , 110 (see FIG. 2 ). The vertical linear displacement transducer 180 is operative to continually measure the vertical distance between the top surface of the then uppermost layer 142 of the preform 102 and the vertical linear displacement transducer 180 . Upon determining this vertical distance, the VLDT 180 produces an output signal that causes the bowl's drive mechanism to lower the bowl's bottom plate 118 sufficiently to maintain the top surface of the uppermost layer 142 of the preform 102 consistently at substantially the same vertical elevation.
[0025] During operation of the needling machine 100 , the bowl 106 rotates clockwise about central vertical axis 112 as indicated by arrow 190 to form a preform 102 substantially from continuous tow fiber 104 rather than from pre-cut annular segments of woven and non-woven fiber. As the bowl 106 rotates, the needling machine 100 receives a continuous input stream 132 of tow fiber 104 from a tow fiber source that is fed into the spreader 130 where the input stream 132 is separated into multiple adjacent, continuous output streams 134 of tow fiber 104 . The spreader 130 translates generally between the bowl's inner and outer walls 108 , 110 while the bowl 106 rotates so that the output streams 134 of tow fiber 104 are laid initially atop the foam base 120 and, after one complete rotation of the bowl 106 , atop the prior vertically adjacent layer 142 of the preform 102 .
[0026] As each vertically adjacent layer 142 of tow fiber 104 is laid down, the bowl's bottom plate 118 is lowered to maintain the upper surface of the preform 102 at a substantially constant vertical elevation. The spreader's translation and rotation of the bowl 106 causes the output streams 134 of tow fiber 104 to be laid down at varying distances relative to the preform's central vertical axis 136 at different angular locations about the preform's central vertical axis 136 . The spreader's translation and rotation of the bowl 106 also cause the tow fiber 104 corresponding to a particular output stream 134 to be laid down so that, in each vertically adjacent layer 142 , or flight 142 , of the preform 102 , the tow fiber 104 is generally offset at different distances from the preform's central vertical axis 136 and is “out of phase”, at each angular location about the preform's central vertical axis 136 . By virtue of such tow fiber 104 being out of phase, the preform 102 has more consistent and uniform physical and mechanical properties throughout.
[0027] Once the tow fiber 104 is initially laid down, tow fiber 104 rotates in unison with the bowl 106 under roller 160 . The tow fiber 104 is pushed in a generally downward vertical direction by the roller 160 . The downward pressure of the roller 160 tends to compact the vertically adjacent layers 142 , or flights 142 , of the preform 102 and cause any previously added loose staple fiber 116 (as described below) to be pushed downward between layers 142 or flights 142 of the preform 102 and/or into a particular orientation such that the loose staple fiber 116 does not become re-oriented during subsequent operations on the preform 102 .
[0028] Then, after further rotation of the bowl 106 under the delivery head 150 , loose staple fiber 116 is delivered from the delivery head 150 onto the preform 102 being manufactured. The delivery head 150 translates substantially between the inner and outer walls 108 , 110 of the bowl 106 while delivering loose staple fiber 116 to the preform 102 being manufactured. Such translation tends to more uniformly spread the staple fiber 116 in the radial direction of the preform 102 . Some of the loose staple fiber 116 remains on the upper surface of the preform 102 , while some of the loose staple fiber 116 falls downward into other layers 142 of the preform 102 .
[0029] As the bowl 106 continues to rotate, the most recently laid down tow fiber 104 and staple fiber 116 pass under the needling board 172 where the tow fiber 104 and staple fiber 116 are engaged by the board's barbed needles 176 when the needling board 172 moves in a downward vertical direction relative to the preform 102 . The engaged tow and staple fibers 104 , 116 are pulled in a downward vertical direction toward the foam base 120 and into vertically adjacent layers 142 , if any, beneath the most recently laid down tow and staple fibers 104 , 116 . Downward pulling of the engaged tow and staple fibers 104 , 116 into such vertically adjacent layers 142 , or flights 142 , tends to vertically interconnect the vertically adjacent layers 142 of the preform 102 into a unitary structure and also tends to prevent the vertically adjacent layers 142 , or flights 142 , of the preform 102 from separating or delaminating.
[0030] After passing under the needling board 172 , the most recently laid down tow and staple fibers 104 , 116 and top surface of the preform 102 rotate under the VLDT 180 . The VLDT 180 determines the elevation of the top surface and outputs a signal to the bowl's drive mechanism to lower the bowl's bottom plate 118 sufficiently to maintain the top surface of the preform 102 consistently at the same vertical elevation during manufacture of the entire preform 102 . Through further rotation of the bowl 106 , the most recently laid down tow and staple fibers 104 , 116 rotate under the spreader 130 where new tow fiber 104 is laid down on the preform 102 . Operation of the needling machine 100 continues according to the method described above until the entire preform 102 is manufactured. After removal of the preform 102 from the bowl 106 , the preform 102 may be die cut to true up the inner and outer radial dimensions of the preform 102 in accordance with the specifications for the preform 102 .
[0031] By virtue of the preform 102 being manufactured from a continuous stream of tow fiber 104 , the preform 102 has a substantially helical structure having vertically adjacent layers 142 or flights 142 similar to the threads of a screw. FIG. 3 displays a cross-sectional view of a portion of a continuous fiber brake preform 102 manufactured using the needling machine 100 and methods described herein. In FIG. 3 , the vertically adjacent layers 142 , or flights 142 , of the helical structure of the preform 102 are visible. Also, as indicated by the cross-hatching, the tow fiber 104 of vertically adjacent layers 142 or flights 142 is offset at varying distances relative to the preform's central vertical axis 136 to provide greater strength and more consistent physical and mechanical properties throughout. Such offset is more clearly understood by viewing FIGS. 4-6 .
[0032] FIG. 4 displays a schematic, top plan view of the tow fiber 104 of a first layer 142 A of a sector of the preform 102 showing the tow fiber 104 offset at various distances relative to the preform's central vertical axis 136 as the tow fiber 104 extends about the central vertical axis 136 . FIG. 5 displays a schematic, top plan view of the tow fiber 104 of a second layer 142 B of the same sector of the preform 102 showing the tow fiber 104 offset at various distances relative to the preform's central vertical axis 136 as the tow fiber 104 extends about the central vertical axis 136 . The effect of the offsetting from layer-to-layer (or flight-to-flight) is seen in FIG. 6 where the top plan view of the tow fiber 104 of the first layer 142 A of a sector of the preform 102 from FIG. 4 is superimposed on the top plan view of the tow fiber 104 of the second layer 142 B of the same sector of the preform 102 from FIG. 5 . As seen in FIG. 6 , the tow fiber 104 of each vertically adjacent layer 142 A, 142 B is variously radially offset relative to the preform's central vertical axis 136 with the tow fiber 104 of each adjacent layer 142 A, 142 B being also variously offset relative to the tow fiber 104 of the other. Thus, through appropriate translation of the spreader 130 during manufacture of the preform 102 , the tow fibers 104 of vertically adjacent layers 142 A, 142 B are not vertically aligned, thereby improving the physical and mechanical properties of the preform 102 .
[0033] In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the staple fiber 116 may be conveyed to the delivery head 150 rather than being blown and supplied to the delivery head 150 by conduit 156 . In another alternate embodiment of the present invention, the staple fiber 116 may be replaced by web fiber from a roll of web fiber that is unrolled in the radial direction. In still another alternate embodiment of the present invention, the roller 160 may be positioned at a location between the delivery head 150 and needling board 172 so that the most recently laid down tow fiber 104 is pressed in a generally downward vertical direction after staple fiber 116 is added thereto. In yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention, multiple spreaders 130 may be utilized to refine the offset of each stream of tow fiber 104 .
[0034] It should be understood and appreciated that the apparatuses and methods of manufacturing a preform described herein produce a preform where the fiber angles near the preform's inside radius are different than the fiber angles near the preform's outside radius. It should be further understood and appreciated that in yet another alternate embodiment using multiple spreaders fed with separate tows of fiber with different feed rates, the difference between the fiber angles near the preform's inside radius and the preform's outside radius is reduced.
[0035] Whereas the present invention has been described in detail above with respect to an example and alternate embodiments thereof, it should be appreciated that variations and modifications might be effected within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
|
A continuous fiber brake rotor preform and apparatuses and methods for manufacturing the preform are disclosed herein. The preform comprises a plurality of continuous fiber streams or filaments forming a substantially helical structure having layers or flights compressed together in the preform's longitudinal direction. Each continuous fiber stream or filament may comprise the same or different types of fiber, extends substantially between longitudinally disposed preform ends, and resides laterally adjacent to another continuous fiber stream or filament within each layer or flight of the helical structure. The radial distance between each continuous fiber stream or filament and the preform's longitudinal axis varies with angular location about the longitudinal axis. The preform further comprises web or z-direction fiber interspersed within the helical structure with certain of the web or z-direction fibers and continuous fiber streams or filaments extending at least partially in the longitudinal direction between the preform's layers or flights.
| 3
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to flexible containers, and in particular to a carrying bag that is adjustable in volume and has adjustable self-centering handles. The carrying bag of the present invention can be used in various embodiments as an adjustable gift bag, a shopping bag, a purse and in a variety of other container configurations in which variations in volumetric capacity and a convenient carrying handle are desirous.
Carrying bags of a wide variety of shapes, styles and sizes have long been used to carry items from one place to another. The contents of these containers vary widely and most containers are not customized to handle variations in the size of the cargo, particularly inexpensive carrying bags made of paper such as gift bags and shopping bags. Traditionally, gifts from one person to another are wrapped in a decorative manner to provide a visually exciting and pleasing appearance, retain an element of mystery as to the identity of the gift, and sometimes to enhance the prestige of the gift itself. A trend is to place gifts inside decorative bags, with the bag itself serving as both container and decorative wrapper. Thus, gifts placed in gift bags need not be first placed in another box and then wrapped before presentation. However, because the gift is not truly hidden when received and the bag is not generally sized for the gift inside, the bag does not appear to be customized for the particular gift, detracting from its presentation and from the thrill and anticipation of receiving the gift. It would be desirable if the gift bag were closed so as to conceal the gift inside and adjustable in size so that the bag would appear customized for the gift inside. It would also be desirable if an inexpensive handle could be provided on the bag that was self adjusting for conveniently carrying the closed gift laden bag regardless of the size to which the bag had been formed.
In other instances, it also would be beneficial to have a closeable inexpensive container such as a paper bag and be able to change the dimension of the container to match the size of its contents for security and/or aesthetic purposes. For example, a department store type bag is normally an open, one-sized bag for carrying merchandise. Even if the bag can be closed manually and wrapped around itself, there is no convenient way to pick up the wrapped bag because the fixed loop handle typically provided on such bags either becomes covered by the upper portion of the wrapped bag or, if exposed, is not properly positioned for conveniently carrying the wrapped bag and its contents. As will be seen, there is a widespread need in multiple applications for a variable-sized, closeable container that can conceal and better protect the merchandise contained therein and that can be easily carried by a properly positioned handle.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The carrying bag of the present invention is volumetrically adjustable in that the open upper portions of the front and rear panels of the bag can be pressed together and folded over and about the object(s) within the bag such that the upper portion of the rear panel is disposed adjacent and over the upper portion of the front panel. The two panels may then be secured against a lower portion of the front panel to maintain the bag in a closed and folded disposition. The location of the fold is at the option of the user and may depend upon the size and shape of the object(s) within the bag. By providing an adjustable securement that allows for variations in the positioning of the fold, the bag is rendered volumetrically adjustable. The carrying bag also is provided with a pair of laterally spaced, parallel, vertical slits in the rear panel through which the handle extends. The slits allow for the handle to be freely slideable upwardly and downwardly along the rear container panel and are of sufficient length such that almost regardless of the location of the fold along the bag, the bag handle, when used to carry the bag, always will position itself at the top of the bag, allowing for easy carrying.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention illustrating the bag in the open position.
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention illustrating the bag in the open position.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment after the upper open ends of the front and rear panels have been pressed together.
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment after the upper end portions of the front and rear panels have been pressed together into an adjacent disposition and partially folded toward the front panel to close the container about the object(s) contained therein.
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment showing the container folded and sealed about the object(s) therein with the adjacent upper end portions of the front and rear panels secured in place over the portion of the front panel disposed below the fold and the self-adjusting handle positioned at the top of the bag.
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment in the folded and sealed disposition of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7 - 7 in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention similar to that shown in FIG. 5 except that the front and rear panels are folded over further down the bag to encase a lesser volume.
FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment in the folded and sealed disposition of FIG. 8 .
FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention utilizing snaps to close the bag and to secure the bag in a folded position.
FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of this invention utilizing magnets to close the bag and to secure the bag in a folded position.
FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of this invention with a strip attached to the back panel that secures the bag in a folded position.
FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 after the bag has been closed, folded and secured, with the adjustable handle positioned at the top of the bag.
FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of this invention with a flap attached along the back panel that secures the bag in a folded position.
FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14 after the bag has been closed, folded and secured, with the adjustable handle position at the top of the bag.
FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now in detail to the drawings, the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1-9 is a foldable paper bag 10 of the type used as a gift bag or shopping bag. Bag 10 has an open upper end 12 and preferably defines a rear panel 14 , a front panel 16 , side panels 18 and 20 and a plurality of fold lines 22 - 48 (see FIG. 2 ) that allow the bag 10 to be collapsed in a flat disposition as is typical in the formation of gift or shopping bags. It is to be understood, however, that bag 10 also could be formed of cardboard, canvas, leather, plastic, cloth or any other suitable material and that the folds are not all necessary for the proper functioning of the present invention.
The rear panel 14 of bag 10 has a pair of laterally spaced elongated openings or slits 50 and 52 on the outside surface of the bag. A handle 54 , preferably in the form of a closed loop, extends through the openings and about the portion 53 of the rear panel disposed between opening 50 and 52 (see e.g. FIGS. 1 and 2 ), affixing the handle to the bag and allowing the handle to slide freely upwardly and downwardly along the rear side of the bag. The handle 54 is preferably made of a loop of string or rope for a gift or shopping bag application, but may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to leather, metal and plastic, etc., depending on the particular application. For example, if the bag configuration in which the present invention was being employed was a purse or tote bag, the handle would more preferably be made of leather, plastic, rope or a fabric as opposed to string. The actual thickness and configuration of the handle also may vary depending on the application.
To prevent the handle from tangling with and possible dislodging the bag's contents, a second layer 56 of material, preferably the same material of which the bag 10 is formed, can be provided on the interior of the bag inwardly adjacent openings 50 and 52 , the portion 53 of the bag extending therebetween, and the portion of the handle 54 extending about portion 53 (see FIGS. 1 and 7 ). This second protective layer 56 may be adhered to the rear panel 14 by adhesive, stitching or any other suitable means, depending on the material or materials of which the bag 10 is formed. Layer 56 is preferably secured about its perimeter so as not to interfere with the sliding movement of the handle 54 . If desired, the openings or slits 50 and 52 may be reinforced along the perimeter edges 50 ′ and 52 ′ thereof (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) to prevent the handle from ripping through the bag during use. Further, if desired additional slits or openings (not shown) could be provided in the rear bag panel 14 for aesthetic purposes and/or to accommodate one or more additional slideably mounted handles.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-9 , a pair of fasteners or securement members 60 are provided on opposed sides of the rear panel proximate the upper ends thereof for securing the bag in a closed, folded disposition. The fastening members 60 could be adhesive strips, flexible plastic tabs, snaps, magnets, hook and pile fasteners or any other attachment means that would achieve the desired securement. For gift and shopping bag applications adhesive strips secured to the rear bag panel 14 , as shown, with peel-away coverings protecting the adhesive on the cantilevered portions 60 ′ of the strips provides an inexpensive and effective securement.
The use of bag 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 3-6 and 8 and 9 . After the open bag 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ) has been filled with one or more items, the bag 10 can be closed by manually pinching together the upper end portions 16 a and 14 a of the front and rear panels 16 and 14 so that the top edge portions of the front and rear panels are proximate to each other (see FIG. 3 ). The upper portions of the front and rear panels below upper ends 14 a and 16 a also are pressed together above the item(s) within the bag 10 (see FIG. 4 ) and the upper panel portions are then folded toward and against the front panel 16 from the position illustrated in FIG. 4 to the position illustrated in FIG. 5 , forming a fold 62 that extends across the top of the bag 10 about a horizontal axis X as seen in FIG. 5 . The fastening members are now positioned below or downstream of the fold 62 and act to secure the bag in the folded position. In the embodiment of the securement members 60 shown in FIGS. 1-6 , the adhesive strips are pressed against adjacent portions of the side panels 18 and 20 (see FIG. 6 ) to secure the bag in its folded disposition. With other forms of fastening means, such as snaps, magnets, buttons, hook and pile fasteners, etc. the attachment point or area for the securement members may be on adjacent points or areas on the front panel itself as opposed to the side panels (see e.g. FIGS. 10 and 11 ). As noted above, any suitable attachment mechanism can be employed for securing the bag in its folded position.
As seen in the drawings, the handle 54 is adjustable as a result of its freedom to slide along elongated openings 50 and 52 about the portion 53 of the rear panel 14 disposed therebetween. By positioning the upper ends 50 ″ and 52 ″ of the openings 50 and 52 (see FIG. 1 ) proximate the upper open end of bag 10 and extending the openings downwardly a distance equal to or just slightly less than one-half the height of the bag, the handle openings will always intersect the formed fold 62 . As a result, regardless of the elevation of the horizontal axis X about which fold 62 is formed to encase different volumetric sizes, the handle can slide to the top of the folded bag for carrying. Accordingly, when the user lifts the bag and its contents using the handle 54 , the handle will slide to the fold 62 at the top of the bag where the handle is properly centered for carrying the bag. This is illustrated in comparing FIGS. 5 and 6 with FIGS. 8 and 9 . FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the bag 10 folded over and onto itself such that the top edge portions of the front and rear panels are proximate to the bottom of the bag. While the elevation of the axis X about which the fold 62 is formed is lower in this configuration than the elevation of the axis X illustrated in FIG. 5 , the handle 54 still slides to the top center of the bag along elongated openings 50 and 52 into the ideal position for carrying. In this position, the volume of the bag is at its smallest unless the upper adjacent ends of the front and rear panels were folded about the bottom of the bag. In such an embodiment, the openings would be extended further down the rear panel to accommodate the further reduction in volumetric carrying capacity. Other variations in the length and positioning of openings 50 and 52 could be employed depending on the maximum and minimum volumes for which the bag is designed to encase.
As noted earlier herein, there are several different types of closures that could be utilized to close and secure the bag in the folded position. FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a pair of laterally-spaced snaps 160 a are provided on the upper end portions 16 a of the front panel 16 that are adapted to cooperate with one of several sets of snaps 160 b positioned at various elevations along the exterior side of the front panel below and in vertical alignment with snaps 160 a . To close and secure the bag, one would pinch the top edge portions of the bag together, press the upper portions of the front and rear panels together and then fold the bag with the handle facing outwardly, as previously explained with reference to FIGS. 3-5 . The snaps 160 a are then engaged with the appropriate pair of aligned cooperating snaps 160 b . As with the previous embodiments, the handle will slide to the top of the bag for easy carrying.
FIG. 11 shows another form of closure, wherein magnets are employed both to close the upper end of the bag and to secure the bag in the folded position. The concept is similar to the snap configuration illustrated in FIG. 10 , but additionally provides a means for securing the bag in the folded state. As seen in FIG. 11 , magnets 260 a and 260 b are provided proximate the upper ends of the front and rear bag panels. Those magnets are oriented to effect closure of the upper end of the bag. After the bag has been closed and folded (not shown), magnets 260 a can cooperate with any of the appropriately aligned sets of pairs of lower magnets 260 c to hold the bag in the folded disposition. The configuration of magnet fasteners illustrated in FIG. 11 not only holds the bag in a folded disposition by maintaining the upper portion of the front panel 16 against the lower portion of the front panel, it also holds the ends of the bag together in a closed disposition. It should be noted, however, that additional sets of opposed and cooperating snaps could be provided in the interior of the bag illustrated in FIG. 10 proximate the upper ends of the front and rear bag panels to secure the upper panel ends together in the folded position so as to enhance the appearance of the bag in the folded position as is achieved by magnets 260 a and 260 b in FIG. 11 . Again, other fastening members could be employed in lieu of the above-discussed pre-applied adhesive strips, snaps and magnets. Examples of such closures include but are not limited to: hook and pile fasteners, buttons, ribbons, twine, hooks, and buckles, etc. While the number and positioning of the fastening members can be varied in all of these embodiments, the fastening members, regardless of their structure, should be positioned in a manner that allows them to fold and close the bag at different elevations to provide the bag with an adjustable interior capacity for differently sized contents.
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate an alternative way to close the bag and to secure the bag in a folded position. In this embodiment, the fastening members 360 are comprised of a separate strap or length of material 360 a attached to and extending from the back panel and a series of complimentary vertically-spaced fastening members 360 b positioned on the front panel in vertical alignment with strap 360 a . FIG. 13 illustrates the bag secured in the folded position. Through such a configuration, the bag can be secured in various folded positions by connecting the strap 360 a to any one different complimentary fastening members 360 b on the front panel. Straps 360 a could have a buttonhole formed therein for receiving the fastening members 360 b or have a mating fastening member secured thereto for attachment with any one of the aligned fastener members 360 b . Again, more than one strap 360 a and a single column of complementary fastening members 360 b could be employed.
FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a similar embodiment to the one shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 wherein the attachment strap extends along the upper edge of the rear panel to form a flap 460 a . The flap 460 a could carry a pair of fastening members 460 b for selective engagement with one of the aligned pairs of fastening members 460 c located on the front panel of the bag. FIG. 14 shows such a bag in a folded state. The number and positioning of the fasteners on flap 460 a , the number of sets of fasteners 460 c and the number of fasteners 460 c in each set could be increased or decreased as desired.
The embodiments of the invention depicted in FIGS. 12-15 each contain an additional piece of material (e.g. strap or flap) extending from the rear bag panel. Depending on the length of the extended material, the bag may be able to be secured in a closed disposition without being folded over itself. In such a case, the laterally-spaced elongated openings may be extended to the upper edge of the back panel in the case of the thin strap 360 a illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 or into the extended flap 460 a in the case of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15 in order for the handle to be adjustable to be positioned at the top of the bag in an unfolded disposition or at the fold in the manner previously described.
In the above-described embodiments, the invention has been described in terms of a bag with front, rear and side panels. However, the bag or other container embodying the present invention does not require the use of panels. An embodiment of the present invention may comprise a bag that has no panels but is still capable of being folded and secured at different positions and is provided with an outwardly extending slidable and self-centering handle. As indicated earlier herein, while the above-described embodiments made specific reference to gift and shopping bags, the invention is not so limited. The present invention has many other applications including but not limited to: an adjustable purse; an adjustable tote bag or luggage, allowing a traveler who might start the trip with a few items but need to add or remove items during the trip the ability to expand or retract the bag to fit the contents; an adjustable lunch food bag (bigger at the beginning of the day, wrapped smaller for end of the day after lunch has been eaten); an adjustable gym bag; a picnic bag; and a utility bag. These containers may or may not contain panels but are nevertheless closable as above-described and are provided with the self-centering handle of the present invention.
In a variation of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 16 , an additional strip 553 of material, preferably of the same material as that of which the bag is formed, is stitched at 555 or, is adhesively or otherwise suitably attached to the exterior of the rear panel 514 of the bag in lieu of the elongated openings 50 and 52 in the prior embodiments. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 16 , the handle 54 would extend about strip 555 so as to be slidable therealong, as opposed to extending through openings 50 and 52 and about the panel portion 53 disposed therebetween. This embodiment of the present invention seemingly would be better suited for applications other than paper gift and shopping bags such as purses, tote bags and the like.
Although the present invention has been described by way of exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art in carrying out the present invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof, as those changes and modifications are within the purview of the appended claims, they are considered to be part of the present invention.
|
An adjustable carrying bag having an open upper end and a closed lower end and being formed of a front panel and a rear panel. The panels are foldable about a vertically variable horizontal axis to close the bag such that by varying the vertical elevation of the fold, one varies the volumetric area of the bag. Attachment members are provided for releasably securing the front and rear panels in a folded and vertically adjustable disposition. A handle is slidably mounted on the rear panel such that upon folding the front and rear panels, securing the panels in a folded disposition and lifting the bag by the handle, the handle will slide to the top of the folded bag for carrying irrespective of the vertical elevation of the fold along the bag.
| 1
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for forming one or more liquid streams having relatively small, well defined cross sectional areas which are normally directed to a target substrate, and for selectively interrupting and redirecting the flow of such liquid streams by application of gaseous fluid impingement jets transverse to the normal flow direction of the liquid streams. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method providing precise and substantially instantaneous switching between (i) a normal application mode in which a liquid stream is applied to a substrate and (ii) a diversion mode in which the liquid stream is redirected away from the substrate. Such switching is carried out in response to commands to develop desired fine scale treatment patterns across the substrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Systems that provide relatively fine scale treatment patterns of liquid across a target substrate by interruption of the applied liquid streams are generally known. In prior systems, multiple liquid streams are expelled under pressure from orifice openings arranged in close, side-by-side relation. The orifice openings are surrounded circumferentially by walls defining the openings. The pressure liquid streams normally project towards a target substrate but are intermittently interrupted by application of a transverse gas jet which redirects the liquid stream away from the target substrate and into a collection reservoir to be reused. When application of the gas jet is discontinued, the liquid streams resume along the initial path. Such systems are used typically to apply intricate patterns of dye or other liquids to textile substrates, although other substrates may likewise be treated if desired.
[0003] While the prior systems work very well, it is a continuing challenge to provide improved definition in the applied pattern across the substrate while nonetheless delivering a sufficient quantity of dye or other liquid to the substrate to provide complete treatment. It is also a continuing challenge to provide reduced complexity in the system set-up as well as enhanced functionality in the collection of unused liquid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides advantages and alternatives over prior constructions and practices by providing an improved system for application of liquid streams to a substrate. The system of the present invention incorporates open face flow channels prior to discharge along an unconstrained flow path. The present invention further provides an improved self-aligning modular assembly for delivery of impingement stream to the liquid streams. The present invention further provides an improved arrangement for collection of the liquid stream in a diverted flow path in response to application of the impingement stream, without excess residue build-up.
[0005] In accordance with one exemplary aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for intermittently applying one or more liquid streams to a target substrate. The apparatus includes a liquid supply in the form of a manifold for holding a liquid and a plurality of liquid conveyance channels in fluid communication with the liquid supply. The liquid conveyance channels are adapted to carry liquid away from the manifold and towards the target substrate. At least one of the liquid conveyance channels includes a first segment defining a substantially fully enclosed liquid passageway and a second segment downstream from the first segment. The second segment has an open-face flume configuration. The end of the second segment defines an open sided liquid outlet projecting towards the target substrate such that a liquid stream exiting the second segment is expelled towards the target substrate along a normal flow path substantially aligned with the liquid conveyance channel. A plurality of impingement jet directional passages are positioned at an elevation between the liquid conveyance channels and the target substrate. At least one of the impingement jet directional passages has a central axis oriented in an intersecting relation to the undisrupted flow path of a corresponding liquid stream expelled from the corresponding liquid conveyance channel. The impingement jet directional passages are adapted to selectively deliver an impingement stream to divert the corresponding liquid stream away from the undisrupted flow path into a diverted flow path. A liquid collection assembly captures the liquid stream in the diverted normal flow path.
[0006] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for intermittently applying one or more liquid streams to a target substrate. The apparatus includes a liquid supply in the form of a manifold for holding a liquid and a channel module with a plurality of liquid conveyance channels in fluid communication with the manifold. The liquid conveyance channels are adapted to carry liquid away from the manifold and towards the target substrate. The end of the liquid conveyance channel defines a liquid outlet projecting towards the target substrate such that a liquid stream exiting the liquid conveyance channel is expelled towards the target substrate along a normal flow path substantially aligned with the liquid conveyance channel. Below the liquid outlet, the channel module has a landing. The landing has impingement jet positioning apertures with central axis that align with the central axis of a corresponding liquid conveyance channel. The apparatus also includes an impingement jet module having a plurality of individually activatable impingement jet tubes mounted in an impingement jet body. The impingement jet tubes include distal ends extending from the impingement jet body, which are arranged in a pattern adapted for coaxial, plug-in into corresponding impingement jet positioning apertures in the landing of the channel module. The impingement jet tubes are adapted to selectively deliver the impingement stream to divert the corresponding liquid stream away from the undisrupted flow path into a diverted flow path. A liquid collection module captures the liquid diverted from the normal flow path.
[0007] In accordance with still another exemplary aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for intermittently applying one or more liquid streams to a target substrate. The apparatus includes a liquid supply in the form of a manifold for holding a liquid and a channel module with a plurality of liquid conveyance channels in fluid communication with the manifold. The liquid conveyance channels are adapted to carry liquid away from the manifold and towards the target substrate. The end of the liquid conveyance channel defines a liquid outlet projecting towards the target substrate such that a liquid stream exiting the liquid conveyance channel is expelled towards the target substrate along a normal flow path substantially aligned with the liquid conveyance channel. A plurality of impingement jet directional passages are positioned at an elevation between the liquid conveyance channels and the target substrate. At least one of the impingement jet directional passages has a central axis oriented in an intersecting relation to the undisrupted flow path of a corresponding liquid stream expelled from the corresponding liquid conveyance channel. The impingement jet directional passages are adapted to selectively deliver an impingement stream to divert the corresponding liquid stream away from the undisrupted flow path into a diverted flow path. A liquid collection module captures the liquid diverted from the normal flow path. The liquid collection module having an entrance, funnel section, and an exit. The entrance is position for receiving the liquid stream in the diverted flow path, the funnel section is in fluid communication with the entrance and reduces in cross section as it progresses away from the entrance, and an the exit allows the fluid progressing through the liquid collection module to exit the collection module.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and which constitute a part of this specification, illustrate a potentially preferred embodiment of the present invention, and together with the general description above and the detailed description below, serve to explain the principles of the invention wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic cut-away view illustrating an exemplary apparatus in accordance with the present invention showing a liquid jet assembly projecting a single pressure liquid stream towards a carpet substrate;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing application of an impinging gaseous deflection jet from an impingement jet assembly redirecting the liquid stream away from the substrate and into a collection tray assembly;
[0011] FIG. 3 is the schematic cut-away view of the liquid jet module showing the manifold component, the channel component, and the liquid streams projecting onto the carpet substrate;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a schematic view taken generally along the line 4 - 4 in FIG. 3 illustrating the channel liquid channels in the channel body, and the flow of liquid streams from the manifold chamber to the carpet substrate;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a schematic view taken generally along line 5 - 5 in FIG. 4 with an abutting channel body cover shown in phantom;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a schematic view taken generally along line 6 - 6 in FIG. 5 showing the grooves in the channel body of the liquid jet module;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a impingement jet module in place with the channel body of the liquid jet module;
[0016] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the impingement jet delivery module separated from the channel body;
[0017] FIG. 9 is a schematic cut-away view illustrating the collection module from FIGS. 1 and 2 for capture of a liquid stream in a diverted flow path; and
[0018] FIG. 10 is a view taken generally along line 10 - 10 in FIG. 9 .
[0019] Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited in its application to the details of construction and/or the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for purposes of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of “including”, “comprising”, and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein to the extent possible, like reference numerals designate like characters throughout the various views. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a cross-sectional view of an exemplary liquid-jet application system 10 . As illustrated, the liquid-jet application system 10 generally includes a liquid jet module 100 , an impingement jet module 200 and a collection module 300 . A pressurized liquid supply 90 , holding a liquid, such as an ink, dye, or the like, under pressure, provides the liquid to the liquid jet module 100 . The pressurized liquid passes through the liquid jet module 100 and is emitted as pressurized, coherent liquid streams 11 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the liquid stream 11 may be applied as an undisrupted flow path 15 against the surface of a target substrate 20 . In the illustrated arrangement, the substrate 20 is a textile such as a carpet, pile fabric, or the like. However, it is likewise contemplated that the substrate may be virtually any material to which a liquid pattern may be applied. When it is desired that the liquid stream 11 does not reach the substrate 20 , the impingement jet module 200 provides an impingement stream 19 that engages the liquid stream 11 and creates a diverted flow path 16 for the liquid stream 11 into the collection module 300 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
[0021] As illustrated by the directional arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the substrate 20 may move relative to the liquid jet application system 10 such that the undisrupted flow path 15 of the liquid stream 11 will apply a treatment pattern of the liquid as a line or line segment that is oriented generally parallel to the direction of travel for the substrate 20 . During periods when the impingement jet module 200 emits an impingement stream 19 creating the diverted flow path 16 , the liquid stream 11 is diverted from the substrate 20 and the portion of the substrate 20 passing under the liquid jet module 100 goes untreated by the liquid stream 11 . By way of example only, and not limitation, in the event that the substrate 20 is a carpet fabric and the liquid stream 11 is a dye, the undisrupted flow path 15 of the liquid stream 11 will dye the carpet substrate 20 with a line or line segment generally parallel to the direction of travel of the carpet substrate 20 . When the impingement jet module 200 emits the impingement stream 19 , the liquid stream 11 will have the diverted flow path 16 causing liquid stream 11 to divert into the collection module 300 and the portion of the carpet substrate 20 passing below the liquid stream 11 will remain undyed. By having a series of liquid jet application systems 10 perpendicular to the direction of travel of the carpet substrate 20 , the dye can be applied across the width of the carpet substrate 20 . By having a plurality of liquid jet application systems 10 in series in the direction of travel for the substrate 20 , each liquid jet application system 10 can apply liquid streams 11 of different liquids, such as different dye colors, across the surface of the substrate 20 to obtain different patterns of the different liquids (such as different colors) on the substrate 20 .
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 3 , the liquid jet module 100 generally includes a manifold component 120 and a liquid channel component 130 . In the embodiment illustrated, the liquid channel component 130 includes liquid channels 112 that are in fluid communication with a manifold chamber 111 in the manifold component 120 . Opposite to the manifold component 120 , the liquid channels 112 each have a liquid discharge end 116 that the liquid streams exit the channel component 130 . The liquid channels 112 are formed by groves 141 in a channel body 140 and a channel block cover 150 . The liquid channels 112 in the liquid channel component 130 are. In the embodiment illustrated, the manifold chamber 111 is primarily formed by a manifold body 120 , which is enclosed by the channel body 140 and the channel body cover 150 . The pressurized liquid supply 90 is in fluid communication with the manifold chamber 111 , and the manifold chamber 111 provides a supply source feeding the liquid through the liquid discharge ends 116 in the array of liquid channels 112 to create the liquid streams 11 that are emitted towards the substrate 20 .
[0023] It is contemplated that each liquid stream 11 will have a relatively small cross-sectional area to provide a finer pattern control on the application of liquid streams 11 across the substrate 20 . As will be appreciated and illustrated in FIG. 4 , such fine diameter streams may be arranged in a side-by-side arrangement to one another so as to define a substantially continuous curtain of liquid oriented transverse to the travel direction of the substrate 20 . Such an arrangement permits detailed liquid application patterns across the target substrate 20 by selectively discontinuing individual liquid streams 11 and/or groups of liquid streams 11 . By way of example only, and not limitation, the liquid streams 11 may have a diameter of less than about 150 mils, and more preferably less than about 100 mils, and most preferably about 3 to about 30 mils, although greater or lesser effective diameters may likewise be utilized. In order to provide fine-scale patterning across the substrate 20 , it is desirable to maintain the cross sectional integrity of the liquid stream 11 along the travel path between the liquid jet module 100 and the substrate 20 . The present invention provides a multi-stage liquid travel path for delivery of the liquid stream 11 from the manifold chamber 111 to the substrate 20 , which is believed to improve the cross sectional integrity of the liquid stream 11 from the liquid jet module 100 to the substrate 20 .
[0024] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the liquid streams 11 progress from the manifold chamber 111 into liquid channels 112 with an enclosed first stage 12 and then through a open directed second stage 13 , then exits the liquid channels 112 through liquid discharge ends 116 associated with individual liquid channels 112 along an unconstrained third stage 14 to the substrate 20 . In the enclosed first stage 12 , the liquid forming the liquid streams 11 passes through an enclosed first segment 114 of the of the liquid channel 112 created by the grooves 141 in the channel body 140 which are enclosed by the channel body cover 150 . As illustrated in FIG. 6 , the grooves 141 in the channel body 140 have a substantially rectangular shaped cross section, although other geometries may be used if desired, such as substantially circular or “U” shaped cross sections. Also the face the channel body cover 150 enclosing the grooves 141 in the embodiment illustrated is substantially flat, although it may include complementary grooves for alignment with the grooves 141 in the face of the channel body 140 . In the open directed second stage 13 , the liquid forming the liquid streams 11 passes through open flume second segment 113 created by the grooves 141 in the channel block 140 , which are not enclosed by the channel body cover 150 . That is, the liquid stream 11 is not bounded on all sides, such as being bounded by only two or three sides. In this area of the channel body 140 , the channel body cover 150 does not extend to cover the groves 141 , thereby creating the open flume-like configuration. Thus, the liquid streams 11 within the second segment 115 have an outer face which is free from an opposing constraining boundary surface and liquid traveling along the liquid channels 112 transitions from the enclosed first segment 114 in the first stage 12 to the open-faced second segment 115 second stage 13 . Following the second stage 13 created by the open faced second segment 113 , the liquid streams 11 exit the liquid channels 112 through associated liquid discharge ends 116 along an unconstrained third stage 14 of the liquid conveyance path in which the liquid streams 11 are normally substantially aligned with the liquid channels 112 , but no longer are bounded or guided by the liquid channels 112 . In this third stage 14 the liquid streams 11 are unconstrained and unguided by external boundary surfaces.
[0025] It is believed that transitioning from the enclosed first stage 12 to the open faced second stage 13 prior to discharge into the unbounded space of unconstrained third stage 14 is beneficial in promoting the coherency and overall stability of the liquid streams 11 . While not meaning to be constrained to a particular theory, it is believed that the open face of the second stage 13 allows the liquid stream 11 to dissipate static pressure before being released into an unconstrained or unguided stream. It is believed that a sudden abrupt change from a fully enclosed stream to a completely unenclosed stream may result in the expansion of the static pressure in the liquid stream to create cross sectional disruptions that will unpredictably expand the cross sectional size of the stream, or create uneven cross sections in the stream prior to being received by the substrate 20 . In practice, the length of the second stage 13 is preferably at least four (4) times the largest cross-sectional dimension of the liquid channels 112 provides an improved transition and guidance of the liquid stream that minimizes these disruptions. By way of example only, and not limitation, according to one practice the width dimension of the liquid channels 112 in the second segment 115 is about 14 mils. Accordingly, in that exemplary arrangement, the length of the second stage 13 is preferably about 56 mils or greater. Of course, larger and smaller effective diameters may likewise be utilized, if desired. As shown in FIG. 5 , the terminal ends of the second segment 115 define open sided outlets projecting towards the target substrate 20 .
[0026] The liquid streams 11 will travel from the liquid channels 112 to the substrate 20 as substantially cohesive and stable units. However, it is also desirable to have the capability to substantially instantaneously prevent the liquid stream 11 from being applied to the substrate 20 , followed by substantially instantaneous reapplication of the liquid stream 11 to the substrate 20 on demand so as to control the pattern application of the liquid onto the substrate 20 with a degree of definition and precision. To this end, the liquid streams 11 may be manipulated by the application of the gaseous impingement stream 19 from the impingement jet module 200 to provide manipulated patterning of the liquid stream 11 on the substrate 20 , as previously described and illustrated in FIG. 2 . The impingement jet module 200 includes an impingement stream directional passage 211 that emits and directs the impingement stream 19 . Each impingement stream directional passage 211 has a central directional axis that intersects a central directional axis of an associated the liquid channel 112 in the liquid jet module 100 , down stream from the liquid jet module 100 in the unconstrained third stage 14 of the liquid streams 11 . In the embodiment illustrated, the impingement stream directional passage 211 emits the impingement stream 19 towards a location on the liquid stream 11 at is opposite of the location on the liquid stream 11 that was unconstrained in the open directed second stage 13 of the liquid stream 11 .
[0027] Referring now to FIGS. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 and 8 , the channel body 140 of the channel component 130 includes a recessed landing 142 at the end of the grooves 141 , which is spaced a short distance away from the liquid streams 11 exiting the liquid channel 112 . A series of impingement jet positioning apertures 143 are located in the recessed landing 142 , and the central axis of each impingement jet positioning aperture 143 intersects with the central axis of a corresponding liquid channel 112 below the liquid discharge end 116 of that liquid channel 112 . As illustrated, the impingement jet positioning apertures 143 may be arranged in side-by-side relation such that the impingement streams 19 are arranged to project along a substantially common plane. However, other arrangements may be used if desired. On the opposite side of the recess landing 142 from the exit of liquid stream 11 from the grooves 141 is an impingement jet mounting surface 144 .
[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 2 , 7 and 8 , the impingement jet system 200 includes an impingement jet module body 220 housing an array of side-by-side gas tubes 230 . Each of the gas tubes 230 are spaced and positioned in the module body 220 at the same spacing and layout as the impingement jet positioning apertures 143 in the channel body 140 . The module body 220 has a mounting surface 221 , and each of the gas tubes 230 includes a distal end 231 extending from the mounting surface 221 . When the impingement jet module 200 is installed, the impingement jet module mounting surface 221 of the impingement jet delivery system 200 engages the impingement jet mounting surface 144 of the channel body 140 and the distal ends 231 of the gas tubes 230 project into the impingement jet positioning apertures 143 of the channel body 140 . The outer diameter of the gas tubes 230 will preferably correspond substantially with the inner diameter of the impingement jet positioning apertures 143 of the channel body 140 such that a secure plug-in relation is achieved upon insertion of the distal ends 231 . In order to accommodate the distal ends 231 of the gas tubes 230 , the impingement jet positioning apertures 133 in the channel body 140 are tapered with the wider end near the impingement jet mounting surface 143 and the narrower end near the landing 142 . Alternatively, or in addition, the distal ends 231 of the gas tubes 230 can be tapered with the larger end near the impingement jet body 220 and the narrower end near the proximal end 233 . It has also been found that, in a preferred arrangement, the distal ends 231 of the gas tubes 230 terminate flush with the surface of the landing 142 closest to the liquid streams 11 , thereby avoiding crevasses and corners that overspray liquid from the liquid streams 11 might accumulate and create errant drops.
[0029] The interior of the gas tubes 230 create the impingement stream directional passages 211 . As will be appreciated, since the gas tubes 230 plug into the corresponding impingement jet positioning apertures 143 , there is no need or ability to adjust the position of the gas tubes 230 . Rather, that position is pre-established and maintained by the position of the jet positioning apertures 143 . The position of the impingement stream directional passage 211 will have a central axis that intersects a central axis of the corresponding liquid channel 112 below the liquid discharge end 116 of that liquid channel 112 , and preferably in a perpendicular relationship.
[0030] According to the potentially preferred practice, the gas directional passages 211 in the impingement jet system 200 have a diameter which is greater than the width dimension of the corresponding liquid channel 112 in the liquid jet module 100 , and resultant liquid streams 11 . Most preferably, the cross sectional diameter of the gas directional passages 211 will be as large a possible while maintaining the substantially centered relation relative to the corresponding liquid streams 11 , and not allowing the impingement stream 19 therefrom to interfere with the adjacent liquid streams 11 or the adjacent impingement streams 19 . In this regard, it is desirable that the diameter of the gas directional passages 211 are at least as large as the diameter of the lines feeding into the gas tubes 230 such that the gas directional passages 211 do not create a flow restriction in the system. By way of example only, a diameter of about 43 mils for the gas directional passages 211 has been found to provide good performance when used with liquid channels 112 having a cross-section of about 14 mils, although larger or smaller diameters may be used if desired.
[0031] The impingement jet system 200 may be installed into, and removed from, the liquid jet module 100 as a single module. Of course, in actual practice, the impingement jet module 100 may be number of such modules disposed across the row of liquid streams 11 , each of which may incorporate a separate plurality of gas tubes 230 . In the event that one or more gas tubes 230 becomes damaged, the individual module containing that gas tube may simply be removed and replaced with minimal disruption.
[0032] The gas tubes 230 each may be operatively connected in fluid communication to a discreet supply line (not shown) which selectively delivers pressurized air or other gaseous fluid to the gas tube 230 . This selective delivery of pressurized gaseous fluid to individual gas tubes 230 is activated by valves which open and close based on instructions from a computer or other command device. As will be appreciated, during periods when a no pressurized gas is supplied to a gas tube 230 , the liquid stream 11 associated with that gas tube 230 passes in an undisrupted flow path 15 to the substrate 20 . Conversely, during periods when pressurized gas is supplied to a gas tube 230 , the resulting impingement stream 19 engages the liquid stream 11 which is then diverted away from the substrate 20 in a diverted flow path 16 and the portion of the substrate 20 in passing under the normal position of that liquid stream 11 goes untreated. As shown in FIG. 2 , the application of this diverting force is carried out within the unconstrained third stage 14 of the liquid stream 11 downstream from the open directed second stage 13 .
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the application system 10 includes a collection module designated generally as 300 . The collection module 300 from FIGS. 1 and 3 is illustrated in further detail in FIGS. 9 and 10 . The collection system 300 includes an angle body 320 and an opposing deflection blade 330 . The angle body 320 is mounted to the channel cover block 140 of the liquid jet module 100 and has a deflection surface 321 which is positioned near the liquid stream 11 exiting the liquid jet module 100 . The deflection surface 321 of the angle body 320 is oriented at an acute angle from the liquid stream 11 when measured from the downstream position of the liquid stream 11 . The position and angle of the deflection surface 321 is selected in a manner to hinder any mist or overspray of the liquid stream 11 from circling around in an eddy like current back out of the collection module 300 . The deflection blade 330 is mounted to the angled body 320 by standoffs 323 in a manner that creates a discharge passage 310 for the liquid stream 11 to pass through. The standoffs 323 are spaced intermittently along the cross machine length of the collection assembly 300 . This arrangement allows the deflected liquid stream 11 through the discharge passage 310 and into a recovery sump (not shown) for reuse. By way of example only, and not limitation, the slot openings between the standoffs 323 may have a height dimension of about 90 mils, although larger or smaller heights may be used, if desired.
[0034] As illustrated, the discharge passage 310 has a collection section 311 , a funnel section 314 , and an exit section 315 . The collection section 311 is positioned adjacent to the liquid stream 11 as the liquid stream 11 exits the liquid jet module 100 , and such that the diverted flow path 16 of the liquid stream 11 will enter the collection section 311 upon application of the impingement stream 19 . The collection section 311 is illustrated as having a short length before reaching the funnel section 314 , but could also be only the opening for the funnel section 314 . Inversely, the exit section 315 is illustrated as exit the opening for the funnel section 314 , but could have a short length extending away from the funnel section 314 . As illustrated, the liquid jet application system 10 is positioned with the liquid streams 11 progressing vertically to the substrate 20 . In this position, it is preferable that a vacuum be applied to the exit 315 of the discharge passage 310 to insure proper removal of the liquid stream 11 in the diverted flow path 16 . However, the liquid jet application system 10 can be positioned at an angle from the vertical in a manner that gravity will assist the progression of the liquid stream 11 in the diverted flow path 16 from the discharge passage 310 without a vacuum.
[0035] As illustrated, the deflection blade 330 includes leading edge 331 , a guidance surface 332 , and a contraction surface 333 . The deflection blade 330 is relatively thin. By way of example only, in one potentially preferred embodiment the deflection blade 330 may have a thickness of about 20 mils, although thicker or thinner blades may be used if desired. The leading edge 331 is position on the lower side of the entrance 311 adjacent to the undisrupted flow path 15 of the liquid stream 11 , and the surface of the leading edge 331 is flat and substantially parallel to the undisrupted flow path 15 of the liquid stream 11 . The guidance surface 332 progresses away from the leading edge 331 and angle between the leading edge 331 and the guidance surface 332 creates a knife edge adjacent to the undisrupted flow path 15 of the liquid stream 11 . Because of the closeness of the leading edge 331 to the liquid stream 11 , the knife edge will “cut off” any hook shape in the liquid stream 11 created when the liquid stream 11 transitions from the undisrupted flow path 15 to the diverted flow path 16 , or back. According to one potentially preferred practice, the spacing between the liquid stream 18 and the leading edge 331 is set at about 5 to about 15 mils although larger or smaller spacing levels may be used, if desired.
[0036] The guidance surface 332 leads away from the leading edge 314 and is preferably substantially parallel to a deflection surface 321 on the angled body 320 . This portion of the guide surface 332 that is substantially parallel to the deflection surface 321 creates the collection section 311 of the collection discharge passage 310 . At the rear of the guidance surface 331 of the deflection blade 330 , the deflection blade 330 away from the guidance surface 331 and angles towards the deflection surface 321 of the angled body 320 . The section of the deflection blade 330 that angles towards the deflection surface 321 of the angled body 320 is the contraction surface 333 . The space between the deflection surface 321 and the contraction surface 333 create the funnel section 314 of the discharge passage 310 . By way of example only, and not limitation, it has been found that an angle of about 150°-155° between the guidance surface 332 and the contraction surface 333 may be particularly desirable for the deflection blade 330 . This angle creates a constriction in the funnel section of about 25°-30° relative to the deflection surface 321 of the angle body 320 .
[0037] Upon the application of an impinging stream 19 from the gas directional passage 211 of the impingement jet module 200 , a diverted flow path 16 of the liquid stream 11 is created that passes through the discharge passage 310 . The disturbed flow of the liquid stream 11 enters the discharge passage 310 through the collection section 311 and is routed towards the funnel section 314 . Upon entering the collection section 311 , the knife edge of the deflection blade 330 cuts off any of the liquid stream 11 that might not follow the same path as the fully diverted stream 16 into the discharge passage 310 . The deflection surface 321 of the angled body 320 maintains a distance to the guidance surface 332 of the deflection blade 330 that helps prevent spray from the liquid stream 11 drifting back out of the discharge passage 310 due to circling currents onto parts of the equipment that might allow accumulated liquid to condensate and drop onto the substrate 20 below. The reducing cross sectional area of the funnel section 314 causes the disrupted flow path 16 of the liquid stream 11 and the impingement stream 19 to accelerate towards, and out of the exit section 315 of the discharge passage 310 where it can be collected by a liquid recovery system (not shown). When the impingement stream 19 is terminated, the liquid stream 11 resumes its normal undisrupted flow path 15 to the substrate 20 ( FIG. 1 ).
[0038] As will be appreciated, the present invention provides an application system which is highly functional and which can be set up and serviced relatively simply. In particular, due to the plug-in relation of the impingement jet delivery system 200 there is no need to engage in complex alignment of impingement jets with corresponding liquid streams 11 . Moreover, the incorporation of the open face transitional flow stage along the flow path is believed to substantially promote a cohesive and stable liquid stream which provides fine scale patterning across the substrate 20 . Further, the incorporation of the substantially parallel spaced-apart baffle and deflection blade arrangement promotes efficient and effective recovery of deflected liquid stream material. Such features, individually and in combination, promote substantially enhanced functionality and precision in the application of a spray pattern to the substrate 20 .
[0039] Of course, variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. the claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments and equivalents to the extent permitted by the prior art. The term “about” means±10% when used in reference to distances.
[0000] Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
|
An improved system for application of liquid streams to a substrate. The system incorporates open face flow channels for carrying the liquid away from fully enclosed flow segments prior to discharge along an unconstrained flow path. The present invention further provides an improved, self-aligning modular assembly for delivery of impingement jet to the liquid streams for diverting the direction of the liquid streams. The present invention further provides an improved arrangement for collection of the deflected liquid in response to application of the impingement jet without excess residue build-up.
| 3
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/242,454, filed Sep. 15, 2009, with the same title, by the same inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to sealing systems for plastic pipe joints in which a male spigot pipe end is installed within a mating female socket pipe end, or in which two spigot pipe ends are installed within the opposing ends of a pipe coupling to form a continuous flow conduit.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Pipes formed from thermoplastic materials including polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC are used in a variety of industries. For example, such pipes are commonly used in municipal water and sewer applications. In forming a joint between sections of pipe, the spigot or male pipe end is inserted within the female or socket pipe end. The actual manufacture of the mating sections of plastic pipe typically involves the reforming of the end of the pipe by reheating and shaping to some desired profile to provide a means of mating with the opposing end of the next pipe. The art of forming sockets (also called bells) on plastics pipes is well established, and there are numerous processes and methods in the literature. An annular, elastomeric ring or gasket is typically seated within a grove formed in the socket end of the thermoplastic pipe. As the spigot is inserted within the socket, the gasket provides the major seal capacity for the joint.
[0006] In the early 1970's, a new technology was developed by Rieber & Son of Bergen, Norway, referred to in the industry as the “Rieber Joint.” The Rieber system employed a combined mold element and sealing ring for sealing a joint between the socket end and spigot end of two cooperating pipes formed from thermoplastic materials. In the Rieber process, the elastomeric gasket was installed within a simultaneously formed internal groove in the socket end of the female pipe during the pipe belling process. The provision of a prestressed and anchored elastomeric gasket during the belling process at the pipe factory provided an improved socket end for a pipe joint with a sealing gasket which would not twist or flip or otherwise allow impurities to enter the sealing zones of the joint, thus increasing the reliability of the joint and decreasing the risk of leaks or possible failure due to abrasion. The Rieber process is described in the following issued United States patents, among others: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,120,521; 4,061,459; 4,030,872; 3,965,715; 3,929,958; 3,887,992; 3,884,612; and 3,776,682.
[0007] A newer form of plastic material used in plastic pipe manufacture is the so called “PVC Molecularly Oriented Pipe”, sometimes called “PVC-O pipe” or simply MOP for short. It is well established in the literature that molecular orientation of plastics can provide enhanced mechanical properties, and such materials are commonly used for plastics pipes. The molecularly oriented thermoplastic materials enhance the strength of the article in certain directions by orienting the molecules in the plastic material in such direction, whereby the tensile strength of the plastic increases and the stretch decreases in such direction. Applied to tubular articles, this orientation is effected in the radial direction, for instance to increase the pressure resistance of the pipe, or in the longitudinal direction of the pipe, for instance to increase the tensile strength of the pipe, or in both directions (biaxial orientation).
[0008] Orientation is achieved by drawing or stretching the material under appropriate conditions of temperature, such that a strain (i.e. deviation from the originally formed dimensions) is induced in the plastics material to cause alignment of the molecules, and thereafter cooling the material while drawn to lock in that strain. A number of methods have been proposed whereby this principle is applied to plastic pipes, in particular in order to enhance the burst strength under internal pressure by circumferential and/or axial forces.
[0009] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,900, shows a pipe of oriented thermoplastic polymeric material having an integral socket which is manufactured by expanding a tubular blank. The tubular blank is heated by circulation of hot water to a temperature at which deformation will induce orientation of the polymer molecules. The blank is then expanded radially outward against a mold by application of internal pressure.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,487, shows an apparatus and method for orienting plastic pipe. A heated pipe is oriented radially by means of a conically widening mandrel which is located downstream of the plastic extruder.
[0011] The above examples are intended merely to be illustrative of the general state of the art in the manufacture of molecularly oriented pipe.
[0012] However, despite these and similar advances in the pipe manufacturing arts, the reforming of oriented material can be problematical since, for example, the material will tend to revert if reheated. The oriented molecular structure, which is itself created by a deformation process, will be lost. Further, the deformation processes applied to the socket may alter the orientation level in such a way that the strength or other mechanical properties of the material are adversely affected.
[0013] Also, as has been mentioned, a sealing ring is typically used to seal the connection formed by insertion of the male pipe end into the enlarged female pipe end or socket. To accommodate this sealing ring, the socket will include an internal ring groove, typically formed by stretching the socket end over a specially-shaped mandrel enlarged about a circumferential location to form an annular groove that will house the sealing ring.
[0014] In the forming process, bending occurs at points of changes in direction of the surface, generating tensile or compressive strains in the material at that point. These strains add to or subtract from the strains generated in the orientation process and give rise to increased or decreased orientation. The bending stresses caused in formation of the ring groove have been found to modify the localized axial draw of the material in the vicinity of the ring groove, compared to the axial draw of the remainder of the socket. Thus, on the inside of the bend (i.e. the concave surface of the bend), the material of the ring groove is compressed (resulting in less axial draw), while on the outside of the bend (i.e. the convex surface of the bend) the axial draw will be increased. Along the neutral bending axis, extending approximately along the midpoint of the material section, the axial draw will be essentially unaltered. As a result, the stresses encountered during the belling operation can alter the desired properties of the molecularly oriented pipe.
[0015] To the best of Applicant's knowledge, molecularly oriented PVC pipe is currently being manufactured in nine countries and seventeen different cities using some six different technologies. As described briefly above, there exist many technological challenges inherent in stretching a PVC cylinder at a temperature slightly above its glass transition temperature to create PVC-o pipe. Forming the gasketed joint has proven to be the greatest challenge.
[0016] A search of the technical literature reveals publications by Uponor, Vinidex, Wavin, Alphacan, Pipelife and other companies currently involved in manufacturing PVC-O pipe. Despite the best efforts of these companies, producing gasketed bells on PVC-O pipe remains problematical. Problems exist with both the current batch manufacturing processes, as well as with the current continuous manufacturing processes. The batch processes of Uponor and Molecor have one set of technological challenges while the continuous processes of Vinidex, Alphacan, Wavin, etc., have their own set.
[0017] The batch production method can be viewed as having one advantage over the continuous method due to the fact the bell end is formed in the mold during the orientation process. Assuming the process conditions are correct to orient the PVC molecules in the pipe barrel, the bell will have proper orientation as well. However, this same advantage, forming the bell inside the same mold that forms the pipe, has its own disadvantage.
[0018] In any manufacturing process involving molding the greatest precision of the finished part is found on those surfaces where the part comes in contact with the mold. In the case of producing PVC-O using the batch process, the outside surfaces of the pipe barrel and bell end come in contact with the mold. While the outside surfaces are well formed their inside surfaces, including the inside surface of the gasket raceway, lack precision. Obviously the critical dimensions of the gasketed joint are found in the geometry of the gasket raceway. Poor raceway definition is endemic in batch process PVC-O and both sealing problems and field displacement problems can occur.
[0019] The continuous process has its own inherent problems. As has been briefly discussed, when PVC-O pipe is heated above its glass transition temperature it reverts. The OD shrinks, walls thicken, and orientation of the molecules is lost. Belling must be done at cold temperatures yet above the glass transition. Some studies have shown that the necessary belling temperature conditions result in a bell region not having the needed level of orientation.
[0020] Holding dimensions is difficult in both processes. As a result, the greatest contributor to production scrap is from the belling process. In the batch process a bell end is made at the end of every pipe. However, the inherent dimensional problems produce out-of-specification product. The continuous process suffers production scrap due to the necessary cold belling temperatures.
[0021] A need continues to exist, therefore, for improved techniques for manufacturing and joining MOP and specifically PVC-O pipe, which techniques take into account the unique properties of these types of molecularly oriented plastic materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0022] A coupling is shown for joining a first longitudinal section of molecularly oriented pipe to a second longitudinal section of molecularly oriented pipe, each of the longitudinal sections of molecularly oriented pipe having at least one plain, spigot end to be joined. The coupling is made up of a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interior surface and opposing ends with end openings which communicate with an initially open interior. A first combination seal and restraint mechanism is located within the interior of the tubular body adjacent one of the respective end openings thereof A second combination seal and restraint mechanism is located within the interior of the tubular body adjacent the other of the respective end openings. Each of the seal and restraint mechanisms includes both an annular sealing member and a companion gripping member for both sealing with and gripping and restraining a respective one of the molecularly oriented pipe spigot ends. The coupling tubular body is formed of a material other than molecularly oriented pipe. Preferably, the molecularly oriented pipe sections are formed of molecularly oriented PVC and wherein the tubular body is formed of plain PVC or reinforced PVC.
[0023] In one preferred form of the invention, the tubular body has a pair of internal grooves formed in the opposing ends thereof adjacent the respective end openings. Each of the combination seal and restraint mechanisms is located within a respective one of the internal grooves. The seal and restraint mechanisms each preferably include a grip housing for the gripping member and with the tubular body being formed over the sealing member and grip housing during manufacture of the tubular body.
[0024] In one particularly preferred form of the invention, a pipe joint is provided for joining a first longitudinal section of molecularly oriented pipe and a second longitudinal section of molecularly oriented pipe, each of the longitudinal sections of molecularly oriented pipe having at least one plain, spigot end for joining. A coupling is provided, as previously described, which receives and joins the first and second longitudinal sections of molecularly oriented pipe. In this particularly preferred form of the invention, each sealing and restraint mechanism includes a sealing ring formed as an elastomeric body, the sealing ring being integrally installed within a groove formed in a belled end of one end of the tubular body during the manufacture of the belled pipe end. A companion restraint mechanism for the elastomeric sealing ring allows movement of the spigot pipe end relative to the belled end of the female pipe in a first longitudinal direction but which restrains movement in a second, opposite relative direction.
[0025] The restraint mechanism in this case comprises a ring shaped housing which is also integrally installed within the belled pipe end during manufacture and which has a circumferential interior region and a companion gripping insert which is contained within the circumferential interior region of the housing. The gripping insert has an exterior surface and an interior gripping surface with at least one row of gripping teeth for gripping the spigot end of the molecularly oriented pipe. The gripping insert is conveniently provided as a ring shaped member having at least one circumferential slit in the circumference thereof which allows the gripping insert to be temporarily compressed and installed within the circumferential interior region of the housing in snap-fit fashion after the ring shaped housing has been integrally installed within the belled pipe end during manufacture of the tubular body of the coupling.
[0026] In the method of assembling a pipe joint of the invention, a coupling is provided as previously described. Each of the male spigot pipe ends of the molecularly oriented pipes is inserted, in turn, within the opposing end openings of the coupling until the coupling grips and seals against the spigot ends and forms a secure connection. The coupling can also be pre-mounted on one end of a section of MOP at the pipe manufacturing plant or at a field location for later assembly with another section of pipe in forming a pipeline.
[0027] Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] FIG. 1 is a partial, prospective view, partly broken away showing the pipe joint of the invention in which a special coupling has opposing female, belled ends, each of which receives a mating male spigot pipe end;
[0029] FIG. 2A is an isolated, quarter-sectional view of one of the belled pipe ends of the coupling of FIG. 1 , showing the gripping and sealing mechanism located therein;
[0030] FIG. 2B is a side, cross-sectional view of one of the female socket ends of the coupling of FIG. 1 showing the insertion of male, spigot pipe end within the mouth opening of the coupling, where the coupling is FORMED of plain PVC and the male pipe end is formed of molecularly oriented material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Plastic pressure pipe systems are used for the conveyance of drinking water, waste water, chemicals, heating and cooling fluids, foodstuffs, ultrapure liquids, slurries, gases, compressed air and vacuum system applications, both for above and below ground applications. Plastic pressure pipe systems have been in use in the United States for potable (drinking) water systems since at least about the 1950s. The types of plastic pipe in commercial use in the world today include, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (UPVC), post chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, (CPVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polybutylene (PB).
[0032] As discussed in the Background section above, a newer form of plastic material used in plastic pipe manufacture is the so called “PVC Molecularly Oriented Pipe”, sometimes called “PVC-O pipe” or simply MOP herein for simplicity. These molecularly oriented thermoplastic materials often exhibit enhanced strength of the article in certain directions by orienting the molecules in the plastic material in such direction, whereby the tensile strength of the plastic increases and the stretch decreases in such direction. This can provide advantages, for example when applied to tubular articles, where orienting is effected in the radial direction, for instance to increase the pressure resistance of the pipe, or in the longitudinal direction of the pipe, for instance to increase the tensile strength of the pipe, or in both directions (biaxial orientation).
[0033] A disadvantage of the molecularly oriented pipe (MOP), however, when used in such processes as the Rieber belling process, previously described, is that the MOP is difficult to bell. During the belling operation, as discussed above, the heated pipe end is forced over a forming mandrel which typically has a sealing ring, and perhaps other components, mounted about the mandrel. It is necessary to deform the heated pipe end as it passes over the forming mandrel and accommodates the sealing ring or other components. In some cases, the material of the MOP is already stretched to near its limit during pipe manufacture. The belling operation may fail when such MOP feedstock is used in a Rieber belling process, or at the very least, the otherwise desired properties of the MOP may be altered.
[0034] S&B Technical Products, Inc./Hultec, the assignee of the present invention, has previously developed specialized sealing gasket designs for PVC-O pipe. These designs are generally referred to as the PRESSURE FIX™, in Europe, and as the MAMBO® in North America. Although these gaskets have been shown to be effective sealing solutions for PVC-O in many instances, they can not directly affect the scrap issue faced by manufacturers of this product where MOP and particularly PVC-O pipe is not able to adequately withstand the stresses encountered during pipe belling operations.
[0035] The present invention offers a solution to the previously described problem with MOP by incorporating a unique sealing and restraint mechanism within a special “coupling” for the MOP. The sealing and restraint system, in one preferred form, is basically a BULLDOG® system of the type used in plastic pipe for the waterworks industry and in the BULLDOG® line of Horizontal Directional Drilling products. BULLDOG® is a registered trademark of S&B Technical Products, Inc., 1300 East Berry Street, Fort Worth, Tex. Essentially, a sealing and restraint mechanism of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,537,248 and 7,328,493, is installed within a ring-shaped groove provided in each of two opposing end openings of a length of tubular coupling. The coupling is formed of a non-molecularly oriented plastic material. Since the coupling material is not oriented, manufacturing controls are easily held and specifications are easily met during the manufacture of the coupling. The couplings of the invention can be installed on plain end MOP before shipping, or shipped separately with the plain end pipe. Once the special coupling of the invention is installed on the end of a PVC-O pipe, its grip ring engages, and it is a fully functional gasketed bell end which is ready to be joined to an additional section of either plain plastic pipe, or MOP in forming a continuous pipeline or drill string.
[0036] It is possible to make a coupling having two Rieber gaskets and BULLDOG® grip rings, or two Rieber gaskets and one BULLDOG® grip ring. A double BULLDOG® coupling becomes joint restraint device, while a single BULLDOG® coupling becomes a standard Rieber gasketed bell end. The sealing and restraint function of the special coupling of the invention make it especially useful in drilling applications, such as horizontal directional drilling, where MOP is utilized as drill pipe. In the past, problems were encountered with the MOP sections pulling apart during drilling operations. Use of Applicant's special coupling allows MOP to be pushed or pulled, for example, in horizontal or trenchless drilling operations, without failure at the pipe joints.
[0037] Turning now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a special coupling of the invention, designated generally as 10 . Each end of the coupling 10 is essentially a mirror image and the components thereof will be described with respect to a first end with the components of the second end being designated with primes.
[0038] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a plastic pipe coupling in which a first belled female pipe end is provided with an annular groove (shown as 12 in FIG. 2A ) for receiving the BULLDOG® seal and restraint mechanism 14 . The integral seal and restraint mechanism is capable of joining and sealing the tubular coupling 10 to the spigot end of a mating male MOP pipe section 20 having an exterior surface. It is important to note that while the male, spigot pipe ends 20 , 20 ′ are formed of a molecularly oriented pipe material, that the coupling tubular body 10 is formed of a traditional plastic such as UPVC, or plain PVC which has been modified with impact modifiers, or the like. It is possible in some cases that the coupling tubular body might also be formed of another convenient synthetic material including the polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene but in most cases, traditional rigid polyvinyl chloride will be utilized due to is cost and availability.
[0039] As best seen in FIGS. 1 , 2 A and 2 B, the seal and restraint mechanism 14 includes an elastomeric, circumferential sealing ring 16 which is formed as an elastomeric body. The annular sealing ring 16 is somewhat tear drop shaped in cross section and includes a bulbous end region 28 ( FIG. 2A ) and a thinner forward most region 30 . The bulbous end region 28 terminates in a nose portion 8 . The sealing portion also has an exposed exterior region (generally at 32 ) which contacts the exterior surface 24 ( FIG. 2B ) of the mating spigot pipe end of the MOP upon assembly of the joint. The sealing member is preferably made of a resilient elastomeric or thermoplastic material. The sealing member can be formed, for example, from natural or synthetic rubber, such as SBR, or other elastomeric materials which will be familiar to those skilled in the plastic pipe arts such as EPDM or nitrile rubber. In this case, the sealing ring 16 has a metal reinforcing band 17 about the outer circumference thereof. However, as will be apparent from the description which follows, any number of specialized sealing rings can be utilized in order to optimize the sealing and restraining actions of the assembly.
[0040] The seal and restraint system which is utilized in the coupling of the invention also includes a companion restraint mechanism for the sealing ring 16 which allows movement of the mating male MOP spigot end ( 20 in FIG. 1 ) relative to the first belled end of the coupling 10 in a first longitudinal direction but which restrains movement in a second, opposite relative direction. The companion restraint mechanism includes a ring shaped housing 18 ( FIG. 2A ) having a circumferential interior region 19 and an exterior 21 . The ring shaped housing provides radial stability and reinforcement for the male (spigot) pipe end of the MOP during make up of the joint so that the male pipe end 20 is radially supported during the joint assembly process. The exterior 21 extends from a nose region 22 ( FIG. 2B ) in convex fashion, gradually flattening out into a planar back region which terminates in a tip region 24 . The tip region 24 serves as a protective skirt which covers any gap between the sealing ring 16 and ring shaped housing 18 during the pipe belling operation.
[0041] Although the housing could have a circumferential opening, it is preferably provided as a solid ring of a slightly larger internal diameter than the forming mandrel upon which it is received during pipe belling operations. Alternatively, the housing could be used with some form of collapsible forming mandrel, in which case its internal diameter might approach or exceed that of the mandrel in certain of its states of operation. The exterior 21 of the housing 18 may be equipped with one or more rows of gripping teeth 23 for engaging the surrounding coupling groove 12 . The corresponding grooves or indentations in the coupling interior would be formed during the belling operation as the pipe cools. The ring shaped housing 18 is preferably formed of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, alloys, elastomers, polymeric plastics and composites and is rigid or semi-rigid in nature.
[0042] The leading portion of the circumferential interior region 19 is sloped upwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis ( 25 in FIG. 1 ) of the pipe. This leading portion 19 forms an upwardly sloping ramp surface for a companion gripping insert 27 . The sloping ramp surface extends upwardly from a positive stop region ( 34 in FIG. 2B ) and gradually flattens into a planar circumferential region which terminates in an internal shoulder ( 26 in FIG. 2B ) arranged opposite an external shoulder 44 . The positive stop region 34 prevents the companion gripping insert 27 from overly compressing the O.D. of the mating male MOP spigot end as the pipe joint is being assembled.
[0043] The housing external shoulder ( 44 in FIGS. 2A and 2B ) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 25 of the coupling. The external shoulder 44 is in contact with the nose region of the elastomeric body of the sealing ring 16 as the mating MOP spigot end is inserted into the mouth opening ( 46 in FIG. 1 ) of the coupling belled end. The housing and sealing ring can be provided as separate pieces, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , or can be at least temporarily joined at a juncture point prior to the pipe belling operation. For example, a suitable glue or adhesive could be used to form a temporary juncture at the external shoulder 44 of the housing 18 . In such case, the temporary juncture would typically be designed to be severed during the belling operation so that the sealing ring 16 and the housing 18 are separate at the time a pipe joint is made up in a field application. The housing 18 could also be integrated with the sealing ring 16 , as during the curing of the elastomeric body of the ring.
[0044] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the positioning of the companion ring-shaped gripping insert 27 which is received in complimentary fashion and contained within the circumferential interior region 19 of the housing 18 . As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the nose region 22 of the gripping insert 27 contacts the positive stop region 34 on the I.D. of the housing 18 in the forward most position to thereby assist in retaining the gripping insert within the housing. The gripping insert 27 has an exterior surface and an interior surface with at least one row of gripping teeth ( 35 in FIG. 2A ). In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the gripping insert 27 actually has four rows of teeth. The rows of teeth are arranged for engaging selected points on the exterior surface of the mating MOP spigot pipe end 20 .
[0045] The gripping insert exterior surface 31 has a sloping profile which contacts the upwardly sloping ramp surface of the housing 18 , whereby contact with the exterior surface of the MOP causes the gripping insert 27 to ride along sloping profile at an angle while the row of gripping teeth on the gripping insert internal surface engage the exterior surface of the MOP spigot pipe end. The rows of teeth 35 on the lower surface of the ring shaped insert 27 can be of equal length or can vary in length and can be arranged in either a uniform or non-uniform pattern about the inner circumference of the gripping insert. The teeth of the gripping insert are also angled away from the horizontal axis of the joint ( 25 in FIG. 1 ) at an angle of less than 90°. As will be appreciated from the drawings, the gripping insert will typically be provided as a slit ring having a single slit in the circumference thereof. The gripping insert 27 is a rigid or relatively rigid member. By “relatively rigid” is meant that the gripping insert 27 can be formed of a hard metal, such as corrosion resistant stainless steel, or from other metallic materials or alloys or even a hardened plastic or composite. The slit in the circumference allows the insert 27 to be compressed and snap-fit into the interior of the surrounding housing after the housing has been installed during the belling operation.
[0046] FIG. 2A and 2B illustrate the make-up of a joint of plastic pipe in which the male spigot end 20 formed of MOP material is inserted within the first belled end of the coupling 10 of the invention. FIG. 2B illustrates the gripping action of the rows of teeth 35 of the gripping insert in which the teeth grip the exterior surface 24 of the MOP spigot pipe end 20 . The rows of teeth 35 are angled inwardly with respect to the axis 25 so that contact with the male pipe end ( 20 in FIG. 2B ) causes the teeth to be deflected in a counterclockwise direction with respect to axis 25 during the insertion step, as viewed in FIG. 2B . Once the male pipe section 20 has been fully inserted, the rows of teeth 35 grip the exterior surface of the male pipe and resist movement in an opposite longitudinal direction. The nose region 8 of the sealing ring 16 also contacts and forms a sealing region with respect to the external shoulder 44 of the housing 18 .
[0047] The Rieber process, which will typically be used to form the coupling 10 of the invention has been briefly described. In the Rieber process, the elastomeric gasket is installed within a simultaneously formed internal groove in the socket end of the female pipe during the pipe belling process. The provision of a prestressed and anchored elastomeric gasket during the belling process at the pipe factory provides an improved socket end for a pipe joint with a sealing gasket which will not tend to twist or flip or otherwise allow impurities to enter the sealing zones of the joint, thus increasing the reliability of the joint and decreasing the risk of leaks or possible failure due to abrasion.
[0048] While the Rieber process provided an integral sealing gasket which was “prelocated” within the belled, female pipe end in a groove which was formed about the gasket, it did not provide any mechanical “restraining function” to prevent separation of the male and female pipe ends at the pipe connection once the pipe joint was made up. Applicant's BULLDOG® seal and restraint mechanism differs from the above described Rieber process in that it serves to provide both sealing and restraining functions.
[0049] The method of installing the components of the restraining system of the invention will now be briefly described. In the preferred method of installation, the sealing ring ( 16 in FIG. 2A ) and ring shaped housing 18 are placed side by side on the forming mandrel (such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,537,248 and 7,328,493) and the first female coupling end is heated and belled over these components in the normal fashion, as has been described with respect to the Rieber process. The backup collar position or the mandrel seating groove location and size may have to be adjusted for the resulting changes in bell dimensions, i.e., to allow enough room for the housing 18 . Once the first coupling belled end has been cooled and the forming mandrel has been retracted, the second coupling end can be belled in similar fashion. The gripping inserts 27 can be snapped or popped into position on the inner circumference of the respective housings 18 , as shown in FIG. 2A .
[0050] An invention has been provided with several advantages. The present invention provides a sealing and restraint system in a special coupling for joining MOP in which the restraint mechanism is integral to the groove formed in the bell end openings of the coupling. The restraining mechanism may be provided as a part of a “gasket formed” bell groove, as in a Rieber style pipe belling operation where the groove is simultaneously formed as the bell pipe end is formed. Since the tubular body of the coupling is formed of a non-molecularly oriented plastic material, it can be handled in the traditional manner during the Rieber style belling operation. Since the coupling material is not oriented, manufacturing controls are easily held and specifications are easily met during pipe manufacture. The couplings of the invention can be installed on plain end MOP before shipping, or shipped separately with the plain end pipe. It is possible to make a coupling having two Rieber gaskets and BULLDOG® grip rings, or two Rieber gaskets and one BULLDOG® grip ring. A double BULLDOG® coupling becomes joint restraint device, while a single BULLDOG® coupling becomes a standard Rieber gasketed bell end.
[0051] Because of the inherent restraint function achieved by the coupling of the invention, it can advantageously be utilized in drilling applications for plastic drill pipe, such as in horizontal directional drilling, or “trenchless drilling”, where MOP is utilized as drill pipe. In the past, problems were encountered with the MOP sections pulling apart during drilling operations, in part due to the difficulties presented by the nature of the MOP. The use of the coupling of the invention overcomes many of these difficulties.
[0052] While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof
|
A method for joining molecularly oriented pipe in which a coupling is provided which is formed of a material other than molecularly oriented pipe, such as ordinary PVC pipe. The coupling if formed as a tubular body with a combination sealing and restraint mechanism located in each of two opposing end openings of the coupling that seal and restrain mating plain spigot ends of the molecularly oriented pipe. Because the coupling is made of a material such as ordinary PVC, the sealing and restraint mechanisms can be installed in internal grooves provided in the coupling interior during normal pipe belling operations without introducing unacceptable levels of stress or strain into the product.
| 5
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to structures for attaching components to printed circuit (PC) boards. In particular, this disclosure relates to improved component to PC board connection reliability.
BACKGROUND
As integrated circuits (ICs) increase in complexity over time and include more active devices, the number of signals needed to connect an IC to other components in an electronic system increases. More complex ICs often consume increasing amounts of power, which in turn also requires a larger number of electrical connection points on the IC to adequately supply current.
Ball grid array (BGA) electronic packages are often used to connect IC die to a printed circuit (PC) board. BGA packages are used to interconnect both signals and power between the PC board and the IC die, through an arrangement of solder ball connections at the interface between the BGA package and the PC board. The need for increasing numbers of connections to complex ICs has caused an increase in the interface areas of both the BGA package and the PC board, in order to provide more BGA ball connection sites.
Electrical signal connections to ICs through electronic packages are typically not redundant, so each signal connection from the IC to a PC board (or other connecting structure) is essential for the IC's intended operation. A faulty signal connection, in the form of an open, a short, or an intermittent can cause an IC to catastrophically malfunction. The reliability of IC interconnections to PC boards and other structures is therefore critically important to ensure the proper function of the IC in an electronic system.
SUMMARY
One embodiment is directed to a method for designing component attachment structures with complimentary dynamic warp characteristics for attachment of a first component in a first locality on a PC board. The method includes determining the warp characteristics (including magnitude and direction of warp) of thermally induced dynamic warp of the PC board and of the first component. The method also includes analyzing and comparing differences between the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component and selecting design modifications to match the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component. Selecting design modifications may include determining if the first component dynamic warp characteristics can be changed, determining if matching the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component can be achieved by modifying the design of at least one of the PC board and the first component. The method also includes selecting design characteristics of at least one of the PC board and the first component to modify, and modifying the design of at least one of the PC board and the first component. The result of the method may be modified dynamic warp characteristics of at least one of the PC board and the first component.
Another embodiment is directed to an electrical assembly of a PC board and an attached component. During a thermal excursion, the PC board and component may dynamically warp in the same direction, with approximately the same magnitude of warp.
Aspects of the various embodiments may provide increased reliability of electrical connections in assemblies of PC boards and components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings included in the present application are incorporated into, and form part of, the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, along with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only illustrative of embodiments of the invention and do not limit the invention.
FIGS. 1A , 1 B and 1 C depict cross-sectional views of a component and PC board through three steps of a reflow process.
FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C depict cross-sectional views of a component and PC board, illustrating three combinations of BGA and PC board warp.
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an exemplary BGA reflow temperature profile.
FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting the warp of a BGA package at various points along the BGA reflow temperature profile of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating determining, analyzing, selecting and modifying warp characteristics to create design structures with complimentary warp characteristics, according to embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 6A through 6I depict cross-sectional views of PC board, illustrating design changes to alter warp characteristics, according to embodiments of the invention.
In the drawings and the Detailed Description, like numbers generally refer to like components, parts, steps, and processes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In general, the embodiments describe a method for determining, analyzing, and modifying warp characteristics of a component and a PC board, that may provide increased soldered connection reliability. An electronic system according to the invention may have improved reliability over a range of operating conditions including temperature.
For the purposes of discussion, a “component” may be an electronic package that includes a planar array of connection points used to make connections to a corresponding area on a PC board. Connecting structures are used to create connections that are both electrical and mechanical between the component and PC board. Connecting structures may include BGA solder balls, land-grid array (LGA) structures, hybrid LGA (HLGA) structures, solder columns, and other mechanical interconnects such as springs, pogo-pins, or elastomeric materials. A component may also comprise a connector or socket element that makes use of the above connecting structures. It is understood that the principles of the invention may apply to a wide range of types of components.
The particular types of electronic components relevant to the embodiments are known as “area array devices”, and include a dense array of conductive sites on a substantially planar surface designed to mate with a corresponding set of sites on a PC board or other structure. This type of component often includes a laminate substrate which provides one substantially planar surface for the purpose of active or passive electronic device attachment, and the opposite substantially planar surface for the array of mating conductive sites. A substantially planar surface is planar within the normal process tolerances of semiconductor package and PC board processing facilities. An exemplary flatness specification may be 0.004 inches (4 mils) on a device 2 inches or larger per side, however this may vary depending on manufacturing methods and connection type(s).
A ball grid array (BGA) substrate is a type of area array device (package) used in conjunction with complex ICs, which may provide a large number and high density of electrical connections. Multiple electrical and mechanical connections are formed between the BGA substrate and PC board by partially melting (reflowing) solder balls previously attached to metal pads on the substrate. BGA packages with over 2,000 solder balls connections are commercially available and larger packages are contemplated.
Increasingly complex integrated circuits (ICs or chips) require greater numbers of electrical connections on the chip packages they are mounted on in order to meet the IC's signal IO and power needs. A chip package acts as an intermediate electrically conductive layer between the chip and the PC board and provides multiple electrical attachment points for connection to a PC board. A chip package is one example of a component.
A PC board is generally understood to be a rigid planar laminate structure comprised of one or more insulating or dielectric layers, and one or more conductive layers, which provides one or more surfaces on which to mount electronic components, and a means to interconnect the components. For the purposes of discussion and illustration, the above definition of a PC board will be used, however, embodiments of the invention may employ another type of rigid structure in place of a PC board. Such structures may include but are not limited to connectors, component sockets, and interposers.
The characteristics of a PC board or other structure that apply to the embodiments are rigidity and at least one planar surface which contains an array of contact sites which form a mating pattern to those found on the opposing surface of a component. The contact sites are used to make electrical and mechanical connections to the component.
The footprint dimensions of large ball-count BGA packages may be greater than 50 mm×50 mm. Solder balls attached to BGA substrates have a generally spherical shape prior to a reflow operation. An industry trend of decreasing solder ball diameter to accommodate smaller solder ball pitches has resulted over time in decreasing spacing between the BGA module and the PC board.
The BGA interface area on both the BGA package and the PC board are planar, and the trend of decreasing spacing between them has made the BGA to PC board interface very susceptible to defects caused by planar deviations such as warp. Even a slight amount of warp mismatch between the component and the PC board may result in defects in the BGA ball interfaces, which are essential in providing stable electrical and mechanical connections between the module and PC board.
Electronic packages and PC boards are typically constructed from a laminate of materials which may include various conductor and dielectric layers, each material type having its own unique coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). When heated, each material type may expand at a different rate, causing warp of the component or PC board.
A preferred design methodology for electronic packages and PC boards involves using a vertical arrangement of conductor and dielectric layers (stackup) that is symmetrical about an axis drawn through the center of a cross section of the laminate layers, and parallel to the layers. FIG. 6A illustrates an essentially symmetrical laminate cross section, including axis of symmetry 118 , conductor layers 112 , dielectric layers 110 , solder mask coating 114 , and BGA connection pads 108 . These features will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6A . Aspects of the symmetry include the number, arrangement, thicknesses and types of layers on each side of the axis of symmetry.
A symmetrical stackup may minimize or eliminate warping of the PC board or package during assembly operations involving temperature excursions, such as a reflow process. Design or manufacturing constraints however may prohibit the stackup from being entirely symmetrical, and some warping of either the PC board, the component, or both may occur as a result.
Warp has two important attributes; phase (or direction) and magnitude. Warp phase refers to the direction (upwards or downwards from a reference plane) of the PC board or component deflection. Warp magnitude 212 ( FIG. 2B ) is defined as the largest vertical component or PC board deflection that can be measured relative to a reference plane, often a flat surface. Warp magnitude is measured within the field of BGA connection pads 108 ( FIG. 2A ) on the PC board or package surface.
Dynamic (thermally induced) warp is the deformation of a component (chip package) or a PC board as it experiences a thermal excursion, for example during a reflow process. A PC board or component may have a certain cross-sectional profile at room temperature, then deflect (movement of edges and/or surfaces) a certain amount either upwards (concave) or downwards (convex) during heating, then return to the original profile once it returns to room temperature. Concave deflection has a positive 2 nd derivative as seen from a side view, such as a “cup” shape. Convex deflection has a negative 2 nd derivative as seen from a side view, such as a “cap” shape. Referring now to FIG. 2A , 2 B, 2 C, BGA module 210 depicts concave warp, and PC board 220 illustrates convex warp. Dynamic warp may be exacerbated by larger component footprints and PC board mounting areas.
If the dynamic warp of a PC board and a component being attached to it during a reflow operation are different (mismatched) in phase or magnitude, a number of types of BGA reflow defects may occur which may later result in mechanical or electrical failures. Defects may occur when one or more solder balls on the BGA substrate separate from the solder paste during a reflow operation, due to mismatch between the PC board and substrate dynamic warp characteristics. Exemplary warp magnitudes of a component may be between 0.254 mm and 0.508 mm, though higher magnitudes are possible. An exemplary maximum permissible package warpage may range from 0.10 mm to 0.25 mm, depending on solder ball size and manufacturing process used.
One type of defect, known as a “head-in-pillow” defect occurs when BGA substrate solder balls are separated from the solder paste on the PC board during the reflow process, due to dynamic warp mismatch. Solder paste typically contains flux, a chemical agent to clean and prevent oxidation of mating metallic surfaces during the reflow process. When the solder ball is separated from contact with the solder paste during the heating of a reflow operation, the lack of flux may allow an oxide layer may be grown on the outer surface of the solder ball. This oxide layer may subsequently prevent proper bonding of the solder ball to the solder paste, resulting in a defective (weak) mechanical connection.
Defects such as the head-in-pillow type may manifest themselves immediately, as an intermittent or open, or may be latent, only appearing after some period of thermal cycling of the component and PC board. Because a head-in-pillow may initially appear as a valid connection, it may not be easily detected using classical test methods. The latent failure of a single BGA connection may result in catastrophic system failure, as every signal connection is critically important to many electronic systems.
A material's coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is defined as the change of unit length per change in unit temperature for that type of material. A commonly used unit of measure for CTE is parts-per-million per degree Celsius (ppm/° C.). A material may expand or contract linearly in proportion to the CTE times the change in temperature experienced. A larger CTE indicates a greater material expansion than a smaller CTE, for an identical temperature excursion. The dynamic warp of a component or PC board is largely dependant on the CTEs, dimensions, and arrangement of the various materials comprising its laminate structure. Dynamic warp and dynamic warp mismatch may also be influenced by temperature gradients across a component or PC board, due to uneven heating during a reflow operation.
The table below lists some representative materials used in the fabrication of electronic packages and PC boards. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) ranges and values shown are intended to be exemplary, and are understood to not be limiting. One skilled in the art of PC board and electronic package design will understand that a large number of material types are available for use, each having a specific CTE range.
TABLE 1
Material Name
Usage
CTE range (ppm/° C.)
Silicon die
Active electronic circuits
2.3
Unfilled Polymer
Chip encapsulant
10-25
Lead-free solder
BGA solder ball
19-23
Tin/lead solder
BGA solder ball
21
Copper
PC board signal and power
17-18
interconnection
FR-4
PC board base material
13-14
(epoxy resin + glass)
For simplicity of illustration, the following figures depict a BGA component and its relationship to an exemplary PC board; however, the principles of the invention may be applied to other types of components and PC boards or other rigid structures.
FIGS. 1A , 1 B and 1 C are cross-sectional views of a BGA component 120 and a PC board 130 depicting three consecutive steps of a reflow process. It should be noted that a reflow process devoid of any component or PC board warp is depicted, which though desirable, may not necessarily be achievable in practice.
FIG. 1A includes the BGA component 120 which is comprised of a chip 102 , a substrate 104 , and solder balls 105 . The solder balls 105 are attached to the substrate 104 and are arranged in a regular array on the lower planar surface of the substrate 104 . The substrate 104 provides multiple electrical connections (not shown) between the chip 102 and the solder balls 105 .
FIG. 1A also includes the PC board 130 , which is comprised of a laminate of alternating dielectric layers 110 and conductor layers 112 . BGA connection pads 108 are formed on the top surface of the PC board 130 , and a layer of solder paste 106 is deposited on each of the BGA connection pads 108 . The lower planar surface of the PC board 130 is covered by a solder mask coating 114 to protect surface metallization during its assembly and from oxidation and damage.
FIG. 1A illustrates the BGA component 120 aligned with the PC board 130 so that the array of solder balls 105 is vertically aligned with and opposes the array of BGA connection pads 108 below it. This alignment is often performed by automated machinery, which then lowers the BGA component 120 onto the PC board 130 .
FIG. 1B illustrates the BGA component 120 placed on the PC board 130 so that the array of solder balls 105 is both aligned with the array of BGA connection pads 108 below it, and impressed into the solder paste 106 on top of the connection pads 108 (see inset drawing for magnified view). FIG. 1B depicts the component 120 and PC board 130 combined into a pre-reflow assembly 140 , ready for a reflow operation.
The pre-reflow assembly 140 is subsequently exposed to a heat source such as a reflow oven, where the temperature of the assembly 140 is carefully controlled and monitored over time. (See FIG. 3 ). The purpose of heating the assembly 140 is to melt and fuse the solder of the solder balls 105 with the solder paste 106 , which simultaneously attaches to the connection pads 108 .
FIG. 1C shows the reflowed assembly 150 , after the reflow operation (elevating then subsequently lowering assembly temperature) is completed. The solder balls 105 and solder paste 106 have melted together to form a barrel-shaped reflowed BGA ball 116 , which is securely attached to both substrate 104 and BGA connection pads 108 . It should be noted that in this illustration, featuring both a planar BGA component 120 and PC board 130 , that all the reflowed BGA balls 116 are similar in shape and dimensions, and all form stable connections between their respective sites on the substrate 104 and BGA connection pads 108 . The reflowed assembly 150 contains no BGA connection electrical defects, such as shorts, opens, or intermittent connections caused by warpage.
PC board 130 has the same number of conductor layers 112 (including BGA connection pads 108 ) and dielectric layers 110 on either side of the axis of symmetry 118 . The conductor layers 112 are all the same thickness, and the dielectric layers 110 are all the same thickness. The layer arrangement shown represents a desirable, symmetric configuration that may minimize warp when the PC board is heated.
FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C are cross-sectional views illustrating three types of warp relationships between a BGA component 210 and PC boards 220 , 240 , and 260 . FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C are exemplary illustrations only; many other combinations of warp relationships between components and PC boards are possible, including a large variety of warp phase and magnitude combinations.
It should be noted that FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C are static illustrations of the warp of a BGA substrate and a mating PC board. These illustrations may depict the warp characteristics at a certain temperature, but those characteristics, including phase and magnitude may vary as the temperature of the substrate and the PC board changes.
FIG. 2A depicts a BGA component 210 and a PC board 220 with warp that is out of phase; the BGA component 210 edges deflect upwards, while the PC board 220 edges deflect downwards. The difference in warp phase may cause separation of the solder balls 105 and the solder paste 106 , which may create a defect in certain solder ball connections during a reflow operation.
Similarly, FIG. 2B depicts a BGA component 210 and a PC board 240 with warp that is out of phase; the BGA component 210 edges deflect upwards, while the PC board 240 edges do not deflect. The difference in warp phase may cause separation of the solder balls 105 and the solder paste 106 , which may create a defect in certain solder ball connections during a reflow operation.
FIG. 2C depicts a BGA component 210 and a PC board 260 with warp that is in phase. BGA component 210 edges deflect upwards in the same direction and with the same magnitude as the edges of PC board 260 . The type of warp relationship between a PC board and a component with the same warp phase and magnitude (within normal manufacturing tolerances) over a temperature excursion is known as complimentary dynamic warp. The identical warp phase and similar magnitude does not cause separation of the solder balls 105 and the solder paste 106 , which may help to ensure stable, defect-free solder ball connections during a reflow operation. The warp characteristics (magnitude and phase) of both the BGA component 210 and PC board 260 must remain within manufacturing tolerances during the entire reflow operation (temperature excursion—see FIG. 3 ) in order to ensure defect-free connections.
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a BGA reflow temperature profile during an exemplary reflow operation. The graph depicts the temperature of the solder ball and solder paste interface between the BGA substrate and the PC board. During the reflow operation, the temperature of the profile is typically precisely controlled and monitored in a reflow oven. Heat may be applied to the substrate and PC board through convection, forced hot air or other gasses, infrared heating elements, vapor phase heating, or other means. The temperature excursion of a reflow process (difference between peak temperature 330 and room temperature 310 ) is typically greater than 200 degrees C., but may vary depending on the specific solder alloy compositions of the solder balls 105 and solder paste 106 .
The temperature profile is divided up into several zones, each having a unique purpose. During the ramp-up zone 315 , the component and PC board temperature is rapidly raised from room temperature 310 to a temperature that approximates a soaking temperature 320 . The temperature rise may be uneven across the PC board and component due to the method(s) of heating, the specific heat of each material, and other factors, and during the ramp-up zone 315 may cause differences in warp magnitude between them.
A soaking zone 325 allows time for the PC board and component temperatures to stabilize and equalize. The pre-heating zone 345 comprises the ramp-up zone 315 and the soaking zone 325 . During the reflow zone 335 , the solder ball and solder paste is raised to the peak temperature 330 , at which the paste and solder ball merge, and wet the surfaces of the BGA connection pads 108 on the PC board. The temperature then returns to the soaking temperature 320 . During the cool-down zone 350 the solder temperature begins to return from the soaking temperature 320 to room temperature 310 .
FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting the warp of an exemplary BGA substrate 410 at various points along the BGA reflow temperature profile of FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 also illustrates how a type of defect may be created by mismatched dynamic warp characteristics of a BGA substrate and a PC board. For ease of illustration, FIG. 4 depicts dynamic warp of just a BGA substrate 410 ; the PC board is shown with no dynamic warp. Warp combinations may include any combination of magnitude and phase differences, some of which are depicted in FIG. 3 .
Starting at room temperature 310 , assembly 400 depicts the BGA substrate 410 and PC board 415 interface. The inset diagram shows a solder ball 105 impressed into and aligned with areas of solder paste 106 , similar to FIG. 1B . All solder balls on the BGA are similarly impressed into and aligned with areas of solder paste 106 .
Assembly 420 depicts the and PC board 415 interface as the solder ball 105 and solder paste 106 temperature are raised to the final soaking temperature 320 . The inset diagram shows solder ball 105 separated from an area of solder paste 106 , due to differences in dynamic warp of the BGA substrate 410 and the PC board 415 . The increase in temperature from room temperature 310 to final soaking temperature 320 has caused the BGA substrate 410 to deflect more than the PC board 415 , causing the separation on the solder balls 105 at the edge of the BGA substrate 410 .
As the interface temperature is further raised to the peak reflow temperature 330 , assembly 440 depicts the BGA substrate 410 and PC board 415 interface. The inset diagram shows a solder ball 105 further separated from an area of solder paste 106 . A BGA ball oxide layer 402 has begun to form on surface of the solder ball 105 . If the solder ball 105 remained impressed into the solder paste 106 , the flux present in the solder paste would chemically prevent oxide from forming, allowing the solder ball 105 and solder paste 106 to melt together in response to the applied heat. Both the separation of the solder ball 105 and solder paste 106 and the BGA ball oxide layer 402 may now prevent a proper reflow process.
As the temperature decreases from the peak reflow temperature 330 to the post-reflow temperature 320 , assembly 460 depicts the BGA ball oxide layer 402 growing thicker, while the BGA substrate 410 warp decreases, moving solder ball 105 closer to solder paste 106 . As the temperature continues to decrease, the BGA substrate 410 continues to deflect downwards, eventually bringing the surface of BGA ball oxide layer 402 in contact with an area of solder paste 106 . By the time the BGA ball oxide layer 402 is in contact with an area of solder paste 106 , the flux that was contained in the solder paste has been consumed in cleaning the micro-spheres of solder in the solder paste 106 , and not enough remains to remove the BGA ball oxide layer 402 , and allow the solder paste 106 and the solder ball 105 to properly melt together.
Again referring to assembly 460 , the solder ball 105 (with oxide layer) may be pressed into the solder paste 106 , but may create an open connection, or a very weak electrical connection due to the electrically insulating nature of the oxide. This type of defect is known as a “head-in-pillow” defect, and may be very difficult to detect using traditional test methods. A head-in-pillow defect is one type of a cold solder joint defect. Other defect types such as shorts, opens, and other forms of intermittent connections are also possible as a result of component and PC board warp mismatch. The above listed defect types may manifest themselves immediately, or at some point in time after the reflow operation.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram that illustrates determining, analyzing, selecting and modifying PC board and component warp characteristics to create design structures with complimentary dynamic warp characteristics, according to embodiments of the invention. While PC board manufacturing tolerances (values) may vary by technology, they are specified to ensure consistent contact between mating parts of a reflow connection throughout a reflow operation.
A desirable outcome of modifying (tuning) components and PC boards to produce complimentary dynamic warp is contact between solder balls on a BGA package and corresponding solder paste on a PC board throughout a reflow process ( FIG. 3 ). The continuity of contact that complimentary dynamic warp may produce may create more reliable BGA reflow connections, and thus more reliable IC operation in electronic systems. Defects such as head-in-pillow, opens and shorts may be reduced or eliminated. FIG. 1C and FIG. 2C depict exemplary complimentary dynamic warp characteristics at two different temperatures of a reflow profile, such as FIG. 3 .
The process 500 moves from start 502 to determine warp characteristics 504 . At determine warp characteristics 504 , the initial (before modifications) dynamic warp characteristics of the component and the PC board are ascertained. Warp data regarding phase, magnitude, and other characteristics may be gathered from any combination of measurements, component or PC board supplier specifications, software modeling results, or other sources. Warp measurement methods may include the shadow moiré method, the laser reflection method, or X-ray imagery. Component or PC board supplier specifications may include a table of warp values over a range of reflow profile temperatures. The warp characteristics of each individual component and PC board mounting site are determined.
After warp characteristics are determined (operation 504 ) magnitudes and phases of the component and PC board warp are analyzed and compared to each other (operation 506 ), and differences between them are determined.
The results of operation 506 are then used as a basis of the selection operation 510 , which determines whether the component, the PC board, or both should be modified, and which types of modifications are to be made. Operation 510 may use historical recorded warp characteristics and thermo-mechanical warp simulation results from operations 504 and 506 to determine which design modifications will provide appropriate complimentary dynamic warp between the component and the PC board.
Types of design modifications may include any combination of altering the vertical thickness of conductor or dielectric layers, the number or arrangement of conductor or dielectric layers, the types of materials used and wiring density. The above listed design modifications are further illustrated in FIG. 6A through FIG. 6I .
The selection of operation 510 may include determining the economic feasibility of modifying the component's warp characteristics. The component may manufactured by a company that is unwilling to change its warp characteristics, or it may be prohibitively difficult or expensive to do so.
Again referring to selection operation 510 , if only PC board modifications are chosen, the board design data and material types may be modified in operation 512 . If only component modifications are chosen, the component design data and material types may be modified in operation 514 . If both board and component modifications are chosen, then operations 508 and 514 are both performed, modifying the design data and material types of both the PC board and component.
Operations 508 , 512 , and 514 may include modifying design data that is stored in electronic design automation (EDA) programs, as well as specifying various materials with CTEs suitable for the construction of one or more of the PC board and the component. Design data may include but is not limited to wiring shapes that define material placement, material types and dimensions, and stackup configurations.
Once all board and component design modifications are completed (operations 508 , 512 , and 514 ), the board and component are analyzed for signal integrity (SI) and power structure robustness in operation 516 . SI and power distribution analysis may employ commercially available circuit analysis software. The analysis of 516 may be necessary because modifying the design data, including wiring, material types and dimensions, and layer arrangement may adversely affect the electrical properties of the design, and create unforeseen functional problems. If power distribution or SI criteria are not met, as determined in deciding operation 518 , then the process 500 may need to be repeated starting at operation 506 , where the warp characteristics of the modified PC board are re-analyzed and compared against each other. Adjustments may be made in select operation 510 to balance the needs of warp adjustment against SI and power distribution criteria.
If power distribution and SI criteria are met, then the process 500 may end at block 520 .
It is noted that the process depicted by FIG. 5 may be applied to multiple component attachment sites on a PC board with each interface area independently adjusted to create complimentary dynamic warp characterizes for that interface. PC board modifications are not strictly limited to the area underneath a component, but may be larger or smaller than the component attach area.
FIG. 6A through 6I depict cross-sectional views of a PC board, illustrating design changes that may alter dynamic warp characteristics, according to embodiments of the invention. Similar changes may be made to the structure of an electronic component or component substrate. The changes illustrated are exemplary embodiments that reference typical materials properties shown in Table 1, and do not limit the invention in any way. Actual practice of the invention may use any combination of the changes illustrated in FIG. 6A through 6I and other suitable types of design modifications or material types.
FIG. 6A represents a cross-sectional view of an unmodified PC board, having six conductor layers 112 , six dielectric layers 110 , BGA connection pads 108 and solder mask coating 114 . The above listed features of FIG. 6A are present in FIG. 6B through 6I , except where noted. FIG. 6A depicts an exemplary PC board cross-section that is largely symmetrical across the axis of symmetry 118 , and exhibits minimal dynamic warp in response to temperature excursions.
All changes depicted in FIG. 6B through 6I are in reference to the axis of symmetry 118 , and are relative to FIG. 6A . Design changes generally involve changing the overall CTE of the portion of the laminate structure on one side of the axis of symmetry 118 , to promote warping either upwards (concave) or downwards (convex) during a reflow process. The relative thickness of a laminate material and the material's CTE (See Table 1) both influence the amount of dynamic expansion and warp produced by that material In general, any changes described or depicted in relation to FIG. 6B through 6I may be migrated across the axis of symmetry 118 to produce dynamic warp in an opposite direction (phase).
FIG. 6B shows the replacement of two conductor layers 112 above the axis of symmetry 118 with two thicker conductor layers 602 . This may cause downward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 620 .
FIG. 6C shows conductor layers 112 above the axis of symmetry 118 with a higher wiring density (ratio of wire to dielectric area on a conductor layer) than conductor layers 112 below the axis of symmetry 118 . This may cause downward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 630 .
FIG. 6D shows the replacement of two conductor layers 112 below the axis of symmetry 118 with two thicker conductor layers 608 . This may cause upward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 640 .
FIG. 6E shows additional conductor layer 610 and additional dielectric layer 611 below the axis of symmetry 118 . As depicted, this may not change the dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 650 , but may influence the overall warp of the PC board 650 depending on the particular arrangement, thickness, and CTEs of other conductor and dielectric layers above it.
FIG. 6F shows the replacement of two dielectric layers 110 above the axis of symmetry 118 with two thicker dielectric layers 612 . This may cause upward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 660 .
FIG. 6G shows two additional dielectric layers 614 and additional conductor layers 112 below the axis of symmetry 118 . The additional dielectric layers 614 have a different CTE than other dielectric layers 110 , and the additional conductor layers 112 have a CTE that is identical to other conductor layers 112 . If the CTE of the additional dielectric layers 614 is greater than the CTE of dielectric layers 110 , this may cause upward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 670 . If the CTE of the additional dielectric layers 614 is less than the CTE of other dielectric layers 110 , this may cause downward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 670 .
FIG. 6H shows the addition of a sash structure 616 (comprised of copper) surrounding BGA connection pads 108 on the top of PC board 680 , which may cause downward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 680 . Sash may be added to either the top or bottom surface of a PC board, as needed.
FIG. 6I shows the addition of partial pre-preg patch 618 to the bottom of PC board 690 . Pre-preg is typically a partially cured, glass free epoxide sheet used for bonding printed circuit board layers. Embodiments may include using a partial patch, which corresponds to a part or the entirety of the field of BGA connection pads 108 . Other embodiments may include using a full patch that covers the entire lower surface of the PC board 690 . Since the CTE of pre-preg materials are typically greater than the overall CTE of the other layers of PC board 690 , the pre-preg patch 618 may cause upward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 690 . However, if the pre-preg patch 618 were to have a CTE less than the overall CTE of the other layers of PC board 690 , it may cause downward dynamic warp of the edges of PC board 690 .
Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
|
A method for designing structures with complimentary dynamic warp characteristics for attachment of a component to a PC board is disclosed. The method may include determining characteristics of thermally induced dynamic warp of the PC board and of the first component, analyzing and comparing differences between the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component and selecting design modifications to match PC board and the first component dynamic warp characteristics. Selecting design modifications may include determining if the first component dynamic warp characteristics can be changed, determining if matching the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component can be achieved by modifying the design of at least one of the PC board and the first component. The result of the method may be modified dynamic warp characteristics of at least one of the PC board and the first component.
| 8
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the sector of textile filaments and yarns for technical uses and more particularly to an elastic cable intended to be used in the manufacture of textile products with high rated technical characteristics in terms of mechanical resistance and rate of elongation, such as cords, belting, straps or fabrics.
PRIOR ART
[0002] In a general sense, elastic cables are commonly produced by combining two filament yarns having different mechanical properties. Thus use is made of a first elastomeric filament yarn made of an elastomer such as natural rubber or spandex (elastane), for example, which has high elasticity, combined with a low elastic modulus and low resistance to wear and breaking. This first filament yarn is combined with one or more filament yarns that have high resistance to wear and breaking, combined with a high elastic modulus and a low elongation capacity, such as polyamide or polypropylene filament yarns, for example. On account of this combination, such cables shall be qualified in the remainder of the description as “hybrid cables”.
[0003] These conventional hybrid cables are presented in the form of a central core constituted by the elastic filament yarn, whose tensile strength as a function of the rate of elongation is represented by the curve E shown as a solid line in the FIG. 1A . It should be recalled that the rate of elongation is calculated as the ratio of the elongation from a state of rest, divided by the resting length. This core is surrounded by a sheath formed by the resistant filament yarns, the tensile strength as a function of the rate of elongation of the resistant filament yarn being represented by the curve T shown as a dashed line in FIG. 1A . The fabrication of the sheath around the elastic core, is done using any one of the various conventional techniques, well known to the person skilled in the art such as: braiding, knitting, winding or wrapping.
[0004] With reference to the FIG. 1B which is a graph showing the tensile strength as a function of the rate of elongation, of a typical hybrid cable, the hybrid cables of the prior art first of all have a first zone (zone 1) of low load extending for example from 0% to 60% elongation in which the elongation increases rapidly as a function of the load. Then, from the level of 60%, there is a second zone (zone 2) wherein the stiffness of the cable increases progressively, until it breaks.
[0005] In the first zone (zone 1) of the diagram shown in FIG. 1B , the tensile strength of the cable is practically equal to that of the elastic filament yarn (and therefore analogous to that shown in solid lines in the FIG. 1A ). The sheath supports the elongation of the elastic core by undergoing a modification of the geometrical shape of its meshes (in the case of knitted or braided sheaths) or its turns (in the case of a wound sheath). This modification consists of an elongation of the meshes or turns in the longitudinal direction and consecutively a shrinkage in the diametrical direction. This shrinkage in the diametrical direction causes a corresponding equivalent decrease in the inner diameter of the sheath; simultaneously, the diameter of the elastic core decreases due to the elongation that is imposed on the core. As long as the reduction in the diameter of the sheath does not exceed the reduction in the diameter of the elastic core, the reduction in the diameter of the sheath and in a correlated manner its extension in the longitudinal direction, may continue freely without causing significant tensioning of the resistant filament yarns of the sheath. This is the case throughout the first zone (zone 1) of the diagram shown in FIG. 1B . From a certain rate of elongation which is dependent upon the geometrical parameters of the resistant filament yarns, 60% in this example, the diameter of the sheath is reduced more rapidly than that of the elastic core which results in the compression of the elastic core encompassed in the sheath. This phenomenon is the cause of a progressive increase in the stiffness of the cable that appears at the beginning of the second zone (zone 2) of the diagram shown in the FIG. 1B ; in addition, it generates a high level of stress at the interface between the elastic core and filament yarns of the sheath and between the filament yarns themselves. This phenomenon continues over the whole of the second zone (zone 2) of the diagram up to the point of breakage of the cable, set by way of example at approximately 150% of the rate of elongation.
[0006] The hybrid cables of the prior art thus present the disadvantage of having a relatively reduced zone of low load, on account of an increase in stiffness which occurs at relatively low degrees of elongation (several tens of percent below the elongation degree at the point of breakage). They also have an extremely progressive increase in the stiffness over the second zone, which is an unfavourable aspect with respect to ensuring a precise limitation of elongations.
[0007] Furthermore, these hybrid cables of the prior art have the disadvantage that they wear out quickly. Indeed, the resistant filament yarns are not parallel to the elastic core, and are thus subject to high stresses on account of the compression of the elastic filament yarns. These resistant filament yarns are subjected to a lot of friction thereby bringing about the premature wear thereof.
[0008] A description has been provided in the French patent application FR 2,910,047, of a woven belting which includes in the warp direction two types of parallel filament yarns, that is to say, on the one hand elastic filament yarns and on the other hand resistant filament yarns, made of textured organic filaments which, at rest, are in a crimped state. At low elongation, these crimped filaments progressively unfold without any resistance. The belting therefore behaves essentially as if it consisted only of elastic filament yarns. When the filaments reach their state of full elongation, their resistance to further elongation becomes manifest, which thereby conditions the behaviour of the belting. However, in this combination, it is difficult or even impossible to employ highly resistant filaments, because they generally cannot be texturised, and therefore cannot be crimped, on account of their stiffness.
[0009] Through the document WO2010/146347, a hybrid fibre comprising an elastic yarn, for example made of rubber, and a resistant yarn, having a high elastic modulus is also known. At rest, the resistant yarn is found to be wound in a helix around the elastic yarn. When the fibre is subjected to a tensile force, the resistant yarn is progressively stretched, which has the effect of pushing the elastic yarn. When the resistant yarn comes to be fully stretched, the elastic yarn is found to be wound spirally around the resistant yarn. Such a fibre is said to be auxetic because it has the peculiarity in that its diameter increases when a tension is applied to it.
[0010] The document WO2010/146347 emphasises the undesirable behaviour of such a fibre, in particular when it comes to be in a state of elongation less than its state of maximum elongation: the turns of the resistant yarn become separated from the elastic yarn, along with slipping of the turns of the resistant yarn along the elastic yarn, and the destructuring of the fibre itself.
[0011] There is therefore a need for a flexible cable that has all of the following characteristics:
a high maximum rate of elongation, with the cable demonstrating advantageous behaviour over the entire range of rates of elongation, a high degree of elasticity at low load, a high degree of stiffness at high load, in order to limit the elongations beyond a predetermined level, and an ultimate (breaking) load that is high enough, in order to resume the maximum operating loads without damage.
OVERVIEW OF THE INVENTION
[0016] One of the objectives of the invention is therefore to overcome the disadvantages mentioned here above, by providing a hybrid cable having a simple and inexpensive design and possessing an elongation curve presenting the following:
a zone of low load in which the elongation increases rapidly as a function of the load and, when the yarn reaches a predetermined maximum rate of elongation, a zone of very high load in which there is almost no longer any increase in elongation.
[0019] The hybrid cable must have a high maximum rate of elongation, and advantageous behaviour over the entire range of rates of elongation.
[0020] To this end, and in accordance with the invention, a hybrid elastic cable is provided that comprises at least one filament yarn of a first type and at least one filament yarn of a second type, the filament yarn of the first type having a lower degree of tenacity than that of the filament yarn of the second type, and the filament yarn of the second type having a lower degree of elasticity than that of the filament yarn of the first type; the filament yarn of the second type, when a predetermined maximum rate of elongation of the hybrid cable is reached, is fully elongated and the filament yarn of the first type is wound in a helix around the filament yarn of the second type, characterised in that the filament yarn of the first type with the said maximum rate of elongation is wound in a helix around the filament yarn of the second type with a specific number of turns per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE −15% and n sE +15%, n sE being determined based on the following formula:
[0000]
n
sE
=
1000
π
(
ϕ
e
+
ϕ
K
)
×
K
max
×
(
K
max
+
200
)
K
max
+
100
[0021] in which φ e is the diameter in mm of the filament yarn of the first type at rest, φ K is the diameter in mm of the filament yarn of the second type, and K max is the predetermined maximum rate of elongation of the hybrid cable,
[0022] the filament yarn of the first type moreover being also twisted about itself with a specific number of distinct turns about itself per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE and 3×n sE , with the distinct turns about itself of the filament yarn of the first type being wound in the opposite direction from that of the said helix,
[0023] in a manner such that when the hybrid cable is at rest, the filament yarn of the second type is wound in a helix around the filament yarn of the first type, substantially without separation of the yarn of the second type or deformation of the hybrid cable.
[0024] In other words, the invention consists of winding together two filament yarns having very different mechanical properties, that is to say, one high elasticity filament yarn, and one high tenacity filament yarn, or in a more general manner, one filament yarn with higher elasticity and one filament yarn with higher tenacity, this combination being made such that the two filament yarns are wound, one around the other and vice versa, depending on whether the cable is at rest or in full extension/fully elongated. In order to facilitate proper understanding of the invention, in the remainder of the description, the filament yarn of the first type, that is the filament yarn with higher elasticity shall be qualified as “high elasticity filament yarn”, and the filament yarn of the second type, that is the filament yarn with higher tenacity shall be qualified as “high tenacity filament yarn”, it being understood that the degrees of elasticity and tenacity are assessed not in absolute terms, but in a relative manner between the two types of filament yarns.
[0025] In other words, the invention consists of producing a hybrid cable by combining a high elasticity filament yarn and a high tenacity filament yarn, which are assembled in a manner such that at rest, the high tenacity filament yarn comes to be spirally wound around the high elasticity filament yarn, and that as the elongation of the cable continues progressively, the relative positions of the two filament yarns get reversed, so as to result in a configuration in which from a certain rate of elongation, the high tenacity filament yarn has pushed the high elasticity filament yarn towards the exterior, and such that the latter comes to be spirally wound around the taut high tenacity filament yarn. It is thus to be understood that the hybrid cable according to the invention presents two very different behaviours depending upon the rate of elongation thereof. Thus, it behaves substantially like the high elasticity filament yarn of which it is made up until a predetermined rate of elongation. Then, when the predetermined rate of elongation has been reached, it behaves substantially like the high tenacity filament yarn of which it is made up, that is to say with the characteristic features of the latter. Such a hybrid cable structure also makes it possible to avoid all the wear and tear of the high tenacity filament yarns which when they are stretched taut are found to be almost rectilinear, and work in optimal conditions.
[0026] The advantageous behaviour of the hybrid cable is obtained by means of a particular choice of parameters for the cable, and in particular the number of turns in the winding of the two filament yarns twisted around each other.
[0027] Thus, in full extension, the hybrid cable according to the invention is in a configuration where the high elasticity filament yarn is wound in a helix around the high tenacity filament yarn with a number of turns per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE −15% and n sE +15%. n sE is determined as a function of the diameter of the high elasticity filament yarn, the diameter of the high tenacity filament yarn, and a predetermined maximum rate of elongation, based on the following formula:
[0000]
n
sE
=
1000
π
(
ϕ
e
+
ϕ
K
)
×
K
max
×
(
K
max
+
200
)
K
max
+
100
Formula
(
F
1
)
[0028] in which φ e is the diameter in mm of the of the high elasticity filament yarn at rest, φ K is the diameter in mm of the high tenacity filament yarn, and K max is the predetermined maximum rate of elongation, expressed as a percentage.
[0029] Preferably the high elasticity filament yarn is wound in a helix around the high tenacity filament yarn with a number of turns per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE −5% and n sE +5%, and more preferably between n sE −2% and n sE +2%.
[0030] The fact that the high elasticity filament yarn is coiled about itself—in other words twisted—with a specific number of distinct turns about itself, the distinct turns about itself winding in the opposite direction from that of the helix formed by the high elasticity filament yarn around the high tenacity filament yarn, promotes the winding of the high tenacity filament yarn around the high elasticity filament yarn when the hybrid cable returns from its fully extended configuration to its resting configuration.
[0031] The number of distinct turns about itself per linear metre of the cable at the maximum rate of elongation should range between n sE and 3×n sE preferably between n sE and 2×n sE .
[0032] The spiral shape of the high elasticity filament yarn and its deformation when the hybrid cable is released back to its rest configuration guides the high tenacity filament yarn and allows it to arrange itself in an orderly manner around the high elasticity filament yarn.
[0033] The various different elements described above, namely the number of turns of the high elasticity filament yarn around the high tenacity filament yarn at the maximum rate of elongation, and the fact that the high elasticity filament yarn is twisted about itself, provides the ability to obtain a hybrid cable with a very wide range of rate of elongation, and displaying advantageous behaviour, in particular when the cable is brought back to resting state.
[0034] Here the term advantageous behaviour refers to the fact that, over the entire range of elongation of the hybrid cable, from the resting state to the maximum elongation, the turns of the filament yarn wound in a helix tightly grip the filament yarn in a central position, preventing any relative sliding of the two filament yarns. Furthermore the cable is completely stable and does not tend to twist in one direction or the other. The cable of the invention behaves perfectly both when it undergoes an elongation from resting state to the maximum rate of elongation, as well as vice versa, and this occurs repeatedly.
[0035] Conversely, the term undesirable behaviour refers to the fact that the cable has a tendency to twist, or that the turns of the high tenacity filament yarn loses contact with the high elasticity filament yarn in the central position, which leads to the risk of relative sliding between the two filament yarns. The cable is destructurised with considerable slippage between the two filament yarns.
[0036] By adhering to the above specifications regarding the number of turns about itself of the high elasticity filament yarn and the number of turns of the high elasticity filament yarn when the hybrid cable is in fully elongated state, it is possible to manufacture a hybrid cable having advantageous behaviour for a range of rates of elongation going from 0 to several hundreds of %. The predetermined maximum degree of the hybrid cable is for example comprised between 100% and 400%, or even between 150% and 300%. The upper limit is defined for example by the number of contiguous turns of the high tenacity filament yarn that it is possible to place over the high elasticity filament yarn in resting state.
[0037] In resting state, the hybrid cable according to the invention is in a configuration where the high tenacity filament yarn is wound in a helix around the high elasticity filament yarn, with a number of turns per linear metre of the hybrid cable ranging between n SR −15% and n SR , +15%, n SR being determined based on the following formula:
[0000]
n
sR
=
10
π
(
ϕ
e
+
ϕ
K
)
*
K
max
×
(
K
max
+
200
)
Formula
(
F
2
)
[0038] The number of turns of the high tenacity filament yarn preferably ranges between n SR −5% and n SR , +5%, between n SR −2% and n SR +2%.
[0039] Thus, the cable possesses the property of passing from one configuration to another, while remaining in a stable state during its cycles of elongation and release.
[0040] Preferably, in order to obtain a cable having a marked transition between its two behaviours, that is, a low resistance to elongation, and very high mechanical resistance when stretched, the two filament yarns constituting the hybrid cable are chosen such that they have distinctly different properties. In order to do this, and depending upon the applications, it may be advantageous that the high tenacity filament yarn and the high elasticity filament yarn have moduli of longitudinal elasticity, whose ratio is greater than or equal to 10000. In other applications this ratio may be of the order of 100. Quite obviously, this ratio may be adapted according to the application. Typically this ratio is greater than 100, preferably greater than 1000.
[0041] According to another aspect of the invention, it is possible to use for the high elasticity filament yarn and/or the high tenacity filament yarn, yarns consisting of multiple filament yarns or individual mono filaments.
[0042] In practice, and depending upon the application, the high elasticity filament yarn may be selected from among the family of elastomers and in particular filament yarn of elastane or natural rubber, or a combination of these filaments or any other filament yarn that meets the specifications required by the particular application.
[0043] Furthermore, the high tenacity filament yarn may be selected from among the group consisting of: filament yarns of natural fibres, filament yarns of glass, of carbon, aramid, para-aramid, rayon, or a combination of these filament yarns, or more generally any the filament yarn obtained from a natural or synthetic material that has a higher tenacity than the other filament yarn of the cable, at a level consistent with the desired properties for the domain of properties.
[0044] In an advantageous embodiment, the hybrid cable includes at least one so called drawing yarn integrally joined along the said cable, the said drawing yarn having a low elasticity and being adapted to break under the effect of a predetermined load.
[0045] This facilitates the use of the hybrid cable in textile machines, for example weaving machines. The extension of the cable is limited by the drawing yarn during the manufacture.
[0046] In this case, the drawing yarn is preferably integrally joined to the said cable by means of at least one so called wrapping elastic filament yarn wound in a helix around the filament yarn of the first type, the filament yarn of the second type and the drawing yarn.
[0047] In an advantageous embodiment, the rate of elongation varies along the cable when the drawing yarn is tensioned, and preferably varies in a continuous manner. These rates of elongation are called “intermediate rates of elongation” in the following sections.
[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate rate of elongation along a first section is substantially constant at a first value. The intermediate rate of elongation along a second section is substantially constant at a second value. The transition between the first value of the rate of elongation and the second value of rate of elongation occurs over a relatively short length of cable.
[0049] In another exemplary embodiment, the intermediate rate of elongation along the first section varies in a continuous manner according to a predetermined rule, for example decreases in a continuous manner. The intermediate rate of elongation along the second section is substantially constant or varies in a continuous manner according to a predetermined rule.
[0050] Thus this hybrid cable has sections presenting different intermediate elongations when the drawing yarn is tensioned. If the cable is used for making a woven article, this article includes zones where cable has a higher intermediate elongation, and zones where the cable has a lower intermediate elongation. Once the drawing yarn is broken, the zones where the cable has a higher intermediate elongation will present a lower elasticity than the zones where the cable has a lower intermediate elongation. This property can be used to control the expansion of woven articles.
[0051] In another advantageous embodiment, the predetermined maximum rate of elongation varies along the cable. The cable is then typically free of the drawing yarn.
[0052] This variable maximum rate of elongation is obtained by causing the varying, along the cable, of the number of turns of the high elasticity filament yarn wound in a helix around the high tenacity filament yarn per linear metre of the hybrid cable. This is done at the time of manufacture. This number of turns is selected in a manner so as to satisfy the criterion regarding the number of turns of the high elasticity filament yarn set out above.
[0053] The number of turns of the high elasticity filament yarn about itself is also caused to vary, if necessary, so as to comply with the criterion set out above.
[0054] The cable itself may also be used for producing woven articles. It provides the ability to create in this article more elastic zones where the cable has a higher maximum rate of elongation, and lower elasticity zones where the cable has a lower maximum rate of elongation. This property can be used to control the expansion of woven articles.
[0055] By way of a variant, a drawing yarn is subsequently added to the cable, without modification of the rates of elongation of the various sections of the cable.
[0056] In any event, the criteria with respect to the number of turns about itself and the number of turns of the high tenacity filament yarn are complied with at all points of the cable.
[0057] Another object of the invention relates to a process for manufacturing an elastic hybrid cable having the characteristic features mentioned above, the process comprising the following steps of:
[0058] winding in a helix, of the filament yarn of the first type stretched around the tensioned filament yarn of the second type, with a number of turns per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE −15% and n sE +15%, n sE being determined based on the following formula:
[0000]
n
sE
=
1000
π
(
ϕ
e
+
ϕ
K
)
×
K
max
×
(
K
max
+
200
)
K
max
+
100
[0059] in which φ e is the diameter in mm of the filament yarn of the first type at rest, φ K is the diameter in mm of the filament yarn of the second type and K max is the predetermined maximum rate of elongation of the hybrid cable,
[0060] twisting of the filament yarn of the first type about itself with a specific number of turns about itself per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE and 3×n sE , the turns about itself of the of the filament yarn of the first type being wound in the opposite direction from the turns of the said helix.
[0061] Optionally, the method comprises a step of releasing the tension applied to the hybrid cable, in a manner such that the contraction of the filament yarn of the first type causes the filament yarn of the second type to be set in a configuration where it is wound in a helix around the filament yarn of the first type.
[0062] Advantageously, a strand is obtained upon conclusion of the steps of winding and twisting, the process further comprising the step of integrally joining at least one so called drawing yarn along the said strand, the said drawing yarn having a low elasticity and being adapted to break under the effect of a predetermined load, the step of integrally joining being carried out after the steps of winding and twisting.
[0063] Preferably, during the step of integrally joining, the rate of elongation of the section of the strand to which the drawing yarn is integrally joined is caused to be varied. The said section here corresponds to the section to which the drawing yarn is in the process of being integrally joined. This is achieved by ensuring varying of the ratio between the speed of unwinding imposed on the strand and the speed of unwinding imposed on the drawing yarn during the integrally joining step. This provides the ability to obtain a cable in which the intermediate rate of elongation varies along the cable.
[0064] As mentioned above, the rate of elongation may be constant or may vary in a continuous manner along the strand, or vary in incremental steps, etc.
[0065] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a manufactured object comprising at least one hybrid elastic cable having the abovementioned characteristic features.
[0066] For example the manufactured object comprises a sleeve woven making use of the hybrid cable, the hybrid cable including at least one so called drawing yarn integrally joined along the said cable, the sleeve comprising a plurality of warp yarns, the hybrid cable forming the weft yarn, the cable presenting at least first and second sections, the cable having first intermediate rates of elongation along the first section when the drawing yarn is tensioned, the cable having along the second section second intermediate rates of elongation lower than the first intermediate degrees of elongation when the drawing yarn is tensioned, the first section of the cable being an end section defining an end portion of the sleeve, the second section defining a central portion of the sleeve.
[0067] Advantageously, the cable has third intermediate rates of elongation along a second end section when the drawing yarn is tensioned, the second intermediate rates of elongation being lower than the third intermediate rates of elongation, the said second end section defining a second end of the sleeve.
[0068] For example, the first intermediate rate of elongation increases in a continuous manner from the free end of the hybrid cable up to the central section. Similarly, the third intermediate rate of elongation increases in a continuous manner, from the free end of the hybrid cable up to the central section. Typically, the second intermediate rate of elongation remains constant along the second section.
[0069] In another embodiment, the cable used to make the sleeve does not include the drawing yarn. The cable is of the type having a variable maximum rate of elongation, as described above. The said first section of the cable presents relatively lower maximum rates of elongation, while the said central section presents relatively higher maximum rates of elongation, and the said third section of the cable presents relatively lower maximum rates of elongation.
[0070] As before, the first maximum rate of elongation increases in a continuous manner from the free end of the hybrid cable up to the central section. Similarly, the third maximum rate of elongation increases in a continuous manner from the free end of the hybrid cable up to the central section. Typically, the second maximum rate of elongation remains constant along the second section.
[0071] At rest, the sleeve has a tubular shape. When the sleeve is expanded, the first section and the third section expand radially to a lesser extent than the second section. A sleeve having a cylindrical shape at rest adopts, after expansion, a spindle like shape, tapered at both its ends.
[0072] Advantageously the object includes an inflatable bladder, the sleeve being fitted around the bladder. The bladder may advantageously be inflated and cause expansion of the sleeve. The sleeve deforms in a controlled manner, which prevents the creation of wart like bumps on the bladder, at the first and second end of the sleeve.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0073] Other advantages and characteristic features will become clearly apparent from the description which follows, from the several variant embodiments, given by way of non-limiting examples, of the hybrid cable according to the invention, with reference made to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0074] FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a hybrid cable in accordance with the invention;
[0075] FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of the load of the filament yarn as a function of its elongation;
[0076] FIGS. 4A to 4D are schematic longitudinal sectional views from the side of the hybrid cable according to the invention at a rate of elongation of 0%, 75%, 140% and 147% respectively;
[0077] FIG. 5 is a simplified representation of a device for the manufacture of a hybrid cable in accordance with the invention;
[0078] FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a variant embodiment of the hybrid cable in accordance with the invention;
[0079] FIG. 7 is a simplified representation of a device for manufacturing the hybrid cable shown in FIG. 6 ;
[0080] FIG. 8 is a graphical representation of the load of the hybrid cable shown in FIG. 6 ;
[0081] FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic representation of a cable with a drawing yarn and a plurality of sections having rates of elongation that are different from each other when the drawing yarn is tensioned;
[0082] FIGS. 10 and 11 are simplified schematic representations of an assembly comprising of a bladder and a woven sleeve with the cable shown in FIG. 9 , respectively in rest and expanded states; and
[0083] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the high elasticity filament yarn shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0084] For the purposes of clarity, in the remainder of the description, the same elements have been designated with the same reference numerals in the different figures. In addition, the various sectional views are not necessarily drawn to scale and the dimensions of the elements may have been exaggerated to facilitate proper understanding of the invention.
[0085] Composition and Constitution of the Cable
[0086] With reference to FIG. 2 , the hybrid cable according to the invention is constituted from a high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) and a high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) which, when the hybrid cable is in a resting state, is wound in a helix around the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ).
[0087] The high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) may be selected from the yarns of the following group: elastomeric filament yarns such as filament yarns of polyurethanes, elastane filament yarns, or a combination of these yarns and the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) may be selected from the yarns of the following group: filament yarns of natural fibres such as cotton, flax or hemp yarns for example, glass filament yarns, carbon filament yarns, aramid yarn, para-aramid filament yarns, rayon filament yarns, or a combination of these yarns.
[0088] Preferably, the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) and the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) have a ratio between their moduli of elasticity greater than or equal to 10000. However, it is quite obvious that the ratio of the moduli of elasticity of the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) and high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) may have any value depending upon the field of application of the elastic cable according to the invention.
[0089] Moreover, it is indeed obvious that the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) and the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) could be respectively constituted of a plurality of elastic yarns and high tenacity yarns respectively, without in any way departing from the scope of the invention.
[0090] As shown in FIG. 12 , the high elasticity filament yarn 1 is twisted about itself, and forms a plurality of turns referred to below as turns about itself 3 .
[0091] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) is constituted from a natural rubber yarn whose modulus of longitudinal elasticity is about 2 MPa and whose diameter at rest is equal to 1.1 mm. The high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) is constituted from an aramid yarn having a linear density of 3300 dtex, marketed under the brand name Kevlar®, for example, of which the modulus of longitudinal elasticity is equal to about 30000 MPa and the diameter is equal to 0.6 mm. For a maximum rate of elongation K, max =150%, the formula (F1) outlined here above gives the number of turns n sE equal to 170.
[0092] Operation
[0093] With reference to FIG. 3 , it may be noted that the curve of elongation of the hybrid cable according to the invention has a low load zone (Zone 1), extending over the range 0% to 140%, of rate of elongation, in which the elongation increases rapidly as a function of the load. When the filament yarn reaches the predetermined maximum rate of elongation, that is K max =150%, the curve shows a very high load zone (Zone 2) in which there is almost no longer any increase in elongation.
[0094] Between these two zones (Zone 1, Zone 2), the curve has a short transition zone (Zone T), extending over the range 140% to 150% of rate of elongation, within which the behaviour of the cable shifts progressively from elastic behaviour to resistant behaviour, and vice versa.
[0095] Thus, the hybrid cable according to the invention behaves like an elastic whose elasticity is constant up to a predetermined elongation and, when the said predetermined elongation level has been reached, behaves like a high tenacity filament yarn, that is to say, demonstrating a very low elongation and very high resistance before breaking.
[0096] The evolving change in the behaviour of the cable may be understood upon examining the change in its configuration during its progressive elongation, with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4D . In order to visualise the elongation of the hybrid cable, a particular point of the cable has been highlighted by an identifying flag shaped reference marker ( 8 ), which shifts along with the elongation.
[0097] Thus, more precisely, and with reference to FIG. 4A , the hybrid cable at rest is presented in a configuration where the core is constituted by the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) around which is wound in a helix the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ), with a number of turns n SR in the example shown.
[0098] Within the range of elongation corresponding to the zone 1, with reference to FIG. 4B , the progressive elongation of the hybrid cable which is visualised through the shifting of the reference marker ( 8 ) translates into an identical elongation of the core consisting of the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ). The pitch of the turns of the helix formed by the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) is increased by a similar degree of expansion. The resistance demonstrated by the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) over the course of this elongation of its turns is almost zero, such that over the first phase of extension, the tensile strength of the hybrid cable is substantially equal to that of the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ).
[0099] This process continues until the rate of elongation of the hybrid cable is such that the high tenacity filament yarn comes to be in a state close to its full elongation state, that is to say about 140% in this exemplary embodiment. From this rate of elongation corresponding to the beginning of the zone of transition (zone T), with reference to FIG. 4C , it is found that the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) forces the elastic filament yarn ( 1 ), which was rectilinear until that point, to take the form of a helix. The high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) and the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) then form a double helix. This process continues over the short percentage range of the additional elongation corresponding to the transition range, that is to say the elongation range between 140% and 150% in the example illustrated.
[0100] At the end of the zone of transition, with reference to FIG. 4D , the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) reaches its state of full elongation and then constitutes the core of the hybrid cable, with the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) being found to be wound in a helix around the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ), with a number of turns that amounts to n sE in the example shown. Starting from this configuration, and up until the breaking point, the behaviour of the elastic cable is almost identical to that of the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ).
[0101] The high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) presents a specific number of turns about itself per linear metre of the cable that is double the number of turns formed by the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) around the high tenacity filament yarn in the state of full elongation. The turns about itself of the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) are wound in the opposite direction from the turns of the helix formed by the high elasticity filament yarn around the high tenacity filament yarn.
[0102] Manufacture
[0103] In a general manner for the assembly: the high tenacity filament yarn is brought into a state of full elongation, with a tension at least equal to that which corresponds to the beginning of the transition zone. The elastic yarn is brought to a rate of elongation substantially equal to the maximum rate of elongation desired for the hybrid cable. The twisting of the hybrid cable may be achieved by using either one or the other of various conventional processes for the twisting of cables: single twisting, double twisting, direct winding in particular.
[0104] With reference to FIG. 5 which presents an assembling and twisting device in particular, the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) that was previously stretched and twisted is unwound from a reel ( 10 ) equipped with a braking apparatus, the filament yarn then passes into a drive unit consisting of a motorised roller ( 11 ) and then through a hollow spindle ( 12 ) then through a ceramic assembly disc ( 9 ) where the assembly with the high tenacity filament yarn is carried out, the assembled cable then being subsequently driven by the motorised roller ( 14 ). Proper setting and adjustment of the braking apparatus of the reel ( 10 ) and of the speed of rotation of the roller ( 11 ) relative to that of the roller ( 14 ) ensures the ability to deliver the high elasticity filament yarn to the ceramic assembly disc ( 9 ) for assembly with a rate of elongation equal to the maximum rate of elongation desired for the hybrid cable.
[0105] The high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) is unwound from the reel ( 13 ), which is mounted on the hollow spindle ( 12 ). This filament yarn ( 2 ) passes through the ceramic pellet ( 8 ) where the assembly with the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) is carried out. The tensioning of the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) is performed by a braking system built in to the reel ( 13 ). The speed of rotation of the hollow spindle ( 12 ) over which the reel ( 13 ) is fixed is adjusted depending on the speed of rotation of the roller ( 14 ) in order to ensure the appropriate adjusting of the number of turns n sE , as calculated in accordance with the formula (Formula 1).
[0106] The hybrid cable ( 100 ) is driven by the roller ( 14 ) so as to be rewound onto a reel ( 15 ), at a tension level compatible with the subsequent uses.
[0107] With reference to FIG. 6 , a variant embodiment provides the ability to produce a wrapped hybrid cable ( 200 ) having a strand composed of the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) and the high elasticity yarn ( 1 ) arranged as described above, with which is combined a drawing yarn, having a low elasticity and being adapted to break under the effect of a predetermined load. Preferably the drawing yarn ( 18 ) may be formed by one filament yarn or a plurality of filament yarns obtained in the same material as the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) or in a material presenting a substantially equal modulus of longitudinal elasticity, an aramid filament yarn for example, and having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of the said high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) and therefore a breaking resistance substantially less than that of the said filament yarn ( 2 ). It is also possible to use a soluble yarn, which is placed under the appropriate conditions so as to ensure its dissolution when it is no longer useful.
[0108] This wrapped hybrid cable ( 200 ) includes the drawing yarn ( 18 ) extending substantially parallel to the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) forming the core of the cable, and an elastic wrapping yarn ( 20 ) wound in a helix around the assembly with a conventional number of turns, typically comprised between 60 and 200 per linear meter.
[0109] The addition of the drawing yarn serves the objective of setting in a precise manner an intermediate rate of elongation of the wrapped hybrid cable ( 200 ). In effect, when the drawing yarn is tensioned, the strand—and thus the hybrid cable—is in a partially stretched state, corresponding to the intermediate rate of elongation. Thus is fixed the magnitude of elongation between the intermediate state of the cable, wherein the drawing yarn is tensioned, and the state of full elongation, wherein the high tenacity filament yarn is fully tensioned. This state of full elongation is reached after the breaking of the drawing yarn. It should be noted that this setting adjustment can be done with great precision and with great latitude on the rate of elongation of the strand before combination with the drawing yarn. The adjustment is obtained by choosing the ratio between the speed of unwinding imposed on the strand and the speed of unwinding imposed on the drawing yarn.
[0110] With reference to FIG. 7 , the strand ( 100 ) is unwound from the reel ( 15 ) equipped with a braking apparatus; the strand ( 100 ) then passes into a drive unit consisting of a motorised roller ( 16 ), and then through a hollow spindle ( 17 ), then through a ceramic assembly disc ( 24 ) where the assembly with the drawing yarn is carried out, the assembled cable then being subsequently driven by the motorised roller ( 22 ). Appropriate braking of the reel ( 15 ) ensures the ability to bring the strand ( 100 ) on to the roller ( 16 ) in its state of maximum elongation. Proper adjustment of the speed of rotation of the roller ( 16 ) relative to that of the roller ( 22 ) ensures the ability to deliver the strand ( 100 ) with the intermediate rate of elongation desired at its point of assembly with the drawing yarn.
[0111] The drawing yarn is unwound from the reel ( 19 ) equipped with a braking apparatus. It passes through the hollow spindle and then through the assembly disc ( 24 ) where the assembly is carried out. The brake of the reel ( 19 ) is set in a manner such that the drawing yarn is delivered in a state of full elongation at the point of assembly.
[0112] An elastic filament yarn ( 20 ) having a small diameter is unwound from the reel ( 21 ) integrally secured to the hollow spindle ( 17 ) which is driven in rotation. The elastic filament yarn ( 20 ) passes through the ceramic assembly disc ( 24 ) where the wrapping takes place, by the elastic filament yarn ( 20 ), wrapping around the strand ( 100 ) and the drawing yarn ( 18 ) so as to form the wrapped hybrid cable ( 200 ). This cable ( 200 ) is driven by the roller ( 22 ), and then delivered, with the intermediate rate of elongation on to the storage reel ( 23 ).
[0113] Obviously the drawing yarn ( 18 ) may be integrally joined to the strand ( 100 ) that is to say, to the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) and the high tenacity filament yarn ( 2 ) by any other means known to the person skilled in the art, such as by bonding or otherwise, without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0114] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the wrapped elastic cable ( 200 ) may be continuously obtained without requiring the strand ( 100 ) to be spooled on to a reel ( 15 ), that is to say directly downstream of the operation of assembling the high elasticity and high tenacity filament yarns.
[0115] With reference to FIG. 8 , the elongation curve of the wrapped hybrid cable clearly shows a first tension peak at low elongation which corresponds to the tensioning of the drawing yarn ( 18 ). In this particular example, the breaking of the drawing yarn occurs at a tension of about 8 daN, at very low elongation. After the breaking of the drawing yarn ( 18 ), the resistance of the hybrid cable returns to a very low value, of the order of a few Newton which corresponds to the resistance of the high elasticity filament yarn ( 1 ) forming the core of the elastic cable. The cable then behaves in the same way as the hybrid cable having no drawing yarn ( 18 ). Thus, the curve then presents a zone of low load in which the elongation increases rapidly as a function of the load and, when the filament yarn reaches the predetermined maximum rate of elongation, that is 110%, a zone of very high load in which there is almost no longer any increase in elongation.
[0116] This drawing yarn ( 18 ) integrally joined to the hybrid cable ensures the ability to easily implement the hybrid cable, with an intermediate elongation determined by the drawing yarn during the various operations necessary for its uses, such as weaving, knitting or drawing, for example.
[0117] It also makes it possible to maintain a fixed form of a cable or a fabric obtained from at least one cable according to the invention until the moment where the elastic properties are expressed, by the breaking of the drawing yarn, such that beyond a predetermined stress level, the cable or the fabric can unfold freely until the final extension limit of the elastic cable.
[0118] In the variant embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , the hybrid cable is of the type shown in FIG. 6 . It comprises a strand ( 100 ) with a high elasticity filament yarn and a high tenacity filament yarn arranged according to the invention, a drawing yarn ( 18 ) and an elastic filament yarn (not shown) securing the drawing yarn to the strand ( 100 ). The hybrid cable includes first and second end sections ( 31 , 32 ), connected to each other by a central section ( 33 ). The cable ( 200 ) has first intermediate rates of elongation along the first end section ( 31 ) when the drawing yarn ( 18 ) is tensioned. The cable ( 200 ) has along the central section ( 33 ) the second intermediate rates of elongation that are lower than the first when the drawing yarn ( 18 ) is tensioned. The cable ( 200 ) has third intermediate rates of elongation along the second end section ( 32 ) when the drawing yarn ( 18 ) is tensioned, the second intermediate rates of elongation being lower than the third. In other words, the intermediate rate of elongation of the hybrid cable is variable along the hybrid cable. The first intermediate rate of elongation increases in a continuous manner along the first end section, from the free end of the cable towards the central portion. Similarly, the third intermediate rate of elongation increases in a continuous manner along the second end section from the free end of the cable towards the central portion. The intermediate rate of elongation is substantially constant along the central section.
[0119] Such a cable is obtained by ensuring varying of the setting of the speed of rotation of the roller ( 16 ) relative to that of the roller ( 22 ) during manufacture, in a manner so as to deliver the strand ( 100 ) with the rate of elongation desired at the point of assembly thereof with the drawing yarn, and more precisely by varying the ratio between the speed of unwinding imposed on the strand and the speed of unwinding imposed on the drawing yarn.
[0120] The elastic cable according to the invention will find numerous applications such as for example, for the production of belting and straps or bungee cords or the manufacture of inflatable sleeves or “packer” used in logging or in exploitation of sub surface resources in particular. It has particular application for producing a reinforcing sheath for a packer of the type described in the patent application PCT/FR2007/052534.
[0121] A packer is represented in a simplified manner in FIGS. 10 and 11 . This packer ( 40 ) comprises a mandrel ( 41 ) extending in a longitudinal direction, and a sealed and inflatable annular casing envelope ( 42 ) fitted around the mandrel ( 41 ). The casing envelope ( 42 ) is rigidly connected to the mandrel ( 41 ) by rings not shown, disposed at the two longitudinal ends of the casing envelope.
[0122] The casing envelope ( 42 ) comprises an inflatable and sealed bladder ( 43 ) (the broken lines in FIGS. 10 and 11 ), and a sleeve ( 44 ) (solid lines in FIGS. 10 and 11 ) fitted around the bladder ( 43 ).
[0123] The internal volume of the bladder is in communication with a source of pressurised gas, not shown, by means of passages in the mandrel ( 41 ). The casing envelope ( 42 ) is thus capable of selectively adopting a retracted state around the mandrel ( 41 ) ( FIG. 10 ) and a radially expanded state ( FIG. 11 ).
[0124] The sleeve ( 44 ) is woven, and therefore comprises a plurality of longitudinal warp yarns and a weft yarn interlaced with the warp yarns. The weft yarn is a hybrid cable of the type shown in FIG. 9 . The first end section ( 31 ) of the cable is used for weaving a first end portion ( 45 ) of the sleeve, the second section ( 33 ) for weaving a central portion ( 46 ) of the sleeve, and the second end section ( 32 ) of the cable for weaving an end portion ( 47 ) of the sleeve.
[0125] The sleeve ( 44 ) is woven by interlacing the warp yarns with the weft yarn, in a manner known per se. This operation is performed using the hybrid cable ( 200 ) in a state of elongation where the drawing yarn ( 18 ) is tensioned.
[0126] It follows therefrom that the first and second end portions ( 45 , 47 ) of the sleeve are made with a weft yarn having the first and third intermediate rates of elongation varying in a continuous manner, while the central portion is formed with a weft yarn having a constant second intermediate rate of elongation, which is lower than the first and third intermediate rates of elongation.
[0127] When the casing envelope passes into its expanded state, the guide yarn of the hybrid cable is broken, which allows the hybrid cable to extend to its maximum rate of elongation. The first and second end portions ( 45 , 47 ) are then subjected to a lesser degree of radial expansion than the central portion ( 46 ). Indeed, the ratio between the intermediate rate of elongation and maximum rate of elongation is higher for the central section ( 33 ) than for the two end sections ( 31 , 32 ) of the hybrid cable.
[0128] The sleeve will therefore adopt a bladder form, as shown in FIG. 11 . The end portions ( 45 , 47 ) have increasing cross sections when they are longitudinally followed, from the end of the sleeve to the central section ( 46 ). The central section ( 46 ) has a substantially constant cross section. For example the end sections have frustoconical shapes and the central section has a cylindrical shape.
[0129] The bladder in the expanded state of the casing envelope, fills the sleeve and has substantially the same shape as the latter. The two longitudinal ends of the bladder thus present no zones where the material constituting the bladder is excessively stretched (warts), which might cause the rupture of the bladder over time.
|
Hybrid elastic cable comprising at least one elastic filament yarn ( 1 ) and at least one resistant filament yarn ( 2 ), the elastic filament yarn ( 1 ), at a maximum rate of elongation of the cable, is found to be wound in a helix around the resistant filament yarn ( 2 ) with a specific number of turns per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE −15% and n sE +15%, n sE being determined based on the following formula:
n
sE
=
1000
π
(
ϕ
e
+
ϕ
K
)
×
K
max
×
(
K
max
+
200
)
K
max
+
100
in which φ e is the diameter in mm of the elastic filament yarn ( 1 ) at rest, φ K is the diameter in mm of the resistant filament yarn ( 2 ), and K max is the predetermined maximum rate of elongation of the hybrid cable,
the elastic filament yarn ( 1 ) moreover being also twisted about itself with a specific number of distinct turns about itself per linear metre of the cable ranging between n sE and 3×n sE , the distinct turns about itself of the elastic filament yarn ( 1 ) being wound in the opposite direction from that of the said helix.
| 3
|
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a U.S. national phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/059704 filed Sep. 14, 2007 with claiming priority of European Application No. EP 06019947.8 filed Sep. 23, 2006.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a device for camouflaging objects and/or persons, and to a method for its production.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0003] Camouflaging objects is becoming more and more difficult because of the use of more recent technologies, such as radar, infrared night vision devices, and the like, so that conventional camouflage nets, camouflage suits, and the like offer hardly any protection against recognition any more. It is true that measures are known to prevent radar recognition, in particular, such as coating camouflage nets or objects to be camouflaged with a coating based on metallic fillers, such as on the basis of metallic powders or metallic fibers, or on the basis of ferrite, such as carbonyl iron ferrite.
[0004] Coatings based on ferrite, in particular, have the disadvantage that they are relatively heavy, and the coating process is not without problems. Individual coloring is also not always possible, because of the filler based on iron.
[0005] In EP 1703247, a radar-shielding textile material is described, which has at least two plies and also has a spacer layer. The proposed woven fabric is relatively complicated, particularly in its production, and also relatively heavy.
[0006] It is therefore a task of the present invention to propose a measure for camouflaging objects and/or persons to prevent recognition.
[0007] According to the invention, a device is characterized by a knitted or woven fabric that is provided with a coating, having or containing at least one inherently conductive polymer (referred to as ICP). It has been shown that surprisingly, coatings based on what are called ICP polymers, which have recently become known, can be used to achieve a similar effect as when using conventional polymers that contain metal fibers or metal powder as fillers.
[0008] In other words, it is proposed, according to the invention, to provide a knitted or woven fabric, such as that in general use for camouflage purposes at present, with a coating based on an ICP, such as, in particular, based on polythiophenes.
[0009] Possible ICPs are polymers based on polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophenes; these conductive polymers are generally available on the market on the basis of solutions or dispersions. These polymers, i.e. solutions or dispersions of them, are offered for sale by Ormecon GmbH in Ammersbeck; Panipol, Finland; DSM, Holland; BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, and H.C. Starck GmbH, Leverkusen, among others, to mention only a few.
[0010] Woven or knitted textiles, such as those on the basis of polyesters, polyamide, aramid (aromatic polyamides), as well as polypropylene, or mixed woven fabrics made of the aforementioned materials, can be used as camouflage materials.
[0011] The proposed camouflage material is based on a knitted fabric or an open woven fabric. For shielding against radar ranges of 8 to 12 GHz, metal threads, such as those based on constantan or silver, for example, can be worked into the textile at intervals of approximately 3 to 5 mm, horizontally and vertically, i.e. as warp and weft threads.
[0012] To increase the shielding effect, it is proposed to additionally provide the woven fabric as mentioned above with a coating.
[0013] Coating of the woven or knitted fabric can take place using usual coating methods, such as spraying it on, applying it using a doctor blade, immersing the fabric in an immersion bath, etc. In this connection, the commercially available dispersions or solutions of the aforementioned conductive polymers can have additional additives added to them, such as wetting agents, thickeners, dispersants, solvents, UV stabilizers, color pigments, flame retardants, cross-linking agents to increase the water resistance and solution resistance of the final coating, etc.
[0014] Depending on the conductivity of the coating to be achieved, it is furthermore possible to add other additives that increase conductivity, such as carbon fibers, metal fibers, etc., to the formulation to be applied as a coating.
[0015] The formulation to be applied should be adapted to the woven or knitted fabric that is used, and with regard to the conductivity to be achieved, i.e. the ability to shield against radar radiation.
[0016] The coated camouflage material produced according to the invention can be used for any desired use, particularly for military purposes, where objects, persons, or animals must be protected against radar recognition. This can involve vehicles, buildings, heavy weapons, or the material can be used as camouflage suits for groups of troops.
[0017] Of course, it is advantageous if the camouflage material used is provided with the camouflage patterns or camouflage coloring that is usual and known at present, by means of corresponding coloring or surface texturing, in order to additionally guarantee good camouflage against visual recognition. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the woven or knitted fabric used has a certain optical transparency, on the order of approximately 10 to 40%, preferably 15 to 35%.
[0018] Camouflage materials produced according to the invention thus finally demonstrate a conductivity on the order of approximately 300 Ohm/sq to 35 kg Ohm/sq {sic-kg appears to be superfluous here, and the second number (35) appears to be incorrect}.
[0019] As already mentioned above, the proposed camouflage material is based on a knitted fabric or an open woven fabric. For shielding in the radar range of 8 to 12 GHz, metal threads, such as those based on constantan or silver, for example, are preferably worked into the textile at intervals of 3 to 5 mm. The effect of these threads is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . As can particularly be seen in FIG. 2 , this arrangement demonstrates little effect at very high frequencies. For this reason, the woven fabric is additionally coated with a conductive material such as one based on polythiophenes, as proposed according to the invention. The effect of this coating is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . The surface conductivity should amount to approximately 1000 Ohm/sq. The effect of this coating is independent over the frequency, leaving out what is called the skin effect. As described in the article “{in English:} Simple Formulas for estimating the microwave shielding effectiveness of EC-coated optical windows,” Claude A. Klein, SPIE Volume 1112, Window and Dome Technologies and Materials, 234 (1989), for example, the shielding effect decreases greatly in the case of thin layers, with increasing surface resistance, due to the skin effect. For this reason, only a slight effect is achieved with such a layer at 10 GHz, but at 94 GHz, the effect as shown in FIG. 4 is achieved. By combining the installation of thin threads into an open woven or knitted fabric with the application of a coating of conductive materials, it is possible to produce a material that provides optimal shielding against microwaves over a large frequency range. The advantage of this method as compared with the use of a conductive layer having very much lower surface resistance lies in the more sparing use of the very expensive conductive polymers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] As described in the above paragraph, the attached figures show the following:
[0021] FIG. 1 : Shielding of the reflection of microwave radiation of a metal plate in the range of 8 to 12 GHz by means of parallel wires having a thickness of 1 micron, made of constantan. Distance of wires from one another: 5 mm, distance from the metal plate: 10 cm,
[0022] FIG. 2 : Shielding of the reflection of microwave radiation of a metal plate in the range of 8 to 94 GHz by means of parallel wires having a thickness of 1 micron, made of constantan. Distance of wires from one another: 5 mm, distance from the metal plate: 10 cm,
[0023] FIG. 3 : Shielding of the reflection of the microwave radiation at 8 to 12 GHz of a metal plate, by means of a layer having a surface resistance of 1000 Ohms/sq, ignoring the “skin effect.” Distance from the metal plate: 10 cm,
[0024] FIG. 4 : Shielding of the reflection of the microwave radiation at 89 to 99 GHz of a metal plate, by means of a layer having a surface resistance of 1000 Ohms/sq. Distance from the metal plate: 10 cm.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The present invention will be explained in greater detail, using an exemplary embodiment that will be described in the following, as an example.
[0026] A camouflage net was used, based on a woven polyester fabric or a woven aramid fabric, having a weight of 120 to 150 g/m 2 .
[0027] For the coating, a dispersion from the company Agfa-Gevaert Ltd. with the name Orgacon 5300, i.e. based on polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT), was used.
[0028] Before the coating of polyethylene dioxythiophene is applied, the textile is preferably coated with a thin polyurethane coating. This pre-coating closes the surface slightly, and ensures that less PEDOT is absorbed by the textile during the immersion bath described in the following.
[0029] Coating of the woven polyester fabric or woven aramid fabric took place by means of immersion coating in a bath based on Orgacon 5300, dissolved or dispersed in the following composition:
[0000]
N-methyl-2-2pyrrolidone
5-10%
Diethylene glycol
1-5%
2-Heptadecyl benzimidazole-4sulfonic acid
0.5-1%
[0030] adding:
[0000]
Water
60-80%
Styrene/butyl/acrylate copolymer
1-5%
Polymethyl methacrylate
1-5%
Silica (silicic acid)
0.5-1%
[0031] Coating takes place in the aforementioned bath, in accordance with generally known, usual immersion coating methods, and the coating process preferably takes place twice, using the immersion method. Using up this solution yields approximately 2×145 ml/m 2 of woven fabric.
[0032] In addition, the following chemicals can be used for the coating:
[0033] Urepol (polyurethane)
[0034] Ammonia
[0035] Flame retardant
[0036] Dispersant
[0037] and, if necessary, thickener (not absolutely necessary).
[0038] The woven polyester fabric saturated or coated with Orgacon in this manner was squeezed out slightly and dried at 160° C. by means of hot air or a heat emitter, for example, for approximately 120 sec; additional cross-linking can take place in the coating by using a cross-linking agent, for example.
[0039] For simultaneous flame retardancy, approximately 100 g/l flame retardant (for example cyclic phosphorus compound) and approximately 5 g/l ammonia are required (flame retardancy brings about a clearly softer hand). In this connection, the temperature must be raised to approximately 190-200° C., in order to achieve diffusion of the flame retardant into the polyester fibers.
[0040] If a more stable hand is to be achieved, 50-100 g/l polyurethane dispersion and approximately 10 g/l melamine should be used. This addition of polyurethane is also sufficient to support the application or adhesion of pigments, for example.
[0041] A slight increase in viscosity brings about better water retention capacity.
[0042] Subsequent to the coating process, the efficiency of the camouflage material produced according to the invention against radar radiation was measured, and yielded a reflected radar signal, with reference to a metal plate (0:100% reflection, ˜18 db: 1.6% reflection).
[0043] The measurement is shown in the attached FIG. 5 , in the diagram shown there.
[0044] Fundamentally, it should be explained that coating of the woven or knitted fabric can take place using any known coating method, such as, in particular, an immersion method. In other words, the coating methods, i.e. the immersion methods described, are generally usual methods for coating textile or non-textile woven or knitted fabrics, for example.
[0045] The present invention is, of course, by no means restricted to simple woven fabrics such as those usually used for camouflage nets, but rather coating by means of an electrically conductive polymer can be used for any kind of textile or technical woven or knitted fabric, such as also for two-layer, three-dimensional knitted fabrics that are called raschel knitted fabrics. It has been shown, for example, that by using two-ply woven or knitted fabrics, the radar-shielding properties can be increased by means of the interstice formed between the layers.
|
A knitted or woven material is proposed for camouflaging objects or persons, having a coating that comprises or has at least one conductive polymer (ICP). Suitable substances for the coating are conductive polymers, for example based on polythiophene (PEDOT).
| 8
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application Serial No. TO2009A000146, which was filed Feb. 27, 2009, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
Various embodiments relate to the techniques for dimming light sources. The description has been prepared with particular attention to the potential application in light sources that use light-emitting diodes (LED), for example high-current LEDs.
BACKGROUND
The block diagram in FIG. 1 refers to a “three wire” dimming solution. In the block diagram in FIG. 1 , the reference S indicates a light source fed via a driver D connected to three wires, specifically:
a pair of wires 10 that supply power (taking it, for example, from a continuous voltage source), and a third wire 12 carrying a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal that commands the dimming function.
The power supplied via the pair of wires 10 is in fact a continuous power supply and the driver D transfers the power to the source S as a function of the PWM signal on the wire 12 , in particular as a function of its duty cycle: the luminosity of the source S is in fact a function of the average intensity of the current flowing through the source S, an intensity that in turn depends on the duty cycle of the control signal.
The block diagram in FIG. 2 refers instead to a system in which the dimming function is realized with a “two wire” system interposing on at least one of the wires of the pair 10 a switch T (for example an electronic switch such as a MOSFET) that is opened and closed using a PWM control signal.
In this case, the power supply of the driver D is no longer continuous but intermittent as schematized in FIG. 3 , including two parts indicated respectively with a) and b). The two parts of FIG. 3 are two diagrams that illustrate as a function of a single time scale (x-axis scale, indicated with t), respectively:
the closed, i.e. conductive (“Ton”), or open, i.e. non-conductive (“Toff”), state of the switch T, and the ideal flow of the supply power to the driver D.
In the drawing in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the dimming function is therefore implemented by controlling, using PWM, the power supply line 10 interrupting in a controlled manner the electrical power to the driver D. By controlling the switching frequency of the switch T such that it is higher than the sensitivity range of the human eye (related to the persistence of the image on the retina), the overall effect achieved is to make the light source S, a function of the average intensity of the current flowing through the source S, dependent on the duty cycle of the PWM signal used to turn the switch T on and off.
Compared to the “three wire” drawing in FIG. 1 , the “two wire” drawing in FIG. 2 presents the advantage of doing without one of the wires, which makes the circuit simpler and cheaper. Furthermore, the use of the circuit in FIG. 2 must take into account the presence, at the input of the driver D, of the capacitance C observable as a whole downstream of the switch T, capacitance which may also include at least one capacitor included in the input stage of the driver D.
In operation of the circuit, when the switch T is open, i.e. not conductive, the capacitance C supplies power to the driver D, with the resulting reduction in the voltage present in that capacitance. When the switch T is made conductive again, a voltage step creating an inrush current is applied to the capacitance C. The peak value of this current is nominally limited only by the parasitic resistance of the power supply line including the switch T and the capacitance C and is a function of the width of the aforementioned voltage step, this being the difference between the input voltage from the power source (or the source powering the line 10 ) and the residual voltage on the capacitance C when the switch T is closed again. This voltage step is therefore a function of the value of the capacitance C and the switching speed (frequency) of the switch T.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In various embodiments, a device for dimming a light source is provided. The device may include a two-wire power supply line having interposed therein a switch for controlling transfer of said power supply towards said light source; a capacitance located downstream of said switch being traversed by a charge current as said switch is switched on; and a pre-charge stage interposed between said switch and said capacitance; said pre-charge stage being configured to limit to a given value said charge current.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments are described, purely by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached figures, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a “three wire” dimming solution,
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a “two wire” system in which a dimming function is realized,
FIG. 3 illustrates the closed or open state of a switch and the ideal flow of a supply power to a driver,
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preferred aspect of the disclosure,
FIG. 5 illustrates one aspect of the disclosure,
FIG. 6 illustrates another aspect of the disclosure,
FIG. 7 , including four temporarily superposed diagrams, marked respectively a), b), c) and d), illustrates the temporary trend of certain signals present in the device in FIG. 4 ,
FIG. 8 illustrates another aspect of the disclosure, and
FIG. 9 illustrates another aspect of the disclosure.
DESCRIPTION
The description below illustrates various specific details to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the embodiments. The embodiments may be realized without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail so as not to obscure the different aspects of the embodiments.
Reference to “an embodiment” in this description indicates that a particular configuration, structure or characteristic described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as “in one embodiment”, which may appear in various places in this description, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific formations, structures or characteristics may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments.
The references used herein are used solely for convenience and therefore do not define the field of protection or scope of the embodiments.
From FIG. 4 onwards, parts, elements or components identical or equivalent to parts, elements or components already described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 are marked with the same references, making it unnecessary to repeat the related descriptions.
It shall also be seen that, in some embodiments, the basic solution illustrated in FIG. 4 (interposing between the switch T and the capacitance C a pre-charge stage intended to limit—with an on/off function or with continuous adjustment—the inrush current on closure of the switch T) may advantageously use one or more components already present in the basic drawing in FIG. 2 .
In various embodiments, FIGS. 5 and 6 refer to an embodiment in which the pre-charge stage P is implemented around a “buck” converter 14 inserted in a negative-feedback drawing.
The drawing in FIG. 6 shows a possible embodiment of the buck converter 14 , containing a low-pass LC module comprising an inductor 16 and a capacitor 18 (in fact, arranged in parallel with the capacitance C and potentially included in said capacitance). The converter 14 may also include a diode 20 connected to the LC module 16 , 18 a π configuration with the cathode of the diode 20 connected to the inductor 16 .
The reference T B indicates a control switch that permits/prevents (respectively when closed, i.e. conductive, and when open, i.e. non-conductive) the transfer of power from the line 10 to the driver D. As a result, even though the switch T B is shown here as a separate component, in one embodiment its function may be incorporated into the function of the switch T.
The switch T B is commanded by a control module 22 that receives, via a difference node 24 , a signal representative of the difference between the intensity of the current Iout flowing from the stage P to the capacitance C (signal Isense—line 26 ) and a peak reference current value (Ipeak ref—line 28 ).
In diagram a) of FIG. 7 , Toff indicates the period of time for which the switch T is open, i.e. non-conductive; Ton however indicates the period of time for which the switch T is closed, i.e. conductive. The ratio Ton/(Ton+Toff) therefore indicates the duty cycle of the PWM control signal of the switch T used to command the dimming function of the source S.
In one embodiment, the control law implemented by the module 22 states that at the instant the switch T is closed (moving from Toff period to Ton period in diagram a) of FIG. 7 ) the switch T B is also closed thereby allowing the capacitance C (and the capacitor C B in FIG. 6 ) to be charged by the current Iout.
The sensing action performed via the line 26 makes it possible to adjust the intensity of the current Iout so that it does not exceed—at least in terms of the average value—the maximum peak value (Ipeak ref) set for the line 28 .
In one embodiment, the module 22 is configured such that when the intensity of the charge current Iout sensed as Isense on the line 26 reaches the peak value Ipeak ref set for the line 28 (which causes the output signal produced by the node 24 to drop to zero) the module 22 opens the switch T B interrupting the current flow across it.
This operating mode results in a sequence of opening and closing cycles of the switch T B (at a frequency greater than the frequency of the PWM signal driving the switch T) as shown in diagram d) of FIG. 7 .
The practical result is as shown in diagram b) of FIG. 7 , i.e. keeping the intensity of the current (average value) flowing out of the stage P (current Iout) within the reference value set Ipeak ref. All of which results in the charging of the capacitance C according to an at least approximately linear gradient, of the type shown in diagram c) of FIG. 7 .
The intervention of the control switch T B concludes when the capacitance C is fully charged, at the end of the gradient in diagram c) of FIG. 7 , for example once a continuous voltage corresponding to the voltage of the source applied to the pair of power supply wires 10 has been stabilized at the terminals of the capacitance C.
Under such conditions, the current Iout leaving the stage P is practically entirely absorbed as Idriver current by the driver D; the difference (Iref peak−Isense, with Isense=Idriver) generated by the difference node 24 is always at a high level, such as to ensure that the switch T B remains stably closed. Under such conditions the pre-charge state P is in fact “transparent” optimizing the power flow to the driver D.
When the switch T is opened again, the switch T B may remain at a high level thus reducing the losses in the successive Ton cycle.
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a simplified, low-cost embodiment of the solution described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 .
In the drawing in FIG. 8 the reference 30 indicates a sensing resistor that detects the intensity of the current Iout generating a corresponding signal Isense on the line 26 .
The difference node 24 is implemented using a differential amplifier that receives:
on the inverting input, the signal present on the line 26 , on the non-inverting input, a reference voltage signal Vref indicative of the maximum threshold value of the current Ipeak ref.
The output of the comparator 24 can be used to directly drive the switch T B , which can be implemented using a MOSFET.
By way of example, when the MOSFET T B is closed, the output current in the stage P starts to increase (beginning of gradient in diagram c) of FIG. 7 ) with an angular coefficient defined by the value of the inductor 16 and the input and output voltages. When the voltage at the inverting input of the comparator 24 reaches the value Vref, the output of the comparator changes from “high” to “low”.
This often occurs with a typical delay of the comparator and, during this delay, the current continues to increase until the output of the comparator 24 changes causing the opening of the MOSFET T B , causing the output current to begin to drop.
As a result, the voltage at the inverting input of the comparator 24 also drops down again to the value present on the non-inverting input (voltage Vref) such as to cause, in all cases with the intrinsic delay of the comparator 24 , a new change of the output level, with the consequent switching of the MOSFET T B to a conductive state.
In other words, the comparator 24 is configured to detect the instant in which the intensity Isense of the charge current reaches (rising and falling, in the sample embodiment considered here) the value Ipeak ref and to command the switching of the control switch T B with a delay with respect to said instant.
Repeating this opening/closing mechanism of the switch represented by the MOSFET T B substantially determines the regulation of the current Iout with an average value linked to the voltage Vref and a ripple proportionate to the response delay of the comparator 24 (which induces an hysteresis mechanism in the switching having a stabilizing effect).
In full operation (capacitance C fully charged), with a current Idriver in the charge (driver D) below the maximum value admitted for the charge current, the MOSFET T B remains stably closed enabling the normal transfer of the power supply to the driver D (until the switch T is opened).
In the embodiments considered here, the switch T and the switch T B occupy different positions in the circuit as a whole. As stated above, in one embodiment, the function of the switch T B (for example MOSFET) may be in fact integrated into the function of the switch T, providing for the adjustment function of the charge current of the capacitance C represented by the rapid opening/closing sequence of the switch T B illustrated in diagram d) of FIG. 7 to be part of the drive function of the switch T as implemented in the section of the period Ton in which the PWM signal that drives the dimming function of the source S is such as to make the switch T conductive (“on” state).
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 (in which again parts, elements and components similar or equivalent to those already described are indicated using the same references) a control function similar to the one described above, instead of having a “digital” method of turning the switch represented by the MOSFET T B on and off, is actuated by using a MOSFET 33 as an analogue controller, i.e. as a current modulator.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , the resistor 30 that acts as the sensor to detect the intensity of the charge current Iout is again present. The MOSFET 33 acts as a current modulator interposed on the power supply line and driven by the sensor 30 to modulate the charge current Iout as a function of the intensity detected by the sensor 30 itself, limiting the charge current again as a function of a value Ipeak ref.
For this purpose, the MOSFET 33 (here an n channel type) is connected such that the current Iout flows through its source-drain line. The gate of the MOSFET 33 is connected to an electronic switch 32 , including, in the sample embodiment shown, an n-p-n bipolar transistor. The sensing resistor 30 (which detects the intensity of the current Iout) is here connected between the base and the emitter of the transistor 32 itself. A Zener diode 34 is then connected via its cathode and its anode, respectively, to the collector and the emitter of the transistor 32 .
The power flow to the driver D is as before controlled, using PWM, by the switch T that, in the same embodiment illustrated, is connected to the anode of the Zener diode 34 as well as to the emitter of the transistor 32 .
The MOSFET 33 has, as shown, its source-drain line crossed by the current Iout and is connected via its gate to the common connection point of the collector of the transistor 32 and of the cathode of the Zener diode 34 . This common connection point is then connected via a resistor 36 to the “high” wire of the power supply line 10 .
In the case of the embodiment in FIG. 9 , when the switch T is closed at the beginning of the period Ton, the gate voltage of the MOSFET 33 is at a high level and the MOSFET 33 is inhibited, with the gate voltage of the MOSFET 33 clamped to the Zener value of the diode 34 , chosen such as to maintain this voltage at a level below the maximum gate-source voltage permitted for operation of the 33 .
As soon as the switch T is closed, the current Iout begins to increase charging the capacitance C and causing a corresponding increase in the voltage detected at the terminals of the sensing resistor 30 . When this voltage reaches the base-emitter threshold voltage Vbe on of the bipolar transistor 32 , this transistor, initially inhibited, starts to conduct drawing current across its collector and causing (as a result of the increase of the voltage drop across the resistor 36 ) a reduction in the gate voltage of the MOSFET 33 . The MOSFET 33 is then operating in its linear operating region and acts as a controlled-voltage current modulator or regulator, limiting as before the charge current flowing through it.
The resistance value of the resistor 30 is chosen such as to make the switch 32 conductive and to trigger the regulation action of the MOSFET 33 such as to limit the peak value of the charge current of the capacitor C to a given maximum value. By way of example, increasing the resistance value of the resistor 30 results in a reduction of the value of the current Iout that triggers the modulation action of the MOSFET 33 , and therefore a consequent reduction of the maximum value reached by the charge current Iout.
Again, when the full-operation conditions are reached (capacitance C fully charged) the operation of the circuit stabilizes in a rated condition causing (with the maximum peak value admitted for the inrush current greater than the rated charge current Iout=Idriver of the charge in normal operation) the voltage at the terminals of the resistor 30 to be lower than the voltage Vbe on which causes the bipolar transistor 32 to become conductive. In the aforementioned full-operation conditions, the transistor 32 is inhibited, while the MOSFET 33 is entirely conductive.
Again in this case, once the transient of the inrush current has been contained at the desired value, the pre-charge stage P is transparent in terms of normal operation of the circuit.
It will be seen that the solution described here makes it possible to implement fully effective, low-cost two-wire dimming. It is also possible to use the pre-charge stage P for any power range and, potentially, also to drive additional D units.
The pre-charge stage described, intended to manipulate the conditions in which it is possible to determine an excessively high inrush current, is in all other respects entirely transparent in the other operating phases of the circuit.
In various embodiments, the inventors have determined that the above mentioned inrush current can reach quite high intensity values, with the risk of damaging the switch T and/or the input capacitor or capacitors of the unit D. Moreover, if the power supply connected to the lines 10 is provided with protection against overloads, such a current could trigger the protection and interrupt the power supply.
Various embodiments are intended to overcome these potential drawbacks.
According to various embodiments, this scope is achieved using a device having the features set out in the claims below.
Various embodiments also concern a corresponding method.
The claims are an integral part of the technical explanation provided herein in relation to various embodiments.
In one embodiment, the solution described here involves placing upstream of the driver a pre-charge stage capable of acting between the switch T and the capacitance C such as to limit the aforementioned current.
Notwithstanding the invention principle, the implementation details and the embodiments may therefore vary significantly from the descriptions given here purely by way of example, without thereby moving outside the scope of the invention, as defined in the attached claims.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the invention is thus indicated by the appended claims and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced.
|
In various embodiments, a device for dimming a light source is provided. The device may include a two-wire power supply line having interposed therein a switch for controlling transfer of the power supply towards the light source; a capacitance located downstream of the switch being traversed by a charge current as the switch is switched on; and a pre-charge stage interposed between the switch and the capacitance; the pre-charge stage being configured to limit to a given value the charge current.
| 3
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for converting the energy in water waves into electrical power.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, there has been considerable concern regarding future energy needs due to eventual depletion of fossil fuels and to safety problems of nuclear power. Thus there has been renewed interest in research into various devices for converting energy in naturally occurring fluid streams or currents into electrical energy. For example, it has been estimated that there is enough power theoretically recoverable from ocean waves to satisfy present global demand for electricity.
Some prior art wave powered generators have turbine blades or the like designed to be rotated by wave motion. In efforts to reduce back resistance and energy loses on the return path of the blades; some known devices have been proposed with retractable blades. It has also been proposed to employ cup-like blades which have louvers which open to allow fluid flow through the blades during their return cycles of rotation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of this invention is to provide a novel wave powered generator for converting energy in water waves into electrical power.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rotating vane assembly with novel means for reducing resistance to rotation of the vanes and loss of energy during return of the vanes to power generating upper positions.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a bouyant support structure moored in a body of water, a vane assembly for extracting energy from water waves, and a generator coupled to one or more shafts rotated by the vane assembly. The vane assembly includes a plurality of vanes connected to respective ones of a series of horizontal shafts. The vanes are positioned so that in upper position they are struck by water waves that cause the shafts to rotate due to rotation of the vanes and to transmit energy to the generator. The vanes which are hollow and buoyant have elongated slots through which the respective shaft extends. Gear teeth around the periphery of the slots engage teeth on gears connected to the shafts. The slots are wider than the diameter of the gears on the shafts so that the shaft gears engage teeth on only one side of the slot. After an initially upright vane end is rotated downwardly by wave action to allow the horizontal; buoyancy causes the other end of the vane to move upwardly into position to be impacted by a subsequent wave to repeat the cycle. While a vane is moving upwardly due to its buoyancy, the gears mesh without loss of energy.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an end view of one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line II--II of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one of the vanes of the invention showing associated gears.
FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates a wave powered electrical generating apparatus in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. The apparatus includes a plurality of rotatable, hollow, buoyant vanes 12. As best seen in FIG. 3, the vanes have elongaed longitudinal slots 14 which have gear teeth 16 around their peripheries which form an internal gear. A shaft 18 extends through each vane and has a spur gear 20 which engages the gear teeth 16. Shafts 18 are coupled to generators 22 via sprockets 24 on shafts 18, roller chains 26, and a sprocket 28 on shaft 30.
The vanes are buoyant, airtight hollow metal bodies. At rest, the vanes are generally upright with an upper end extending above the surface of the water. Flat arcuate fins 32 are preferably attached to each vane 90 degrees from each other for the purpose of increasing the surface area exposed to the waves and to increase the efficiency of utilization of wave energy. Hinges 33, which are preferably single acting ball bearing steel hinges with adjustable tension, bias the fins towards extended positions in contact with stops 34.
Endless tracks 35 are welded or otherwise suitably secured at each side of the vanes 12. Each track has a V-shaped outer surface and is supported by and rotates upon a pair of guide wheels 36. The guide wheels are rotatably mounted via bushing 38 upon a support frame 40. The tracks stabilize the vanes during rotation and eliminate excessive side-to-side movement and binding. In addition, the tracks enable the vanes to rotate downwardly without the internal gear teeth 16 inadvertently becoming disengaged from spur gear 20.
A ratchet 42 on shaft 18 and a pawl 44 on support frame 40 limit the vanes and shaft 18 to rotation in one direction, counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 3.
The width of slots 14, i.e., the transverse distance between the outer surfaces of teeth 16 on opposite sides of the slot, is greater than the outer diameter of spur gear 20. Accordingly, at any given time the spur gear is driven by gear teeth on only one side of slot 14.
In operation, assuming that a particular vane 12 is initially substantially upright; the cycle commences with an oncoming wave impacting upon the surface of the upper end of the vane. Transfer of energy from the wave to the vane causes the vane to rotate downwardly. The gear teeth 16 meshed with spur gear 20 cause a corresponding rotation of shaft 18. This rotation of the vane continues until the vane rotates to below the horizontal. At this point a plurality of spherical weights 46 in the hollow vane roll downwardly into the end of the vane which had initially been up at the surface of the water. This causes an abrupt shift in the center of gravity of the vane. With the gears still engaged, the buoyancy of the light end of the vane assists in causing this end to swing up breaking the surface of the water, and the vane comes to an upright position to complete the cycle.
As seen in FIG. 2, the submerged fins 32 are deflected against the bias of hinges 33 to reduce resistance to rotation. When a given vane approaches the upright position, the tension in hinge 33 moves the fin 32 to its extended position against stop 34 to present its maximum surface for contact with the next wave.
Power is transmitted from shafts 18 to the generators 22 by roller chains 26. Flywheels 48 at the ends of shafts 30 compensate for the periodicity of the waves and make rotation of shafts 30 more uniform.
In lieu of spherical weights 46, a sliding weight in a track or a suitable non-corrosive liquid filling part of the vane might be employed to shift the center of gravity of the vanes.
Floats such as hollow tanks 50 are attached to an upper support frame 41 to provide buoyancy for the apparatus. The support frame 40 which carries the vanes 18 is vertically adjustable relative to the upper support frame 41 via lugs 52 on frame 40, cable 54, and a winch 56 which is attached to upper support frame 41. Thus the depth of the vanes in the water may be adjusted.
The apparatus may be anchored in place by suitable means, such as cleats 58 to which ropes or cables might be attached. In shallow water, augers 60 attached to support frame 40 may be imbedded in the ground beneath the apparatus.
The size and shape of the vanes and fins may be varied, e.g., depending upon the normal wave configurations of a given location. Preferably the vanes are positioned so that the principal incident wave direction is at right angles to shafts 18, in order to obtain maximum energy transfer to the vanes. If desired, a plurality of vanes may be provided on each shaft 18. In such case, the vanes on each shaft could be fixed relative to each other at different angular orientations to allow more consistent rotation of the shafts.
|
Electrical energy is generated from waves in a body of water employing a support member, buoyant vanes connected to a shaft and rotated by the waves, and a generator coupled to the shaft. Each vane has an elongated slot that the shaft extends through. Cooperating gear teeth around the periphery of the slots and on the shaft cause radial movement of the vanes relative to the shaft during the rotation of the vanes.
| 5
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/452,561 filed Jun. 14, 2006, filed in the name of Robert J. DiTullio and entitled “Storm Water Retention Chambers”, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/392,581 filed Mar. 20, 2003 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,241 dated Jun. 5, 2007, filed in the name of Robert J. DiTullio and entitled “Storm Water Chamber for Ganging Together Multiple Chambers”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to septic systems, and more particularly to a leaching or drainage system for a septic system which uses lightweight, molded chamber structures, which chamber structures are positioned so as to form an interconnected field for efficient distribution of fluid entering the chamber structures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Molded chamber structures are increasingly taking the place of concrete structures for use in leaching fields or to gather stormwater run off. Molded chamber structures provide a number of distinct advantages over traditional concrete tanks. For example, concrete tanks are extremely heavy requiring heavy construction equipment to put them in place. In leaching fields and stormwater collection systems, the gravel used in constructing them is difficult to work with and expensive. It also tends to settle and reduces the overall volume of the trench by as much as 75%.
[0004] Attempts have been made to overcome the limitations that are attendant upon the use of traditional septic systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,151 to DiTullio (“the '151 patent”), which represents one such attempt, discloses a drainage and leaching field system comprising vacuum-molded polyethylene chambers that are designed to be connected and locked together in an end-to-end fashion. The chambers comprise a series of pre-molded polyethylene bodies with an arch-shaped configuration having upstanding ribs running transverse to the length of the chamber. The ribs provide compressive strength to the chamber so as to inhibit crushing of the chamber by the weight of earth under which it is buried, as well as the weight of persons, vehicles, etc. which pass over the buried chamber. The rib at an end portion of the chambers is provided slightly smaller than the remaining ribs so that to connect the chambers to one another in an end-to-end fashion, one need simply position the first rib of one chamber over the slightly smaller rib on a second chamber. This may be referred to as an overlapping rib connection. The chambers are typically positioned in a trench on top of a bed of materials that facilitates the flow of fluid into the earth.
[0005] While the drainage and leaching field system disclosed in the '151 patent provides numerous benefits over traditional systems, including the provision of a lightweight, easy to install and structurally sound system, the system disclosed in the '151 has been improved upon, which improvements form the basis of the present invention. More specifically, it has been recognized that it is desirable to increase the flow of effluent or stormwater from chamber to chamber. For example, it is known to connect chambers in an end-to-end fashion as disclosed in the '151 patent, thereby providing for the free flow of fluid along that particular row of connected chambers. However, each separate row of chambers has typically been connected to one or more adjoining rows of chambers by relatively small diameter pipe. While the chambers themselves are relatively large to accommodate a large volume of fluid, the pipes interconnecting the different rows of chambers restrict the free flow of fluid throughout the field. In addition, traditionally the interconnecting pipes have been positioned relatively high on the chambers. This means that fluid flow between the chambers will not occur until the fluid level rises at least to the level of the interconnecting pipe. This is undesirable because the fluid is not uniformly distributed throughout the field but instead is maintained generally at the end where the input pipe is located. Another problem with this configuration is that fluid “falling” out of the interconnecting pipe to the floor into the next row of chambers, has a tendency to undermine the base that the chamber sits on creating a situation in which the system may begin to sink.
[0006] Another problem with the interconnecting pipes is that any penetration of the side walls of the chambers has traditionally caused an unacceptable weakening in the chamber. Accordingly, in order to maintain the structural integrity of the chamber, interconnecting pipes have traditionally been restricted to entering the ends of the chamber rows. However, depending upon the configuration of the jobsite, this is not always convenient or even possible.
[0007] Therefore, what is desired is a system that facilitates the generally even distribution of fluid throughout a drain field or leaching field using molded chamber structures.
[0008] It is further desired to provide a system that facilitates the even distribution of fluid throughout a drain field or leaching field while at the same time not reducing the structural integrity of the molded chamber structures.
[0009] It is still further desired to provide a system that facilitates the even distribution of fluid throughout a drain field or leaching field while at the same time reduces or substantially eliminates any undermining of and/or damage to the bed upon which the molded chamber structures are positioned.
[0010] It is yet further desired to provide a drain field or leaching field system utilizing molded chamber structures that allows for increased variability in the layout and positioning of the molded chamber structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] These and other objects are achieved in one advantageous embodiment by the provision of a connection chamber that may be inserted in a row of molded chamber structures. The connection chamber in similar in construction with the standard molded chamber structures, however, includes an arch-shaped cut out in at least one side wall for receiving an arch-shaped row connector therein. In this manner, multiple connection chambers may be used to connect multiple rows of chambers by means of row connectors extending between each row of chambers.
[0012] It is contemplated that the connection chambers may include an end wall at each end of the connection chambers, providing increased strength and support. However, such end walls are not required. When end walls are provided, such as integrally molded end walls, various pre-formed cut outs may be provided in the end walls, which may be cut depending upon the application. For example, it may be desirable to cut out a portion of the lower part of the end wall to allow free flow of fluid along a length of the connection chamber to the molded chamber structure to which it is connected. Alternatively, the end walls may be provided as separate insertable pieces also provided with pre-formed cut outs therein.
[0013] It is further contemplated that the length of the connection chambers may, in one advantageous embodiment, be provided shorter than a length of the standard molded chamber structures that it is connected with. The connection chambers are provided with a plurality of upstanding ribs, providing increased strength to the structure.
[0014] The arch-shaped cut out provided at a bottom portion in the sidewall of the connection chambers is sized to receive an arch-shaped row connector, which may be formed as a miniature molded chamber structure. The row connector may or may not be provided with end wall sections. In either event, once the arch-shaped cut out is removed by the user, an end of the row connector may be inserted therein providing a continuous connection from one row to the next. The row connector is arch-shaped, including the plurality of upstanding ribs and therefore provides a very sturdy connection from row to row. In addition, as the ends of the row connector are positioned in relatively close tolerance within the arch-shaped cut out of the connection chambers, the side walls of the row connectors are prevented from spreading upon the application of a relatively large downward force. While the connection chambers have had portions of the side walls removed, the insertion of the row connectors into the cut out also provides support to the connections chambers themselves. It is further contemplated that the row connectors may further by attached to the connection chambers providing even further support to the system.
[0015] Advantageously, the arch-shaped cut out for the connection chambers is provided at a lower portion of the side wall. In this manner, a continuous connection from row to row is provided such that, fluid flowing from chamber to chamber and from row to row may easily run along the top of the bed of materials the chambers are resting upon. This is advantageous as the fluid may then be fairly evenly distributed among the rows of chambers while at the same time not compromising the integrity of the chambers.
[0016] In one advantageous embodiment, a system for using molded chamber structures to collect waste water or storm water is provided comprising an arch-shaped connection chamber. The arch-shaped connection chamber is provided with an elongated body portion including a plurality of upstanding ribs positioned along a length thereof and an open bottom. The connection chamber is further provided with an end rib, positioned at one end of the elongated body portion, the end rib being smaller than the plurality of ribs and designed to mate with a larger rib at an end of a chamber structure to couple the connection chamber to the chamber structure in an end-to-end fashion. The connection chamber is still further provided with a first arch-shaped cut out positioned at a bottom portion in a side wall of the connection chamber.
[0017] In another advantageous embodiment, an arch-shaped connection chamber for coupling together rows of molded chamber structures is provided comprising a body portion including an open bottom, and an upstanding end rib, positioned at one end of said body portion, the end rib designed to mate with a starting rib at an end of a chamber structure to couple the connection chamber to the chamber structure in an end-to-end fashion. The connection chamber further comprises a first arch-shaped cut out positioned at a bottom portion in a side wall of the connection chamber, the cut out formed to engage with an arch-shaped row connector.
[0018] In still another advantageous embodiment, a method of connecting molded chamber structures to each other is provided comprising the steps of coupling a first connection chamber to a first row of chamber structures in an end-to-end fashion, and coupling a second connection chamber to a second row of chamber structures in an end-to-end fashion. The method further comprises the steps of providing an arch-shaped cut out in a side wall of the first and second connection chambers, the arch-shaped cut outs positioned at lower portions of the side walls, and coupling the first connection chamber to the second connection via an arch-shaped row connector.
[0019] Other objects of the invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from consideration of the following drawings and accompanying detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a molded chamber structure according to the prior art.
[0021] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a connection chamber according to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 3 is an illustration of how the connection chamber of FIG. 2 is connected to a molded chamber structure.
[0023] FIG. 4 is an illustration according to FIG. 3 of the connection chamber coupled to a molded chamber structure.
[0024] FIG. 5 is an illustration of how a row connector couples to a connection chamber according to FIG. 2 .
[0025] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a row connector coupling two rows of chambers together via two connection chambers according to FIG. 2 ; and
[0026] FIG. 7 is an overhead view of one field arrangement utilizing the chambers according to FIG. 6 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding structure throughout the views.
[0028] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a molded chamber structure 10 according to the prior art. As can be seen from the illustration, the molded chamber structure 10 generally comprises an arch-shaped body portion 12 that includes a plurality of upstanding ribs 14 . The body portion 12 is provided with an open bottom such that side walls 16 essentially rest on the surface of the bed of materials. The molded chamber structure 10 may or may not be provided with an end wall.
[0029] Molded chamber structure 10 is provided with a starting rib 18 , which is designed to mate with end rib 116 on connection chamber 100 ( FIG. 2 ). Molded chamber structure 10 typically comprises, for example, a vacuum-molded polyethylene chamber. However, other polymer materials may be used, including injection molded polypropylene.
[0030] Turning now to FIG. 2 connection chamber 100 is illustrated. Connection chamber 100 generally comprises an arch-shaped body portion 102 including a plurality of upstanding ribs 104 . Connection chamber 100 also comprises side walls 106 , which extend downward to rest on the surface of the bed of materials having an open bottom.
[0031] Provided at a lower portion of side wall 106 is arch-shaped cut out 108 . In one advantageous embodiment, cut out 108 may be formed as a relatively flat pre-formed section that may be removed by the user depending upon the application. It is further contemplated that two arch-shaped cut outs 108 may be provided opposite each other on connection chamber 100 . In this manner, the cut outs 108 may individually be removed depending upon the positioning of the connection chamber 100 in the field provide improved versatility to the user.
[0032] Also depicted in FIG. 2 is end wall 110 . It is contemplated that end wall 110 may be integrally molded with arch-shaped body portion 102 , or alternatively, may be provided as a removable wall section. End wall 110 may further be provided with pre-molded cut outs, which may variously be used as needed. For example, a relatively small arch-shaped cut out 112 may be provided at a lower end of end wall 110 , or a relatively large arch-shaped cut out 114 may be provide at a lower end of end wall 110 . These are just two examples of cut out configurations that may be provided in end wall 110 . It is contemplated that many differing designs may advantageously be used.
[0033] It is contemplated that, in one advantageous embodiment, connection chamber 100 may comprise, for example, a vacuum-molded polyethylene material. An inspection port 118 may further be provided on an upper surface of arch-shaped body portion 102 . The inspection port 118 is provided such that a user may visually inspect the interior of the connection chamber 100 and correspondingly coupled molded chamber structures 10 .
[0034] Also provided on connection chamber 100 is end rib 116 , which is located at one end of arch-shaped body portion 102 . End rib 116 is provided as a smaller rib than that plurality of upstanding ribs 104 . In this manner, end rib 116 may be mated with starting rib 18 provided on molded chamber structure 10 . Connection is relatively simple and quick. The molded chamber structure 10 may simply be dropped down over connection chamber 100 as shown in FIG. 3 , to form a chamber row ( FIG. 4 ).
[0035] While connection chamber 100 is illustrated connected to one end of molded chamber structure 10 , it is contemplated that it may be positioned anywhere along the length of the row and that multiple connection chambers 100 may be utilized in a single row to facilitate the free movement of fluid throughout the field.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 5 , connection chamber 100 is illustrated along with row connector 120 . Connection chamber 100 is shown with arch-shaped cut out 108 removed. Row connector 120 is sized to fit into cut out 108 with relatively tight tolerance. As can be seen from the illustration, row connector 120 generally comprises a body portion 122 with a plurality of upstanding ribs 124 .
[0037] Provided at either end of row connector 120 is an end rib 126 . It is contemplated that cut out 108 is sized to closely match the arch-shaped contour of body portion 122 . In this manner, when the arch-shaped cut out 108 is positioned over to settle between upstanding ribs 124 , (in particular between end rib 126 and the next rib of the plurality of upstanding ribs 124 ), row connector 120 cannot be withdrawn from cut out 108 without connection chamber 100 first being lifted upward to clear end rib 126 .
[0038] This interlocking feature provides a secure connection between connection chamber 100 and row connector 120 . This is especially advantageous when, during backfilling of the excavation, the dirt may have a tendency to laterally push against the chamber structures. It is important to avoid any fill from entering the interior of the chambers as that will diminish the capacity of the chamber system and impede the free flow of fluid throughout the field. Therefore, an interlocking system that substantially prevents lateral movement of row connector 120 is highly advantageous.
[0039] It is further contemplated that row connector 120 may or may not be provided with an end wall 128 , which is illustrated as in dashed line in FIG. 5 . The relatively close tolerance of cut out 108 not only interacts with end rib 126 to prevent withdrawal of row connector 120 from cut out 108 , but also acts to prevent the side walls of row connector 120 from spreading apart relative to each other due to, for example, a downward load applied to the top of row connector 120 . The end wall 128 , when used, will further provide structural support to row connector 120 .
[0040] It is contemplated that row connector 120 , like connection chamber 100 , may comprise, for example, a vacuum-molded polyethylene material.
[0041] Turning now to FIG. 6 , a number of connection chambers 100 , molded chamber structures 10 , and a row connector 120 are illustrated in an interconnected arrangement. In this illustration, an inlet pipe 20 is shown entering one of the connection chambers 100 . Arrows are provided to indicate the flow of fluid entering through inlet pipe 20 , passing through a first connection chamber 100 , and moving down the row. The fluid is also shown passing through row connector 120 into the second row of chambers. In this manner, the fluid may be as evenly distributed as possible throughout the field of chambers.
[0042] It is further contemplated that the inlet pipe 20 may further comprise a row connector 120 , or that multiple inlets may be provided to the chambers to further evenly distribute the fluid throughout the field of chambers. Still further, multiple row connectors may be provided to connect rows to each other as desired.
[0043] Referring now to FIG. 7 , a field of chambers 200 , is illustrated including a first row 202 , a second row 204 and a third row 206 of interconnected chambers. In this configuration, inlet pipe 20 is shown feeding fluid into one end of second row 204 . Second row 204 is coupled to first row 202 and third row 206 via row connectors 120 . Accordingly, fluid entering second row 204 is not only transferred down the length of second row 204 , but also to first row 202 and third row 206 .
[0044] While connection chambers 100 are depicted at end positions relative to the three rows 202 , 204 , 206 , it is contemplated that the connection chambers 100 may effectively be placed anywhere along the rows as desired or dictated by the particular job site.
[0045] This provides versatility to the user, where the interconnecting chambers may be laid out and fed in virtually any manner convenient. Due at least in part to the configuration of the connection chambers 100 , even distribution throughout the chamber field is possible without compromising the structural integrity of the field of chambers.
[0046] Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.
|
A connection chamber for waste water and storm water collection, the connection chamber including an arch-shaped cut out in a side thereof, the arch-shaped cut out sized to receive an arch-shaped row connector, which is provided to couple rows of chambers to each other. The coupling of various rows of chambers to each other facilitates the relatively even flow of fluid throughout the field of chambers.
| 4
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a gate, and more particularly to a gate that keeps children or pets out of restricted areas that may cause injury to children or allow pets to ruin objects in the area.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Virtually all children and young pets are very active and curious so parents and pet owners have to be vigilant and pay nearly constant attention to keep children from being injured or pets from ruining furniture or household objects.
[0005] With reference to FIG. 12 , a conventional gate comprises a frame ( 70 ), a gate door ( 71 ) and a latch ( 72 ). The frame ( 70 ) is U-shaped and has four outer corners, two proximal inner corners, four holes ( 701 ) and four mounting bolts ( 73 ). The holes ( 701 ) are formed respectively at the outer corners. Each mounting bolt ( 73 ) has a threaded shaft, a proximal end, a distal end and a threaded collar ( 731 ). The proximal end of the bolt ( 73 ) extends into the hole ( 701 ) of the frame ( 70 ). The collar ( 731 ) is against the frame ( 70 ). The rear end of the bolt ( 73 ) is against a wall to install the frame ( 70 ).
[0006] The gate door ( 71 ) is mounted pivotally on the two proximal inner corners of the frame ( 70 ) and has a top distal corner.
[0007] The latch ( 72 ) is mounted on the top distal corner of the gate door ( 71 ) and latches the gate door ( 71 ) to the gate post ( 70 ).
[0008] The frame ( 70 ) can be mounted in any entryway, such as a kitchen doorway, a living room archway, the top or bottom of a staircase or the like.
[0009] However, the latch ( 72 ) cannot lock the gate door ( 71 ) closed in the frame ( 70 ), and children or pets can unlatch and open the gate door ( 71 ) without any trouble and get into the restricted area.
[0010] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a gate to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a gate that keep children or pets from getting into specific areas.
[0012] The gate has a frame, a gate door, a latch and a latch seat. The gate door is mounted pivotally in the frame. The latch is mounted on a top corner of the gate door. The latch seat is mounted on a top inner corner of the frame. The latch engages the latch seat to latch the gate door in the frame. The gate door is not easy to unlatch so children or pets are not able to get into a restricted area.
[0013] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gate in accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the gate in FIG. 1 ;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the a latch in FIG. 1 ;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a front view of the gate in FIG. 1 ;
[0018] FIG. 5 is an operational front view of the gate in FIG. 4 ;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a front internal view of the latch in FIG. 3 in a latched position;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a front internal view of the latch in FIG. 6 ;
[0021] FIG. 8 is an operational front internal view of the latch in FIG. 3 unlatched;
[0022] FIG. 9 is an operational front internal view of the latch in FIG. 3 locked in a latched position;
[0023] FIG. 10 is an enlarged operational cross sectional front view of a locking bolt in FIG. 5 in a locked position;
[0024] FIG. 11 is an enlarged operational cross sectional front view of the locking bolt in FIG. 5 retracted when the gate closes; and
[0025] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a conventional gate in accordance with the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 , a gate in accordance with the present invention comprises a frame ( 10 ), a hinge pin seat ( 20 ), a latch seat ( 30 ), a gate door ( 40 ), a latch ( 50 ) and four mounting bolts ( 60 ).
[0027] The frame ( 10 ) has four outer corners, an opening ( 11 ), a top inner proximal corner and a top inner distal corner. Each outer corner has a threaded hole ( 101 ). The opening ( 11 ) is formed in the frame ( 10 ) and has a bottom edge, a pivot hole ( 13 ) and a locking plate ( 12 ). The pivot hole ( 13 ) is formed in the bottom edge of the opening ( 11 ). The locking plate ( 12 ) is mounted on the bottom edge of the opening ( 11 ) and has a locking bolt hole ( 121 ) formed in the locking plate ( 12 ).
[0028] The hinge pin seat ( 20 ) is attached to the top inner proximal corner of the frame ( 10 ) and has a barrel ( 21 ). The barrel ( 21 ) is formed in the hinge pin seat ( 20 ) and has an inclined inner end.
[0029] With further reference to FIG. 6 , the latch seat ( 30 ) is attached to the top inner distal corner of the frame ( 10 ) and has two side surfaces, a latch pin recess ( 31 ), a latch bolt recess ( 32 ) and two inclined notches ( 33 ). The latch pin recess ( 31 ) and latch bolt recess ( 32 ) are formed horizontally in the latch seat ( 30 ). The inclined notches ( 33 ) are formed respectively on side surfaces of the latch seat ( 30 ) and communicate with the latch pin recess ( 31 ).
[0030] The gate door ( 40 ) has a top proximal corner, a top distal corner, a bottom, a bottom pivot pin ( 41 ), a top pivot pin ( 42 ), a locking bolt seat, a spring ( 431 ) and a locking bolt ( 43 ). The bottom pivot pin ( 41 ) protrudes down from the bottom of the gate door ( 40 ) and is mounted pivotally and slidably in the pivot hole ( 13 ) in the frame ( 10 ). The top pivot pin ( 42 ) is attached to the top proximal corner of the gate door ( 40 ), has an inclined bottom surface and is rotatably mounted in the barrel ( 21 ) in the hinge pin seat ( 20 ). The locking bolt seat is mounted on the bottom of the gate door ( 40 ). The locking bolt ( 43 ) and the spring ( 431 ) are mounted in the locking bolt seat. With reference to FIG. 10 , the locking bolt ( 43 ) is held in the locking bolt hole ( 121 ) of the frame ( 10 ).
[0031] With reference to FIG. 3 , the latch ( 50 ) is attached to the top distal corner of the gate door ( 40 ) and has a front casing ( 51 ), a rear casing ( 52 ), a latch block ( 55 ), a latch pin ( 53 ), a knob ( 56 ) and a release button ( 54 ).
[0032] The front casing ( 51 ) has a top, a front surface, a front end, a button recess ( 511 ), a latch pin cutout ( 512 ), a latch bolt cutout ( 513 ) and a through hole ( 514 ). The button recess ( 511 ) is formed in the top of the front casing ( 51 ). The latch pin cutout ( 512 ) and the latch bolt cutout ( 513 ) are formed in the front end of the front casing ( 51 ). The through hole ( 514 ) is formed through the front surface of the front casing ( 51 ).
[0033] The rear casing ( 52 ) is attached to the front casing ( 51 ) and has a top, a rear surface, a front end, a button recess ( 521 ), a latch pin recess ( 522 ), a latch block recess ( 525 ), a latch pin cutout ( 523 ) and a latch bolt cutout ( 524 ). The button recess ( 521 ) is formed in the top of the rear casing ( 52 ) and mates with the button recess ( 511 ) in the front casing ( 51 ) to form a button hole. The latch pin recess ( 522 ) and the latch block recess ( 525 ) are formed horizontally inside the rear casing ( 52 ). The latch pin cutout ( 523 ) and the latch bolt cutout ( 524 ) are formed in the front end of the rear casing ( 52 ). The latch pin cutout ( 523 ) communicates with the latch pin recess ( 522 ) and mates with the latch pin cutout ( 512 ) in the front casing ( 51 ) to form a latch pin hole. The latch bolt cutout ( 524 ) communicates with the latch block recess ( 525 ) and mates with the latch bolt cutout ( 513 ) in the front casing ( 51 ) to form a latch bolt hole.
[0034] The latch block ( 55 ) is mounted slidably in the latch block recess ( 525 ) in the rear casing ( 52 ) and has a distal end, a side, a latch bolt ( 551 ), an eccentric hole ( 552 ) and a spring ( 57 ). The latch bolt ( 551 ) is formed on and protrudes from the distal end of the latch block ( 55 ), extends through the latch bolt hole in the latch ( 50 ) and engages the latch bolt recess ( 32 ) in the latch seat ( 30 ). The eccentric hole ( 552 ) is formed through the side of the latch block ( 55 ).
[0035] The spring ( 57 ) is mounted between the latch block ( 55 ) and the rear casing ( 52 ) and has a front end and a rear end. The front end of the spring ( 57 ) presses against the side of the rear casing ( 52 ). The rear end of the spring ( 57 ) presses against the latch block ( 55 ) to disengage the latch bolt ( 551 ) from the latch bolt recess ( 32 ).
[0036] The latch pin ( 53 ) is mounted in the latch pin recess ( 522 ) in the rear casing ( 53 ) and has a front end, a rear end and a spring ( 531 ). The front end of the latch pin ( 53 ) protrudes through the latch pin hole in the latch ( 50 ) and engages the latch pin recess ( 31 ) in the latch seat ( 30 ). The spring ( 531 ) is mounted around the rear end of the latch pin ( 53 ) and presses against the rear end of the latch pin ( 53 ) and the latch pin recess ( 522 ) to make the front end protrude through the latch pin hole.
[0037] The knob ( 56 ) has an inside surface and an eccentric shaft ( 561 ). With further reference to FIG. 7 , the eccentric shaft ( 561 ) is formed on and protrudes from the inside surface of the knob ( 56 ), extends through the through hole ( 514 ) in the front casing ( 51 ), engages the eccentric hole ( 552 ) in the latch block ( 55 ) and has an eccentric edge ( 5611 ). With further reference to FIG. 9 , rotating the knob ( 56 ) counterclockwise causes the eccentric edge ( 5611 ) of the eccentric shaft ( 561 ) to press against the eccentric hole ( 552 ) in the latch block ( 55 ) and push the latch bolt ( 551 ) through the latch bolt cutout ( 524 ). Continuing to rotate the knob ( 56 ) causes the eccentric edge ( 5611 ) to lock in place and hold the latch bolt ( 551 ) in the latch bolt recess ( 32 ) in the latch seat ( 30 ). Rotating the knob ( 56 ) clockwise releases the eccentric edge ( 5611 ) from the eccentric hole ( 552 ), and the spring ( 57 ) retracts the latch bolt ( 551 ) from the latch bolt recess ( 32 ) in the latch seat ( 30 ).
[0038] The release button ( 54 ) is mounted in the button hole in the latch ( 50 ) and has a bottom, two actuating legs ( 542 ) and multiple springs ( 541 ). The actuating legs ( 542 ) are formed on and protrude down from the bottom of the release button ( 54 ) in parallel on opposite sides of the latch pin ( 53 ) and have respectively an inclined edge. With further reference to FIG. 8 , the inclined edge retracts the latch pin ( 53 ) from the latch pin recess ( 31 ) in the latch seat ( 30 ) when the release button ( 54 ) is pressed down. The springs ( 541 ) press against the bottom of the release button ( 54 ) and press the release button ( 54 ) up in the button hole in the latch ( 50 ) when the release button ( 54 ) is released.
[0039] The mounting bolts ( 60 ) are mounted respectively in the threaded holes ( 101 ) in the outer corners of the frame ( 10 ), and each mounting bolt ( 60 ) has a distal end, a locking nut ( 61 ), a threaded shaft and a head. The locking nut ( 61 ) has a threaded central hole. The threaded shaft screws through the locking nut ( 61 ) and into the threaded hole ( 101 ) in a corresponding outer corner of the frame ( 10 ). The head is formed on the distal end of the mounting bolt ( 60 ). The mounting bolts ( 60 ) are screwed out of the threaded holes ( 101 ) until the heads press against structural members such as walls, banister posts, doorframes or the like to hold the gate in place. The locking nuts ( 61 ) are tightened respectively against the outer corners to keep the mounting bolts ( 60 ) from loosening.
[0040] Three distinct actions are required to open the gate, and two of the actions must be performed simultaneously. The three essential actions consist of turning the knob ( 56 ), pressing the release button ( 54 ) and lifting the gate door ( 40 ). As previously described, turning the knob ( 56 ) and pressing the release button ( 54 ) retract the latch bolt ( 551 ) and the latch pin ( 53 ) respectively from the latch bolt recess ( 32 ) and latch pin recess ( 31 ) in the latch seat ( 30 ). With further reference to FIGS. 5 and 11 , the gate door ( 40 ) must also be lifted up to release the locking bolt ( 43 ) at the bottom of the gate door ( 40 ) from the locking bolt hole ( 121 ) in the frame ( 10 ) when the release button ( 54 ) is pressed down. The coordinated actions required to open the gate door ( 40 ) are relatively easy for an adult, are difficult for a child and are virtually impossible for a pet.
[0041] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
|
A gate has a frame, a gate door, a latch and a latch seat. The gate door is pivotally mounted in the frame. The latch is attached to a top corner of the gate door. The latch seat is attached to a top inner corner of the frame. The latch seat and the latch engage each other to latch the gate door to the frame. Unlatching the gate door requires multiple actions so children or pets are not able to open the gate. The safety of children is assured, and pets will not ruin objects isolated by the gate.
| 4
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to loop handling operations over an array of data items in a single instruction multiple datapath (SIMD) processor architecture.
BACKGROUND
Parallel processing is an efficient way of processing an array of data items. A SIMD processor is a parallel processor array architecture wherein multiple datapaths are controlled by a single instruction. Each datapath handles one data item at a given time. In a simple example, in a SIMD processor having four datapaths, the data items in an eight data item array would be processed in each of the four datapaths in two passes of a loop operation. The allocation between datapaths and data items may vary, but in one approach, in a first pass the first data item in the array is processed by a first datapath, a second data item in the array is processed by a second datapath, a third data item is processed by a third datapath, and a fourth data item is processed by a fourth datapath. In a second pass, a fifth data item is processed by the first datapath, a sixth data item is processed by the second datapath, a seventh data item is processed by the third datapath, and an eighth data item is processed by the fourth datapath.
Problems may occur when the number of data items in the array is not an integer multiple of the number of datapaths. For example, modifying the simple example above so that there are four datapaths and an array having seven data items, during the second pass, the fourth datapath does not have an element in the eighth item of the array to process. As a result, the fourth datapath may erroneously write over some other data structure in memory, unless the fourth datapath is disabled during the second pass.
One way of avoiding such erroneous overwriting is to force the size of the array, i.e., the number of data items contained within the array, to be an integer multiple of the number of datapaths. Such an approach assumes that programmers have a priori control of how data items are allocated in the array, which they may not always have.
Typically, each datapath in a SIMD processor has an associated processor enable bit that controls whether a datapath is enabled or disabled. This allows a datapath to be disabled when, e.g., the datapath would otherwise overrun the array.
SUMMARY
In a general aspect, the invention features a method of controlling whether to enable one of a plurality of processor datapaths in a SIMD processor that are operating on data elements in an array, including determining whether to enable the datapath based on information about parameters of the SIMD processor and the array, and a processing state of the datapaths relative to the data items in the array.
In a preferred embodiment, the information includes an allocation between the data items and a memory, a total number of parallel loop passes in a loop processing operation being performed by the datapaths, a size of the array, and a number of datapaths (i.e., how many datapaths there are in the SIMD processor). The processing state is a number of remaining parallel passes of the datapaths in the loop processing operation.
The allocation between the data items and the memory may be unity-stride, contiguous or striped-stride.
In another aspect, the invention features a computer instruction including a loop handling instruction that specifies the enabling of one of a plurality of processor datapaths during processing an array of data items.
In a preferred embodiment, the instruction includes a parallel count field that specifies the number of remaining parallel loop passes to process the array, and a serial count field that specifies the number of serial loop passes to process the array.
In another aspect, the invention features a processor including a register file and an arithmetic logic unit coupled to the register file, and a program control store that stores a loop handling instruction that causes the processor to enable one of a plurality of processor datapaths during processing of an array of data.
Embodiments of various aspects of the invention may have one or more of the following advantages.
Datapaths may be disabled without having prior knowledge of the number of data items in the array.
The method is readily extensible to a variety of memory allocation schemes.
The loop handling instruction saves instruction memory because the many operations needed to determine whether to enable or disable a datapath may be specified with a simple and powerful single instruction that also saves register space.
The loop handling instruction saves a programmer from having to force the number of data items in the array of data items to be an integer multiple of the number of datapaths.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a single instruction multiple datapath (SIMD) processor.
FIG. 2 shows a table of how thirty data items in an array are handled by a SIMD processor having four datapaths during loop processing in a unity stride allocation of memory.
FIG. 3 shows the syntax of a loop handling instruction.
FIG. 4 shows a table of how thirty data items in an array are handled by a SIMD processor having four datapaths during loop processing in a contiguous stride allocation of memory.
FIG. 5 shows the syntax of a loop handling instruction combined with a loop branch.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process of controlling the enabling of datapaths in a SIMD processor during loop processing.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a single instruction multiple datapath (SIMD) processor 10 includes an instruction cache 12 , control logic 14 , a serial datapath, and a number of parallel datapaths labeled 18 a , 18 b , 18 c , 18 , . . . 18 n . The parallel datapaths 18 write to a memory 20 . Each of the datapaths 18 has an associated processor enable (PE) bit 22 . Specifically, parallel datapath 18 a is associated with a PE bit 22 a , parallel datapath 18 b is associated with a PE bit 22 b , and so forth. When a PE bit is enabled, its associated parallel datapath is enabled and data items may be written by that parallel datapath. For example, if PE bit 22 a is enabled, data items may be written by parallel datapath 18 a ; if PE bit 22 b is enabled, data items may be written by parallel datapath 18 b . If PE bit 22 n is enabled, data items may be written by parallel datapath 18 n . When a PE bit is disabled, its associated parallel datapath is disabled and data items may not be written by that parallel datapath.
In operation, the control logic 14 fetches an instruction from the instruction cache 12 . The instruction is fed to the serial datapath 16 that provides the instruction to the datapaths 18 . Each of the datapaths 18 are read together and written together unless the processor enable bit is disabled for a particular datapath.
One or more of the datapaths 18 may need to be disabled during a loop processing operation of an array of data items to avoid an unused datapath from overrunning the end of the array and erroneously writing over another data structure in memory. Rather than manually having to determine when during the loop processing operation to enable and disable datapaths, this determination may be made on the fly during the loop processing operation, based on information about parameters of the SIMD processor and the array, and the processing state of the datapaths relative to the data items in the array. This information includes: (1) the total number of parallel loop passes occurring in the loop processing operation, (2) the number of loop passes that would execute in a serial datapath design (which indicates the size of the array), (3) the number of remaining parallel passes occurring in the loop processing operation, (4) the memory allocation used to allocate data items of the array among the datapaths, and (5) the number of parallel datapaths. Instructions that enable or disable a processor enable bit for a datapath (thereby enabling or disabling the datapath) during loop processing based on this information are provided.
There are many ways to allocate memory for processing of an array of data items in a SIMD processor. The simplest memory allocation is where each one of a number of datapaths (NDP) takes the NDPth iteration of the loop. This type of memory allocation is called “unity stride.”
Referring to FIG. 2, for example, a table illustrating how thirty data items numbered 0 to 29 in an array are handled by a SIMD processor having four datapaths labeled DP 0 , DP 1 , DP 2 and DP 3 , respectively, during loop processing in a unity stride memory allocation is shown. In order to process the array, eight parallel loop passes are executed. In a parallel loop pass 1 , data items 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 are handled by datapaths 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 . In a parallel loop pass 2 , data items 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 are handled by datapaths 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 . In a final parallel loop pass, parallel loop pass 8 , data items 28 and 30 and handled by datapaths 0 and 1 while datapaths 2 and 3 must be disabled to avoid overrunning the array and writing over other data stored in memory.
The table in FIG. 2 illustrates why this type of memory allocation is referred to as unity-stride. The “stride” between data items being processed in each of the parallel datapaths in any given parallel loop pass is one. That is, the difference between any two data items being processed by parallel datapaths in a parallel loop pass is one (or unity).
In the unity stride allocation, as the number of data items are being processed a pattern emerges. Specifically, the pattern illustrates that only two datapaths in a final parallel loop pass need to be disabled. (Obviously, the pattern illustrated in FIG. 2 is trivial; as the number of datapaths and the array size are increased, the pattern becomes more complex, but is discernible in time.) From a knowledge of the pattern, the total number of loop passes that would execute in a serial machine (which indicates the size of the array), the number of remaining parallel loop passes, and the number of datapaths, an instruction is provided to determine whether a particular datapath should be disabled during a particular parallel loop pass.
Referring to FIG. 3, a loop processor enable instruction 30 includes a field C representing the number of remaining parallel loop passes during a loop processing operation, and a field L representing the overall number of passes needed to service all the data items in an array in a serial machine architecture. The instruction 30 includes a memory allocation designation x. In the example described with reference to FIG. 2, the memory allocation designation x would refer to a unity-stride memory allocation, i.e., U, and L=30 since there are thirty data items that would require thirty loop passes in a serial machine architecture. PE[i, j] represents the state of the processor enable bit for datapath i during parallel loop pass j.
For the unity-stride example described in reference to FIG. 2, the total number of parallel loop passes is determined by dividing the total number of serial loop passes by the number of datapaths, and rounding the result up to the next integer. Thus, in the example the total number of parallel loop passes equals 30/4, which rounded up to the next integer produces 8.
Using the knowledge gained from the pattern present in the unity-stride example and the values of C and L, a processor enable bit associated with a datapath index i representing the datapath and a data item j, that is, PE [i, j], is enabled if the total number of parallel loop passes minus the number of remaining parallel loop passes, all multiplied by the total number of datapaths plus the datapath index, is less than the total number of serial loop passes.
Alternatively, SIMD processor 10 may use a contiguous stride memory allocation. Referring to FIG. 4, a table illustrating how thirty data items ( 0 to 29 ) in an array are handled by SIMD processor 10 having four datapaths (DP 0 -DP 3 ) and implementing a contiguous stride memory allocation is shown. In order to process all thirty data items in the array, eight parallel passes are executed. In a parallel loop pass 1 , data items 0 , 8 , 16 and 24 are handled by datapaths 0 , 1 , 2 and 3 , respectively. In parallel loop pass 2 , data items 1 , 9 , 17 and 25 are handled by datapaths 0 , 1 , 2 and 3 . As processing continues, a pattern arises. In this specific example, in parallel loop passes 7 and 8 , datapath 3 needs to be disabled to avoid writing over memory beyond the end of the thirty data items in the array. All other datapaths are enabled in every pass.
The contiguous-stride memory allocation is useful when neighboring data items are used when working on a particular data item. For example, if datapath 0 is processing data item 4 in parallel loop pass 5 , it already has data item 3 from parallel loop pass 4 and will be using data item 5 on the next parallel loop pass. This memory allocation is called contiguous stride allocation because each datapath is accessing a contiguous region of the array.
In the contiguous stride memory allocation, a pattern emerges to suggest that a single datapath needs to be disabled during executions of, in this example, the last two parallel loop passes. Referring again to FIG. 3, a memory allocation designation x=CONT represents a contiguous-stride memory allocation scheme. For the example described with reference to FIG. 4, the total number of parallel loop passes needed to process the array of data items is determined by dividing the total number of serial loop passes by the number of datapaths and rounding the result up to the next integer. Thus, in the example, the total number of parallel loop passes equals 30/4, rounded up to 8.
From the contiguous-stride memory allocation pattern and the values of C and L, a processor enable bit associated with a datapath index i and a data item j, that is, PE [i, j], is enabled if the total number of parallel loop passes multiplied by the datapath index plus the total number of parallel loop passes minus the number of remaining parallel loop passes is less than the total number of serial loop passes.
An interleaved memory system permits many memory accesses to be done at once. The number of memory banks M in an interleaved memory system is generally a power of two, since that allows the memory bank selection to be made using the lowest address bits. If the stride in a read or write instruction is also a power of two, the memory interleaving will not help, since all the addresses will try to access the same memory bank. For example, if M=4 and the stride is also four, the addresses for the read or write would be 0 , 4 , 8 , and so forth, and they would all have to be handled by bank 0 ; banks 1 , 2 and 3 would be idle.
To avoid having all of the data items processed in the same memory bank, the stride value may be selected to be an odd number. Selecting the stride to be an odd number spreads the addresses evenly among M banks if M is a power of two, since any odd number and any power of two are mutually prime. In the case of a 30 element array, the stride would be 9, not 8 as with the contiguous allocation. Datapath 0 would correspond to array elements 0 to 8 , datapath 1 would be associated with array elements 9 to 17 , and datapath 2 would correspond to elements 18 to 26 , and datapath 3 would be assigned to elements 26 to 29 . Datapath 3 would be turned off for the last six elements, i.e., array elements 30 to 35 . This memory allocation is referred to as a striped-stride memory allocation.
The number of parallel loop passes needed to process an array of data items in a striped-stride memory allocation scheme is determined by dividing the total number of serial datapaths by the number of datapaths and rounding the result up to the next odd integer.
Referring again to FIG. 3, a memory designation x=S represents striped-stride allocation. A processor enable bit associated with a datapath i and a data item j, that is, PE [i, j], is enabled if the total number of parallel loop passes times the datapath index plus the total number of parallel loop passes minus the number of remaining parallel loop passes is less than the total number of serial loop passes.
Referring to FIG. 5, the loop processor enable instruction is shown combined with a loop branch instruction 70 . This combined instruction 70 will set the processor enable bit, as described previously, according to the memory allocation scheme, the overall number of parallel loop passes and the number of remaining parallel loop passes, and test if the number of remaining parallel loop passes equals zero. If the number of remaining passes greater than zero, the branch is performed (i.e., “go to PC+displacement”), to perform the next pass of the loop operation. Otherwise, the loop is exited, and processing continues. In either case, the number of remaining parallel loop passes is decremented and the loop processing operation continues.
Referring to FIG. 6, a process 100 of controlling the enabling of a datapath in a SIMD processor during loop processing determines 102 the number of serial loop passes to service all of the data items in an array. The process determines 104 the number of remaining parallel loop passes to service the array. The process then tests 106 whether the memory allocation scheme is a unity stride allocation. If the memory allocation is a unity stride allocation, the processor enable bit for the datapath servicing the data item is enabled 108 if the total number of parallel loop passes minus the number of remaining parallel loop passes, all multiplied by the total number of datapaths plus the datapath index, is less than the total number of serial loop passes.
If the memory allocated is not unity stride, the process tests 110 whether the memory allocation scheme is a contiguous stride allocation. If the memory allocation is a contiguous stride allocation, the processor enable bit for the datapath servicing the data item is enabled 112 if the total number of parallel loop passes multiplied by the datapath index plus the total number of parallel loop passes minus the number of remaining parallel loop passes is less than the total number of serial loop passes.
Finally, if the memory allocation is neither unity stride nor contiguous, the process tests 114 whether the memory allocation scheme is a striped stride allocation. If the memory allocation is a striped stride allocation, the processor enable bit for the datapath servicing the data item is enabled 116 if the total number of parallel loop passes times the datapath index plus the total number of parallel loop passes minus the number of remaining parallel loop passes is less than the total number of serial loop passes.
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, for processing larger numbers of data items, a lookup table could be utilized until a time at which a pattern develops according to the memory allocation scheme employed. Once the pattern develops, the enabling of datapaths is determined by the method herein described. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
|
A method of controlling the enabling of processor datapaths in a SIMD processor during a loop processing operation is described. The information used by the method includes an allocation between the data items and a memory, a size of the array, and a number of remaining parallel passes of the datapaths in the loop processing operation. A computer instruction is also provided, which includes a loop handling instruction that specifies the enabling of one of a plurality of processor datapaths during processing an array of data items. The instruction includes a count field that specifies the number of remaining parallel loop passes to process the array and a count field that specifies the number of serial loop passes to process the array. Different instructions can be used to handle different allocations of passes to parallel datapaths. The instruction also uses information about the total number of datapaths.
| 6
|
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/421,679 filed on Apr. 12, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,022.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to the art of bandages, wound dressings, or patches useful in modulating the supply of oxygen to skin wounds. The invention is particularly useful in supplying localized and predetermined dosages of concentrated oxygen directly to skin wounds topically without incurring systemic toxic side effects associated with extreme amounts of oxygen, as may occur in connection with hyperbaric oxygen chamber techniques of the prior art.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used for inducing the growth of blood vessels for stimulating growth of new skin tissue to close and heal ischemic wounds. The systemic therapy has its drawbacks, however. For example, hyperbaric oxygen may produce vasoconstriction, toxicity and tissue destruction. When offered systemically, there is a risk of central nervous system and pulmonary toxicity. Topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy, on the other hand, avoids systemic toxicity but is useful for open wounds and has proven effective in healing recalcitrant skin wounds. The toxic effect from excessive topical oxygen can lead to cessation of healing as it can be toxic to endothelial cells surrounding the wound. Devasculation occurs, and neovasculation ceases. Any damage caused by a toxic dose of topical oxygen is, however, typically cured in about two weeks by simply stopping the treatment.
Topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy calls for applying oxygen directly to an open wound. The oxygen dissolves in tissue fluids and improves the oxygen content of the intercellular fluids. Such direct application of oxygen to the wound has advantages. For example, because it is applied directly to the base of an ulcer, much lower pressures of oxygen are required for stimulating wound healing as compared to systemic oxygen therapy where diffusion is needed. Skin disorders which may be treated with topical hyperbaric oxygen include osteomyelitis, burns and scalds, necrotizing fasciitis, pyoderma gangrenosum, refractory ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, and decubitus ulcers (bed sores). Cuts, abrasions and surgically induced wounds or incisions may also benefit from topical oxygen therapy.
The prior art teaches application of topical hyperbaric oxygen by placing the entire affected limb of a person in a sealed chamber such as one which features controlled pressure sealing and automatic regulation control. The chamber provides oxygen at hyperbaric or normobaric pressure to the entire extremity rather than only the wound site. Such hyperbaric oxygen chambers for extremities have drawbacks in that they are expensive, difficult to sterilize and have a potential for cross-infection. A suggestion for overcoming these drawbacks calls for replacing the permanent chamber with a disposable polyethylene bag. While this technique will remove the problems of sterilization, and part of the expense, it still has its disadvantages. For one, an external source of oxygen must be supplied. Even though the chamber may be quite small, pressurized oxygen, even at pressures as low as 1.04 atm, must be supplied from an external reserve. This requires a patient to be positioned near an oxygen tank during treatment. Moreover, because an entire limb is placed in a chamber or polyethylene bag, large areas of skin may be unnecessarily subjected to potentially toxic levels of oxygen. Also, the sealing mechanism of the chamber or bag may cause an undesirable tourniquet effect on the limb that is undergoing treatment.
The present invention contemplates an improved device and method for modulating the supply of concentrated hyperbaric oxygen to skin wounds. The device is disposable and therefore eliminates the risk for cross contamination. Also, it frees a patient from being confined to a pressurized source of oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen may be supplied directly to localized areas of skin economically and conveniently without unnecessarily restricting blood flow to the treatment area. In addition, this device is capable of depleting the wound site of oxygen, which may lead to cell hypoxia. Moderately severe hypoxia has been found to promote capillary budding and proliferation. New capillaries are formed (neo-angiogenesis) in response to initial tissue hypoxia. As a result of increased blood flow, the increased oxygen tension in the tissues stimulates a complex healing process to close the wound. Thus, by increasing or decreasing (i.e., modulating) oxygen supply, one can stimulate wound healing in a most advantageous manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a device and method for providing a topical treatment of modulated hyperbaric oxygen to skin wounds. The device comprises a wound dressing patch or bandage adapted for receipt over a skin wound treatable with oxygen. The device further incorporates an oxygen regulator or concentrator which generates oxygen according to an electrochemical process and supplies it to a skin wound.
The method of treating wounds by hyperbaric oxygen in accordance with the present invention calls for placing an oxygen generating bandage over a skin wound. Ambient air is brought into contact with a gas permeable cathode incorporated in the bandage. Oxygen present in the air is reduced to negatively charged ions, i.e. superoxide and peroxide and their various unprotonated and protonated neutral states (HO 2 , HO 2 - , O 2 2- ) or hydroxyl ions or undissociated H 2 O 2 at the cathode according to a one, two or four electron process. One or more of these species then diffuse through an electrolyte, and are oxidized at the anode to produce a high concentration (about 100%) of oxygen. The oxygen passes to the skin wound from the anode. An enriched oxygen environment is sustained under hyperbaric pressure during the treatment cycle.
The electrochemical process is driven by an internal or external power source. Reversing the polarity of the power source reverses the process so that a very low level of oxygen (as low as about 0% oxygen concentration) is supplied to the wound, hence modulating the level of oxygen in the wound treatment area. The modulation of the level of oxygen will control the rate of wound healing by increasing or decreasing the oxygen tension in the tissues that stimulate healing.
An advantage of the present invention is that concentrated oxygen may be supplied topically to a skin wound without running the risk of supplying toxic amounts of the oxygen to the wound or areas surrounding the wound. Toxic effects from systemic administration are avoided.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the bandage or wound dressing itself is portable and generates hyperbaric oxygen from ambient air for supply to a patient without the need for an external supply of pressurized oxygen.
Another advantage is that the bandage has full occlusion around the wound site. The fully enclosed wound is protected from aerobic infection while anaerobic bacteria are destroyed by the oxygen therapy. Further sterilization also occurs inside the bandage both chemically (i.e. via traces of electrogenerated peroxide) as well as electrochemically, by electrochemical destruction at the electrodes.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the bandage provides an economical and convenient device for supplying hyperbaric oxygen to skin wounds. The oxygen bandage may be operated at various pressures, for example, in the range of 0.5 to 5 atmospheres, but more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 2.5 atmospheres, and most preferably in the range of 0.95 to 1.1 atmospheres. The actual pressure or pressures of operation will be dependent on such variables as oxygen concentration required, type of wound being healed, duration, patient comfort, etc. For example, pressures which are quite low or quite high could be desirable for shorter durations than intermediate pressures.
Still other advantages and benefits of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a side view of an oxygen producing patch in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a plan view of an oxygen producing patch incorporating a plurality of batteries in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting same, the figures show a novel and versatile approach for generating concentrated hyperbaric oxygen to heal skin wounds. Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 which schematically diagrams a side view of the device or patch of the present invention. Dioxygen is produced electrochemically by a three-layer sandwich-type structure comprising a gas-permeable cathode 10, a separator membrane 14 embedded with an immobilized electrolyte, and a gas-permeable anode 18. The cathode is exposed to the atmosphere, and the anode is intended for exposure to a skin wound. The electrolyte may be either alkaline or acidic, such as a proton conducting solid polymer electrolyte film, and either moist or doped with an acid solution.
The device schematically shown in FIG. 1 operates in much the same manner as the device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,412, incorporated herein by reference. In that patent, dioxygen supplied from the air is reduced to hydrogen peroxide ions which travel through a thin electrolyte. The ions are oxidized at the anode to supply concentrated oxygen. The patch or bandage described herein supports a much broader spectrum of oxygen concentration processes. Here, dioxygen supplied from the atmospheric air at 22 is reduced at the gas-permeable cathode 10 to negatively charged ions i.e. superoxide and peroxide and their various unprotonated and protonated states (HO 2 , HO 2 - , O 2 2- ) or hydroxyl ions or undissociated H 2 O 2 according to a one, two or four electron process. The cathode is of the type used in fuel cells. One or more of these species then travel through the thin separator/electrolyte structure or membrane 14 to the gas permeable anode 18, where they are reconverted into dioxygen. The dioxygen flows out of the anode at 24 and is intended to be directed to a skin wound.
The patch shown in FIG. 1 is powered by an air driven battery, in this case a zinc/air battery, with components similar to those used in conventional hearing aid batteries, and built directly onto the three layer structure. It takes advantage of a bipolar-type design to simplify manufacturing. As indicated, a small amount of zinc powder is mixed, as is customary, with a gelled alkaline electrolyte and placed on top of the gas fed cathode as a zinc electrode 28. It is then fully covered with a separator or membrane 32. To complete the battery, the gas fed anode 18 is folded around the structure and placed directly on top of the separator to become the battery cathode 36. In other words, a single gas permeable electrode plays a dual role. It is both the anode 18 for the generation of oxygen at 24, and the cathode 36 or air electrode in the zinc/air battery design. During operation, air flows to the zinc/air battery such as exemplified at 38.
Electrical insulators 40 are positioned around the cathode 10, membrane 14, membrane 32 and cathode 36 as indicated in FIG. 1, to properly isolate both electronically and ionically each of the active components of the bandage and battery. Adhesive is depicted at 44 for affixing the patch over a skin wound such that oxygen cannot flow readily out of the treatment area. The patch will have some one way valves or small capillary holes to permit outflow of air. The bandage is occlusive on all sides and offers anti-bacterial control without antibiotics or antiseptics, although these can still be used for added protection.
The oxygen generating bandage itself may have multiple layers to promote patient comfort and healing, including but not limited to layers of cotton gauze, polyethylene oxide-water polymer, as well as layer(s) containing topical ointments and other medicinals including antibiotics, antiseptics, growth factors and living cells. Additional layers may comprise a battery, a sensor and/or an oxygen concentrator. There is not a prerequisite ordering to the layers, and not all the layers need be included to have a working device.
The device shown in FIG. 1 has several advantages. For example, the amount of zinc can be controlled so as to generate a fixed amount of dioxygen. In this fashion, the possibility of an oxygen overdose (which has been found to have detrimental biological effects that lead to the cessation of healing), such as by the patient's failure to remove the patch after the treatment period, can be completely averted. The air electrodes, and thus the zinc/air battery as a whole, can be sealed during production and activated by exposure of the oxygen cathode 10 to the atmosphere immediately before use.
With attention now directed to FIG. 2, single patch 48 can be equipped with several sealed zinc/air batteries 50. This will enable the patient to apply oxygen intermittently as is usually the case with present treatments. Each battery may be manufactured according to a predetermined life span. For example, each of the batteries can be set to last for 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, more time or less time. Differently sized batteries can be incorporated into a single patch so the same patch can be maintained in place for a period of time before the dressings are removed for cleansing of the wound. This permits differently timed dosages of oxygen to be applied to a wound. For example, a one hour therapy can take place on day 1, followed by a 2 hour therapy on day 2, and so on. Each battery includes a peel off sticker. When the sticker is removed, the zinc/air battery or other air driven battery is exposed to the air and begins operating. The oxygen generating portion is depicted at 54.
In the alternative to having multiple batteries, a single battery having an electronic timing device may be included for a seven day or longer oxygen therapy treatment. Longer treatments are within the scope of the invention; however, it is impractical because the wound dressings must be removed periodically so the wound can be cleansed. Because of its monolithic construction, patches can, in principle, be manufactured in any size or shape, even including a transparent plastic window directly above the wound to visually monitor the healing progress (neovascularization) without having to remove the patch. FIG. 2 shows such a viewing or inspection window at 58. In use, the wound would be located below the window. As shown in FIG. 1, the patch can be affixed to the skin with a simple adhesive layer 44 around the perimeter. The patch may be made in many shapes such as gloves, socks, sleeves, etc. and may be cut to size.
FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment which incorporates a plastic frame 62. The frame surrounds the oxygen producing bandage 66. The plastic frame includes an adhesive along its edges 70 for securing the frame to the skin. The oxygen producing bandage is supported by the frame. The adhesive along edges 70 provides a seal against escaping oxygen. The bandage can then be removed without disrupting the skin of the patient. Patient comfort is enhanced. The plastic frame may contain or define openings which serve as one way pressure or relief valves to allow for gas release. Such valves or small capillary holes prevent accidental overpressurization, which could lead to possible bursting of the device. The valves or small capillary holes also serve to eliminate air from the wound cavity during the initial building up of concentrated dioxygen.
In using a patch with the zinc/air battery system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be shown using Faraday's law that 65.4 grams of zinc produce 22.4 liters of dioxygen at 1 atmosphere of pressure and ambient temperatures.
When the patch is in operation, a small region of the patch has one way valves or is designed with small capillary holes so as to allow gas to flow out of the anode compartment to prevent pressure build up. Ambient air flows through the patch after the treatment is momentarily discontinued to return the wound site to normal ambient air conditions and prevent toxic overexposure to newly formed blood vessels.
The patches shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 portray oxygen producing or modulating bandages. The bandages include built-in electrochemical systems for producing oxygen according to a one, two or four electron process. The reactions are powered by air-driven batteries. The bandages and related electrochemical equipment described in the Figures set forth preferred embodiments of operation.
Oxygen generation and/or depletion may occur according to various electrochemical reactions. In addition to the two electron process already described, the reaction may be based on one or four electrons, or combinations of the one, two and/or four electron processes at all temperatures. As already described, the two electron process involves converting oxygen in the air feed gas to peroxide ions and/or H 2 O 2 at the cathode, passing the peroxide ions and/or H 2 O 2 through an electrolyte, and converting the peroxide ions and/or H 2 O 2 to oxygen at the anode. A one-electron process involves converting the feed oxygen to superoxide ions or its protonated form, passing the superoxide ions or its protonated form through the electrolyte, and converting the superoxide ions or its protonated form to oxygen at the anode. A more energy demanding approach involves reducing oxygen contained in a feed gas and/or generating hydrogen gas (H 2 ) via a four electron process. This involves the electrolysis of water. Here, hydroxyl ions and/or (H 2 ) are generated, and the electrode denoted as 18 in FIG. 1 oxidizes water via a four electron process, to yield dioxygen. Such a strategy calls for catalysts in one or both electrodes to overcome the kinetic irreversibility of the reactions. The amount of hydrogen formed under actual operating conditions would, however, be expected to be very small and thus pose no hazard.
In situations where it is desired to provide concentrated oxygen to a wound site, the anode faces the wound. In creating an oxygen deficient atmosphere within the treatment area, the polarity of the power supply to the patch is reversed so as to reduce oxygen on the electrode in contact with the treatment area. This electrode then acts as the cathode, and oxygen is generated on the electrode in contact with the ambient atmosphere, the anode electrode. Oxygen is supplied to the skin wound at pressures varying below and above atmospheric pressure. When the need arises to reverse polarity, a power supply other than the bipolar built-in battery may be required.
It is fully within the scope of this invention to drive the oxygen modulating (i.e. oxygen producing and/or depleting) reaction according to a variety of methods. Power to the oxygen concentrator may be supplied from other sources separate from the patch. A separate power control mechanism may contain or comprise electronic timing, both primary and secondary batteries, capacitors, supercapacitors, photovoltaic cells, convertors for connection to alternating current (A.C.) power, and bipolar built-in batteries as previously described. These power sources may be positioned within the bandage/patch or externally thereto.
The methods used for generating and depleting oxygen are preferably electrochemical in nature, although nonelectrochemical methods may be practiced to achieve a modulation of the oxygen content in the treatment area. For example, chemically or thermally induced reactions that could release or absorb oxygen in a controlled fashion may be employed. These methods may also include inexpensive sensors and control circuitry for oxygen concentration, humidity, pressure, and other conditions for monitoring and controlling parameters (i.e. current density) and for promoting optimal healing.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. Obviously modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalent thereof.
|
A portable, self-contained device is described for the topical application of oxygen to promote the healing of skin wounds. The device is comprised of a wound dressing that incorporates an electrochemical, chemical, or thermal means of generating high purity oxygen. The device can regulate the supply of oxygen to an area above the wound at various concentrations, pressures and dosages. The device is driven by a built in or accessory power source. Ambient air is brought into contact with a gas permeable cathode. Oxygen present in the air is reduced at the cathode to negative ions (i.e. peroxide, superoxide or hydroxyl ions) and/or their unprotonated and protonated neutral species. One or more of these species diffuse through an electrolyte and are then oxidized at a gas permeable anode to produce a high concentration of oxygen directly above the wound. Oxygen can also be depleted from that same area by reversing the polarity of the power source allowing the supply of oxygen to the wound to be modulated, thereby controlling the rate of healing.
| 0
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bearing arrangement of a vacuum pump.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a vacuum pump 50 known hereto which comprises a pumping arrangement driven by a single shaft. The arrangement shown comprises a turbomolecular pumping mechanism 52 and a Holweck pumping mechanism 54 , the latter of which is a molecular drag pumping mechanism. The rotors 58 and 59 of the turbomolecular pumping mechanism and the Holweck pumping mechanism, respectively, are arranged to be driven by shaft 56 so that when the shaft is rotated by a motor 60 the shaft drives the pumping arrangement 52 , 54 . The shaft 56 is supported by a bearing arrangement comprising two bearings which may be positioned either at respective ends of the shaft as shown or alternatively intermediate the ends. In FIG. 2 , a rolling bearing 64 supports a first portion of the shaft 56 and a magnetic bearing 62 supports a second portion of the shaft 56 . A second rolling bearing may be used as an alternative to the magnetic bearing 62 . When magnetic bearings are used it may also be desirable to incorporate a back-up bearing as well known in the art. As discussed in more detail below in relation to FIG. 3 , the rolling bearing 64 is provided between the second end portion of the shaft 56 and a housing portion 66 of the pump 50 .
With such a pump, it is desirable to allow rolling bearing 64 some movement in the radial direction (radial compliance) but to prevent movement in the axial direction. Any axial movement can lead to clashing between the rotor blades of the turbomolecular pumping mechanism and the stator resulting in pump failure. It is advantageous to allow the radial bearing some radial movement in order to reduce the transfer of vibration from the pump rotor to the pump housing, caused by residual imbalance.
The prior art bearing arrangement will be explained with reference to FIG. 3 which shows an enlarged view of the rolling bearing 64 . The rolling bearing comprises an inner race 68 fixed relative to shaft 56 , an outer race 70 , and a plurality of rolling elements 72 , supported by a cage 73 , for allowing relative rotation of the inner race and the outer race. The rolling bearing 64 is lubricated to reduce wear on its elements and shield elements 74 are provided to resist seepage of lubricant out of the rolling bearing. The shield may be a separate component, held in place by a spring clip, or other fastener, or alternatively may be an integral part of the bearing outer ring. A radial damping ring 75 is positioned radially between the outer race 70 and the housing portion 66 for damping radial movement of the outer race 70 . An axial damping ring 76 is provided between an end face of the outer race 70 and the housing portion 66 which resists axial movement of the outer race but allows radial movement thereof. However, the axial damping ring 76 does not adequately resist axial movement of the outer race because it is, to some extent, compressible in the axial direction and suffers from creep (or compression set) which makes the problem worse over time.
Furthermore, even though a lubricant is used in the rolling bearing 64 , due to the potentially high rotation speeds of the pumping arrangement, the rolling bearing increases in temperature during operation. Such an increase in temperature leads to rapid failure of the rolling bearing unless heat can be dissipated from the rolling bearing. A further problem with the prior art arrangement is that the axial damping ring 76 is made from an elastomer which has a low thermal conductivity and is resistant to the passage of heat from the outer race to the housing portion. The housing portion is typically made of Aluminum alloys and can be maintained at a relatively low temperature since such materials have a thermal conductivity in the region of 150 W/mK.
It is desirable to provide an improved vacuum pump.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a vacuum pump comprising: a pumping arrangement; a shaft for driving the pumping arrangement; a motor for rotating the shaft; a bearing arrangement supporting the shaft for rotation, the bearing arrangement comprising: a rolling bearing supporting a first portion of the shaft, and a thrust bearing housing a plurality of rolling elements in bearing contact with an outer race of the rolling bearing and a race of the thrust bearing for resisting axial movement of the rolling bearing and allowing radial movement of the rolling bearing.
The present invention also provides a vacuum pump comprising: a pumping arrangement; a shaft for driving the pumping arrangement; a motor for rotating the shaft; and a bearing arrangement supporting the shaft for rotation, the bearing arrangement comprising: a rolling bearing supporting a first portion of the shaft, and a thrust bearing having a cage spaced from an outer race of the rolling bearing, the cage housing a plurality of rolling elements in bearing contact with the outer race and a race of the thrust bearing for resisting axial movement of the rolling bearing and allowing radial movement of the rolling bearing.
Other preferred aspects of the invention are defined in the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the present invention may be well understood, an embodiment thereof, which is given by way of example only, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-section showing a rolling bearing of a vacuum pump according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a prior art vacuum pump;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section showing a rolling bearing of the vacuum pump shown in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 is a cross section showing a rolling bearing of a vacuum pump according to another embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a cross section showing a rolling bearing of a vacuum pump according to a third embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiments have the general structure shown in FIG. 2 and differ from the prior art only in the structure and mounting of the rolling bearing. For brevity, therefore, only the rolling bearing arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 , 4 and 5 are described in detail hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 1 , a vacuum pump comprises a shaft 10 supported by a bearing arrangement. The bearing arrangement comprises a rolling bearing 12 which supports a first portion of the shaft 10 and which is positioned between the shaft 10 and a housing portion 14 , in the same way as described with reference to FIG. 2 . The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 has rotational symmetry about axis A. The bearing arrangement further comprises a magnetic bearing supporting a second portion of shaft 10 although this is not shown in FIG. 1 .
The rolling bearing 12 comprises an inner race 16 fixed relative to the shaft 10 , an outer race 18 , and a plurality of rolling elements 20 , in a cage 21 , for allowing relative rotation of the inner race and the outer race. The rolling elements 20 are preferably ball bearings made of high strength steel or ceramic. A lubricant 22 , which may for instance be oil or grease, is provided to reduce friction and wear between the moving parts of the bearing 12 . A shield, or flange, portion 24 extends radially inwardly from an axial end of the outer race 18 and is integral with the outer race. Alternatively, shield portion 24 may be a separate part. The shield portion resists the seepage of lubricant 22 out of the rolling bearing. A shield element 25 is also provided to resist the seepage of lubricant. A radial damping ring 26 is accommodated in a circumferential recess 28 in the housing portion 14 to resist excessive radial movement of the rolling bearing 12 . Alternatively, the damping ring 26 may be accommodated in a circumferential recess in the outer race as exemplified in FIG. 4 .
A thrust bearing 30 is positioned between an axial end face of the outer race 18 (including integral shield portion 24 ) and a shoulder 32 of the housing portion 14 . The thrust bearing comprises a race in the form of a disc 34 which is preferably made of a high strength material such as steel and which bears against shoulder 32 . A plurality of rolling elements 36 are provided in contact with the disc 34 and the outer race 18 for resisting axial movement of the outer race but allowing relatively free radial movement thereof. The rolling elements 36 are housed in respective pockets in a cage 38 which is fixed relative to the housing portion 14 and disc 34 , and spaced from the axial end face of the outer race 18 . The rolling elements could alternatively be located within pockets or a circumferential groove formed directly in the outer race 18 . The pockets may be formed as cylindrical recesses, each cylinder having its axis parallel to the pump rotational axis. The housing portion 14 is maintained at a relatively low temperature compared to the rolling bearing, since the housing portion is not a moving part, may be cooled and is typically made of a material with high thermal conductivity. Therefore heat readily passes from the cage 38 which is fixed to the housing portion so that the cage is kept at a lower temperature than the rolling bearing 12 when the pump is in use. The assembly is constructed with a small axial clearance between the cage 38 and the outer race 18 . This clearance may be filled with oil or grease to create a thermal pathway to conduct heat from the rolling bearing 12 to the thrust race 30 . Oil or grease typically has a thermal conductivity in the range 0.10 to 0.16 W/mK.
In the prior art, the typical thermal resistance of the axial damping ring is 18 K/W and the radial damping ring is 65 K/W, giving a net thermal resistance of the bearing mounting of around 14 K/W. According to the embodiment, the thermal resistance may be less than 5 K/W, allowing the rolling bearing to be maintained at a cooler temperature.
The cage 38 is accurately manufactured to produce a small clearance C between it and the end face of the outer race 18 , and shield portion 24 , to improve the thermal pathway between the rolling bearing 12 and the thrust race 30 . Clearance C is less than 0.5 mm, although preferably it is less than 0.37 mm. More preferably, clearance C is less than 0.10 mm. It will be appreciated that the amount of heat which is able to pass from the rolling bearing 12 to the thrust race 30 is approximately inversely proportional to the size of clearance C and therefore a reduction in clearance C, without risking contact between the axial end face of the outer race 18 and the cage 38 , increases heat transfer. If a lubricant such as oil or grease is disposed in clearance C, the amount of heat which can be dissipated from the rolling bearing 12 to the thrust race 30 is further increased. By way of example, when the clearance C is in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 mm and filled with oil or grease, the thermal resistance of the bearing mounting is in the range 1.3 to 2.6 K/W.
The cage 38 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as bronze or bronze alloy to reduce thermal resistance along the thermal pathway from the rolling bearing 12 to the thrust race 30 . For example, the cage may be made from phosphor bronze which has a thermal conductivity in the range of 50 to 80 W/mK. The shape of the cage 38 (i.e. with a large surface area towards the rolling bearing) decreases thermal resistance. Likewise, the shield portion 24 , which may be integral with the outer race 18 , increases the surface area of the outer race facing the cage 38 and thus also decreases thermal resistance. The disc 34 and the bearing outer race 18 are preferably made from a high carbon steel such as AISI 52100 high carbon steel which has a thermal conductivity of 46 W/mK.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the axial clearance provides greater thermal resistance to the passage of heat away from the rolling bearing than the cage, since the thermal conductivity of oil or grease is about 500 times less than that of phosphor bronze. However, the cage becomes equally influential when it has a thickness of about 5 mm, i.e. about 500 times the thickness of the oil or grease filled clearance.
The contact area between rolling elements 36 and the outer race 18 is small meaning that only a negligible amount of heat can be transferred from the rolling bearing to the thrust bearing by this route and cannot dissipate sufficient heat from the rolling bearing on its own.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 where it can be seen that the thrust race 85 is located in contact with the outer race 83 rather than spaced therefrom as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . Clearance C is therefore provided at a greater distance from the outer race 83 than in the previous embodiment. Such a configuration provides enhanced thermal conductivity from the outer race 83 to the thrust race cage 87 but reduces thermal conductivity from there to disc 86 .
In order to maintain concentricity between the thrust race 85 and the outer race 83 of rolling bearing 82 , a shoulder 88 is formed on cage 87 which cooperates with recess 89 in outer race 83 .
As discussed above the radial damping ring 26 can be accommodated in a circumferential recess 84 in the outer surface of the outer race 83 , such a configuration is illustrated in FIG. 4 .
A third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5 . Here the cage 97 of thrust race 95 is provided as an integral part of the outer race 93 of rolling bearing 92 . Once again clearance C is provided adjacent ring 96 , this gap can be packed with lubricant or grease as in earlier embodiments to create a thermal pathway between the rolling bearing 92 and the housing portion 14 .
|
A vacuum pump ( 50 ) includes a pumping arrangement, a shaft ( 10 ) for driving the pumping arrangement, a motor ( 60 ) for rotating the shaft ( 10 ) and a bearing arrangement supporting the shaft ( 10 ) for rotation, the bearing arrangement having a rolling bearing ( 12 ), supporting a first portion of the shaft ( 10 ), and a thrust bearing ( 30 ). The thrust bearing ( 30 ) houses a plurality of rolling elements ( 36 ) such that they are maintained in bearing contact with an outer race ( 18 ) of the rolling bearing ( 12 ) and a race ( 34 ) of the thrust bearing ( 30 ). In this way axial movement of the rolling bearing ( 12 ) can be resisted whilst allowing radial movement of the rolling bearing ( 12 ).
| 5
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a blade used on a doctor for a pulp or papermaking machine, and more particularly to a blade made of a fiber enforced composite material.
Pulp or papermaking machines, utilize machine rolls. Such machine rolls are used during various aspects of the process, for example, in the forming, pressing, drying or calendering sections. The operation of machine rolls requires a device to remove contaminants which form on the roll surface and/or to peel off a sheet or web from the rolls. A traditional method of achieving this is through the use of a mechanical device commonly referred to as a doctor or doctor blade. The failure to remove the contaminants or the sheet effectively can have a catastrophic effect on the quality of the product being produced.
The doctor blade is typically fastened to a structural beam which is adjustably supported across the papermaking machine on which a blade holder and a replaceable blade is provided. The doctor blade comes in direct contact with the roll surface so as to scrape off any contaminants from the roll surface including the whole pulp or paper web sheet or parts thereof.
b. Description of the Prior Art
There is a plurality of different doctor blade types having dimensions and materials commonly available in the industry, as well as different designs of blade holders. Laminated plastic doctor blades and blade holders such as type KF-35, KF-35A or PNEUFLEX blade holder are manufactured by Albany International Corporation, the assignee of the present invention. For obvious reasons the blade should be securely attached to the blade holder as a doctor without a blade will not scrape anything from the roll, and as aforesaid, this will have a catastrophic effect on the machine production. But even worst, the blade or a part thereof can come off and fall in the process where it will irreparably damage the pulp or paper machine clothing, and possibly the roll, because of direct and sudden contact with the blade holder.
The ultimate solution to prevent the aforesaid catastrophic situation would be to permanently fasten the blade to the holder or to make it as an integral part of the holder. But, doctor blades do wear with time. Depending on the application, they can last anywhere from a few hours to several months. Therefore, a doctor blade must be a replaceable item. The blade and holder design should allow for easy, fast and safe blade replacement so as to insure that neither the blade or part thereof, like the fastening devices for example, will come off and fall into the process.
A common design in the industry is to put along one edge of the blade, some types of rivets, or some other mechanical retainers that could be, for example, rivetted, glued, or press-fitted to the blade. The holder is then manufactured with a slot incorporating a step or a groove. The edge of the blade with the retainers can be slid into the groove through one end of the holder. Alternative designs are also available which allow a blade to be removed from the front of the holder, for the few applications where the access through the ends is limited. However, all these designs although widely used in the industry have a significant drawback as very often a retainer will come off the blade, and will either fall into the process, or will stay in the holder but become wedged into the blade slot, thus making the blade very difficult to slide in or out.
Another design used in the industry consist of making the blade with built-in retainers whereby there is no mechanically fastened part on the blade that can come off. One known way to do this is to machine the blade out of thicker material, leaving a narrow step along one edge that will retain the blade in the holder slot. This method is widely used to manufacture polyethylene doctor blades, where machining is fast and easy, and where thicker material is also required to add strength or to increase wear life. Theoretically, this method can be used to manufacture blades out of other popular materials, like metal or laminated plastic. However, the extended cost of the material and machining time combined with the high amount of tooling required, render this method simply undesirable. Moreover, it would not be suitable for the front removable blade design.
Another known way of making built-in retainers to the doctor blade is to stamp or punch pairs of short recesses along one edge of the blade at a certain spacing, to simulate the function of the rivets of the first design. A typical drawing of the industry standard is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, this design has been used only to manufacture metallic doctor blades, such as bronze or stainless steel for example. It was believed that the mechanical properties of synthetic material used in the doctor blade industry, those of laminated glass fiber reinforced plastic, for example, did not allow this method to be used on plastic blades. All the laminated composite doctor blades known to be used on the pulp or paper machines today, are manufactured with add-on retainers that are either rivetted, glued, or press-fitted along one edge of the blade, a design with major disadvantages as described above. One such prior art rivetted composite doctor blade is shown in FIG. 3.
OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principle objective of the invention to provide a laminated plastic doctor blade with built-in retainers, thereby offering all the advantages relating to this design yet cost effective to manufacture.
A blade is made in accordance with this invention by taking an elongated strip of reinforced composite material and punching a plurality of elongated recesses adjacent to a longitudinal side of the material. The recesses are formed by making cuts which are made long enough so that the plastic or permanent deformation of the material in the region around each recess is avoided. The cuts are made by a method which fibrillates the material along the plane of the cut so that irregularities are formed in the material along the cut which prevent the recessed material from returning to a normal position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a prior art metallic doctor blade discussed above;
FIG. 2 shows a partial side view of the prior art doctor blade of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a side view of a rivetted plastic prior art doctor blade;
FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a plastic laminated doctor blade constructed in accordance with this invention;
FIG. 4A shows an enlarged partial plan view of the blade of FIG. 4;
FIG. 4B shows an end view of the doctor blade of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5 shows a partial side view of the doctor blade of FIGS. 4, 4A, 4B;
FIG. 6 shows a partial sectional view taken along line VI--VI in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 shows a doctor blade constructed in accordance with this invention inserted into a blade holder;
FIG. 8 shows a side view of the holder of FIG. 7 being inserted into the holder;
FIG. 8A shows an alternate embodiment for the holder and blade of FIG. 8;
FIG. 9 shows a front view of a punch-and-die assembly used to punch the recess in the blade of FIGS. 4-8;
FIG. 10 shows an end view of the punch-and-die assembly of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 shows a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 12 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 shows a plan view of yet another alternate embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 14 shows a blade holder for the embodiment of FIG. 13; and
FIG. 15 shows yet a further embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, one known doctor blade 10 consists of an elongated strip 12 made of stainless steel, bronze, or other alloys. One longitudinal side 14, strip 12 is beveled to form an edge. Along the opposite side, strip 12 is provided with a plurality of short punchings 16 punched into the member 12. Preferably, punchings 16 are formed in pairs as shown, and each punching is about 3/8" (9.5 mm) long. These punchings are made by permanently or plastically elongating and deforming the material of the strip to form the shown structure. This process could not be used on a reinforced composite blade because such materials are fragile and when they are punched they do not deform plastically, but rather they break quickly.
FIG. 3 shows another prior art doctor blade 18 made of a composite plastic material which at regular intervals is provided with a protruding rivet 19.
A doctor blade 20 constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in FIGS. 4, 4A, 4B, 5 and 6 consists of a strip 22 a plastic material such as a fiber reinforced laminated plastic material having a plastic laminated base of, for example, a vinyl ester reinforced by fiberglass fibers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, strip 22 is about 0.060 (1.5 mm) thick, and 3" (78 mm) wide. One side 24 of strip 22 is bevelled at an angle of about 45° to form a sharp doctoring edge 25. Adjacent to the other side 26 of the strip 22, there are a plurality of tabs or recesses 30 extending along the length of the strip. At least one end of the strip 22 is provided with a through hole 32 by which the strip can be grabbed so that it can be removed from a holder.
As shown in more detail in FIG. 4A, each recess 30 is formed by making two parallel cuts 34, 36 in the strip 22. Because the strip is made of fiber glass reinforced composite material, as described above, the cuts 34, 36 are not perfectly planar, but are somewhat irregular with the inner surfaces of the cuts having a plurality of irregular fibrillations 38 (shown in FIG. 6). (For the sake of clarity, in FIG. 4A the irregularities of cuts 34 and 36 are shown somewhat exaggerated).
Preferably, simultaneously with the cutting, the strap 40 is pushed out laterally with respect to the strip 22 to form the corresponding recess. The length and spacing of the cuts 34, 36 and their distance from side 26 are selected to insure that as the recess is formed the material around the cuts is deformed substantially, elastically, whereby the strip 22 is not permanently deformed. In this manner, the strap 40 is not broken off but remains attached to the strip at both ends to form the recesses. The strap 40 is retained in the position shown in FIG. 6 by the interference created between the irregularities or fibrillations on the surfaces formed by cuts 34, 36. Typically, each strap 40 may be, for example, about 1" (25 mm) long and 3/16" (4mm) wide, and may be disposed at least 1/8" (3mm) away from edge 26.
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a typical flexible doctor blade holder 50 consists of an elongated first member 52 secured to a frame (not shown). Several fingers 58 equally spaced along first member 52 as shown. Each finger 58 includes a channel 66. After blade 20 is formed as described above with reference to FIGS. 4-6, it may be inserted into the holder by sliding it into cavity 62 in direction A, with recesses 30 sliding through channel 66. A sharp tool may be used to engage hole 32 to pull the blade into the holder. The holder is made to have dimensions just slightly larger than the blade whereby, once the blade is seated in its place it is maintained there by interference fit with the holder. Additionally a hole 70 may be made at the ends of the holder. After the blade is inserted a pin is then introduced through hole 70, and hole 32 in the blade, thereby securing the blade in place. In FIG. 7 blade shown with edge 25 positioned for doctoring a roller 64.
The fingers 58 are spaced at a preselected distance of, for instance, 2 inches. For the embodiment of FIG. 8, in order to insure that at least some of the recesses 30 are captured between the fingers 58 and member 52, they are spaced at odd intervals, i.e. an odd number of inches.
In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 8A, the blade 20 is not inserted longitudinally. Instead the blade 20 is first positioned so each recess 30 is disposed between two fingers 58 and the blade is advanced laterally between plate 52 and fingers 58. The blade is then moved longitudinally, as indicated by arrow B until the recesses 30 are captured within channels 66 of fingers 58 and member 52. For this embodiment the recesses 30 must be spaced evenly with the spacing of the fingers 58. The blade may now be secured as described above. This embodiment is used in environments where there is insufficient lateral space to slide the blade longitudinally into the holder.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show a punch-and-die assembly 80 which may be used to make the recesses 30 in a strip 22. The assembly 80 includes a table 82 with two vertical uprights 84, 86. On table 82 there is a blade holder 88 for holding a blade 22. A lip 90 on holder 88 helps position the strip 22. The holder also has an arcuate depression 92 positioned at a distance from lip 90 to define the position and dimensions of the recesses. Above the table 82 there is a member 94 movable vertically on the uprights 84, 86 as shown. This member 94 has a lower extension 96 disposed exactly above depression 92 and dimensioned to be complementary in size and shape to the depression. Thus, without the strip 22, when the member 94 lowered on the holder 88, extension 96 fits snugly into depression 92.
The operation of assembly 80 is obvious from the above description. The strip 22 is first placed on holder 88 and then the member is forcefully lowered or dropped onto the strip 22. The shear formed at the interface between extension 96 and depression 92 generates the cuts 34, 36, and strap 40, and extension 96 pushes the strap 40 down to deform it elastically to form a recess. After each recess is made the strip is repositioned for the next recess by shifting it laterally. Alternatively the assembly 80 may be modified to make all the recesses simultaneously. Of course, other devices may be used to make the recesses as well.
An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In these Figures, strip 100 is made with two sets of recesses 102, 104 the difference between the two sets being that while recesses 102 are punched from the bottom, recesses 104 are punched from the top of strip 100 as shown. In the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12 the recesses 102, 104 are in line.
A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 13 wherein strip 110 is also formed with two sets of recesses 112, 114. However in this latter embodiment recesses 112 are laterally offset from recesses 114. A holder 116 for a doctor blade made like strip 110 is shown in FIG. 14. In this Figure, the holder 116 is made with a much wider channel 118 to accommodate both recesses 112, and 114 as shown.
Finally, the recesses may be formed by means other than two parallel cuts. For example as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 15, a blade 120 may be made with recesses 122 formed by a single curve, dimensioned and shaped to cut out sufficient material to allow elastic deformation. As previously described, the recess will hold in place because of the fibrillation of the material along the curved cut.
Similarly, numerous other modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.
|
A doctor blade is made from an elongated strip of reinforced composite material which material forms fibrillated protrusions when cut. A plurality of cuts are made in the material which form recesses or tabs. The recesses are offset to increase the effective thickness of the strip so that it can be inserted longitudinally or transversely into a doctor blade holder. The fibrillated protrusions maintain the recesses in an offset position.
| 3
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to water saving shower technology using presence detection.
[0002] The use of presence detection technology for shower related flow control is well known in that art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,072 describes generally the use of a motion sensor near the faucet handles of a shower to automatically start and stop water flow based on the presence of a person in the shower. U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,673 (the '673 patent) describes a system for controlling the flow of water from a showerhead by placing a sensor directly within the showerhead. These early sensor schemes, particularly the scheme disclosed in the '673 patent, suffer from a limitation, namely, that because the sensors are particularly sensitive to the distance between the showering person and the showerhead, the detection scheme performs poorly for people not of the optimal height.
[0003] This limitation of the '673 patent has been addressed extensively in the art by providing more elaborate and more sophisticated sensing schemes to accommodate variations in height. Unfortunately, these improvements, although effective, are significantly more expensive.
[0004] What is needed is a way to improve the performance of cost-effective showerhead sensors without dramatically increasing the overall cost.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention overcomes the limitation of the prior art as represented by the '673 patent. Like the '673 patent, the preferred embodiment of the present invention teaches placing a sensor within the showerhead. Unlike the '673 patent, one embodiment of the present invention improves the detection of the sensor in the showerhead by combining it with a mechanical adjustment of the height of the showerhead. While mechanical adjustment of showerhead for comfort is not new, the combination of using height adjustment carefully implemented according to the teachings of the claimed invention to improve the accuracy of a showerhead sensor is novel and overcomes limitations and provides new and unobvious benefits over the prior art.
[0006] Other embodiments teach the deployment of an electronic control unit in conjunction with the showerhead to provide new benefits. In one embodiment, presence detection is used to measure the distance between the showerhead and the person showering to predict the identity of the showering person, and then to provide personal services, such as turning on a radio to pre-selected station to suit the preferences of the identified showering person. Another embodiment describes interfacing sensors capable of detecting an environmental condition of interest with the electronic control unit such that when a certain environment condition is detected, the electronic control unit can be put into a power saving mode to save battery life. For example, such a sensor might detect ambient light in the room, to conserve power when the room is dark. Yet another embodiment teaches the use of a temperature sensor in conjunction with an electronic control unit controlling a valve so that the water flow can be shutoff whenever the water temperature falls outside of a specified interval, as a safety feature to avoid exposing a showering person to freezing and scalding water temperatures.
[0007] Another embodiment teaches a method for conserving water usage teaching very specific steps and by deploying a water valve to stop the water flow, until certain activation conditions are met, then maintaining water flow only when a shower person is detected, and terminating water flow during specified terminating conditions such as a “short shower” timer expiring.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE INVENTION
[0008] FIG. 1 shows generally the preferred embodiment of the invention, a showerhead having an embedded presence detector and a height adjustor that can be used to maximize the accuracy of the presence detector.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention where presence detection is used to identify a showering person and provide service customized for the identified person.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a power-saving embodiment of the invention where room sensors are used to detect conditions that make it appropriate to put the electronic control unit into a low power mode.
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates yet another embodiment where a sensor measures the water temperature, and this information is used to shut off the water flow to the showerhead under possibly unsafe conditions.
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart yet another embodiment where water is conserved by using sensors and buttons to detect appropriate conditions in which to start or stop the water flow.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention is useful in any showering environment. Showering environments are well known in the art, and the present invention is not limited to a specific showing environment. A typical showering environment might include a shower wall, a shower floor, a showerhead attached to the shower wall (or elsewhere), typically using some kind of support arm. A typical showering environment might also include a supply hose that delivers water to a showerhead and some kind of water controls to turn the showering water supply off and on and to manually set the water temperature by mixing incoming hot and cold water to achieve a desirable showering temperature.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows generally the preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a showing environment having a shower floor 90 , a vertical shower wall 70 , a showerhead 10 that receives water from a supply line 80 . FIG. 1 also shows the showerhead 10 having an embedded presence detector 20 . In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the showerhead 10 is attached to a support arm 30 substantially perpendicular so that the showerhead is pointed down toward the floor. Also illustrated is a vertical support 40 attached to the shower wall 70 with supports 50 and 50 ′. A support arm 30 is attached to the vertical support 40 such that the support arm 30 and be adjusted to a higher or lower height to accommodate users of varying heights. Although this embodiment illustrates the use of a vertical pole to aid in the adjustment of the head, the invention is useful with other showerhead height adjustment mechanisms. In this embodiment, an adjustor 60 is generally illustrated to show generally a means to fix the height of the support arm 30 at a fixed position. The dotted lines illustrate a showerhead 10 ′ with the presence detector 20 ′, attached to the support arm 30 ′ having been lowered.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention where presence detection is used to identify a showering person and provide service customized for the identified person. Referring to FIG. 2 , an electronic control unit 110 is introduced, that is interfaced to the presence detector 20 and a personal service device such as a radio 130 with an interface 140 . The term “personal service devices” is contemplated to be generally construed herein to include any consumer device capable of providing a customizable useful or entertaining purpose in a shower environment. Consumer electronic devices such as radios, televisions, and media players such as mp3 music players are particularly contemplated. The interface between the electronic control unit 110 and the device 130 could be hard-wired, but the preferred interface is a wireless communication means such as infrared or radio technologies. In this embodiment, the presence detector 20 is configured to detect not only the presence of a showering person, but also to detect the height of the showering person as represent by the “X” 120 of FIG. 2 . The electronic control unit 110 has an associated table that maps height ranges to likely showering persons and identifies the showering person based on the detected height. After identifying the showering person, a pre-selected personal service customized for the identified person is deployed. In FIG. 2 , upon the detection of a particular person, the electronic control unit 110 would turn on the “personal services” device, which is illustrated in FIG. 2 as a radio 130 , and tune it to a station specifically customized for the identified showering person. The electronic control unit 110 needs to have some kind of control interface 140 with the personal services device such as the illustrated radio 130 . The interface 140 could be implemented hardwired, or using a wireless technology.
[0016] In one embodiment, the presence detector is implemented using infrared or related technologies. Infrared and related technologies typically have an “optimal focal direction”, which herein means the direction and distance of the presence detector to its intended target that produces the most accurate detection results. A key benefit of this embodiment is that the “optimal focal direction” can be maintained by adjusting the sensor in the showerhead downward when a smaller person is showering. This differs from prior art systems having a fixed showerhead position, which would result in less accurate distance measurement for a smaller showering person because, for infrared, for example, the accuracy of the infrared would decrease as the distance between the fixed shower head and the head of the showering person increases.
[0017] This embodiment contemplates the introduction of a generic “distance estimator” that estimates the height of the showering person, and that height is used to predict the identity of the showering person so that personalized services can be provided based on the identity of the showering person. In the preferred embodiment, the “distance estimator” is implemented using the infrared based presence detector 20 coupled with the electronic control unit 110 , but other distance estimator implementations are contemplated as well.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a simplified example of one embodiment of the invention. Although the electronic control unit 110 is shown as a box above the shower head 10 in FIG. 2 , the invention is not so limited. For example, the electronic control unit could be implemented as electronics within the showerhead, or alternatively, could be situated somewhere else within or without the showering environment. Likewise, the personal service device is illustrated as a radio 130 in FIG. 2 , but the invention is not so limited. For example, the personal service device could be any appropriate consumer-friendly device including, but not limited devices playing music, video, or any kind of media presentation. The personal service device could also set the water temperature to a temperature preferred by the showering person.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment where one or more room sensors 210 , forming a sensor group, are deployed and interfaced to the electronic control unit 110 . (The interface is not illustrated in FIG. 3 ). Sensor here is used in a general sense to include any sensor capable of detecting something of interest in the environment by performing a measurement and comparing that measurement to a pre-defined threshold. For example, a temperature sensor could measure the temperature of the room and measure the room temperature against a temperature set point, where the temperature set point would be serving as the threshold. The purpose of the sensors is to detect an environment condition of interest, and then to put the electronic control unit 110 into a low power mode when its higher powered functionality is likely not needed, thus saving battery life for systems powered by batteries. For example, the sensor 210 could be used to determined ambient light, and the electronic control unit 110 could then power down the presence detector when the room was dark under the theory that people do not generally shower in the dark. A different sensor 210 could be used to measure water temperature and/or water flow to signal the electronic control unit 110 to stay in low power mode until water is flowing and has reached a predetermined temperature.
[0020] Another variation of the sensor 210 is a button where a showering person, upon arrival, presses the button to bring the system out of low power mode. The system could return to low power mode under a number of possible circumstances, including a time delay, or detection of an appropriate environmental condition.
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a specific use of a temperature sensor 220 . Here, the sensor is not used to signal power down mode, but rather is used for safety purposes to detect unsafe or unpleasant water temperatures, to allow the electronic control unit 110 to shut off the water supply whenever an inappropriate water temperature is detected.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method to deploy the claimed technology to conserve water in a showering environment. The method generally works as follows: First, the system begins in a “sleep” mode, and it remains there until is activated by an activation event. An activation event is contemplated to be anything measurable parameter that indicates that a person has arrived at the shower. For example, a button could be installed, and the showering user would push the button to alert the system of his or her presence. Alternatively the water temperature could be measured, and an activation event could be when the water temperature reaches a particular activation set point to reflect that a user has arrived and has manually turned on the water.
[0023] Once an activation event is detected, the system enters an “auto” mode, and turns on the water valve to enable water flow. The water flow typically stays on while the system waits for the water to warm up to a preset “warm enough” set point. The person then enters the shower and perhaps adjusts the height of the showerhead if such an adjustment is present. The system then uses presence detection—or a “person detector”—typically implemented with infrared sensing technology, to predict the presence of a person. Various schemes for predicting the person of a person can be deployed by making various adjustments to the sensitivity of the sensors. For example, it is often desirable to allow the detection of a hand to qualify as a person prediction, so that a showering person can start the flow and test the water temperature before stepping into the shower. Because of earlier steps, the water should be at least at the “warm enough” temperature threshold. The system conserves water by shutting off the water valve when the person detector predicts the absence of a showering person and resumes water flow when the presence of a showering person is predicted. Optionally, the shower could terminate due to the detection of a terminating event. A terminating event is contemplated to be anything that reasonable would provide a basis for terminating a shower. For example, providing a “long enough” timeout to encourage short showers (that could then be extended by pushing the button) is one example of a terminating event. Another category of terminating events might be safety considerations, for example, a terminating event could be the temperature of the shower approaching a scalding temperature, or perhaps a “too cold” temperature.
[0024] The main idea of this embodiment is to reduce the amount of wasted water by intelligently trying to determine situations where shower water is likely to be going straight down the drain, and not onto a showering person, and closing the water valve in those situations and resuming water flow, when a showering person is likely to be present. The sensing at the first provides for the case when water flow is enabled so that the water will warm up at which times the shower may be elsewhere waiting. The system intelligently will shut off the water when the “warm enough” temperature is reached.
[0025] The descriptions above and the associated drawing are provided for illustration, not limitation. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, there are other embodiments of the present invention not illustrated deploying slight modifications that nonetheless are consistent with claimed invention. Accordingly, the invention should only be limited by the claims as set forth below:
|
A system for accurately detecting the presence of a person in a shower by combining presence detection technology, such as an infrared sensor in the showerhead, with a mechanical height adjustment of the showerhead, so that the optimal distance between the sensor and showering person can be maintained for persons of different heights. Alternative embodiments include an electronic control unit to provide power consumption management and safety features. When the electronic control unit is combined with presence detection to predict the identity of a showering person, personal services customized for the identified person are provided. An alternate embodiment teaches a process for intelligently conserving water by intelligently blocking water flow at appropriate times, based on predictable behavior of a contemplated showering person.
| 4
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2006/004490, filed May 12, 2006, and which designates the U.S. The disclosure of the referenced application is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a method for simulating a visual surface pattern of a fiber product and a device for carrying out the method, and to a method for producing a BCF yarn and a device for carrying out the method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In the production of sheet-like fiber products, a strand-like fiber or fiber bundle is produced as a semi-finished product in a preceding separate process. The sheet-like fiber product can then be produced due to the further processing of the fibers and fiber bundles by knitting, weaving, plaiting, etc. in a following process. The nature, in particular the visual appearance, of the sheet-like fiber product is in this case influenced substantially by the nature of the fiber and its production process. Particularly in the production of carpets, it is known to use as fiber bundle a BCF (Bulked Continuous Filament) yarn which is formed from a plurality of differently colored multi-filament threads. Depending on the degree of intermixing of the individual fibers within the BCF yarn, different color patterns are obtained in the carpet fabric, and, for example in order to prevent individual colors from standing out, it is necessary for all the threads in the BCF yarn to be intermixed intensively.
[0004] So that, even when the fiber or fiber bundle is being produced, conclusions can be drawn as to a fiber product produced from it in a following process, simulation methods are known, in which surface patterns of the fiber product are calculated theoretically from parameters of the fiber bundle. Such a method for simulating a sheet-like fiber product is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,333. In this case, the parameters of a BCF yarn, in the form of a number of the thread components, colors of the thread components and, in particular, a measure of the mix of the components, are used in order, with the aid of evaluation electronics and corresponding analysis algorithms, to simulate the appearance of a carpet produced from the BCF yarn. Methods of this type, however, are extremely complex and depend essentially on the data default setting. Moreover, defining and describing the selected parameters of the fiber bundle require special experience in order to obtain the variables critical for the subsequent appearance of the sheet-like fiber product.
[0005] An object of the invention, then, is to provide a method and an apparatus for simulating a visual surface pattern of a fiber product of the generic type, by means of which a simple and reproducible simulation of the visual appearance of the fiber product is possible.
[0006] A further aim of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for simulating a visual surface pattern of a fiber product, which can be integrated directly into a production process of a fiber bundle, so that defined process parameter settings can thus be carried out before or during the production process.
[0007] Accordingly, an object of the invention is also to develop a method and an apparatus for producing a BCF yarn in such a way that a yarn corresponding to the desired default settings of a surface pattern of a carpet can be produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The above objects and others of the invention are achieved by means of a method for simulating a visual surface pattern of a fiber product, having the features as claimed in Claim 1 , by means of an apparatus for carrying out the method, having the features as claimed in Claim 14 , by means of a method for producing a BCF yarn, having the features as claimed in Claim 18 , and by means of an apparatus for carrying out the method, as claimed in Claim 22 .
[0009] Advantageous developments of the invention are defined by the features and feature combinations of the respective subclaims.
[0010] The invention is based on the recognition that the appearance of a sheet-like fiber product, for example a carpet, is characterized essentially by the appearance of the fiber. In this case, the production methods of the sheet-like fiber products generate a more or less predefined and regular depositing and interlinking of short longitudinal portions of the fiber bundle which contribute to the appearance on the surface of the fiber product. Particularly in the production of colored fiber bundles, it was found that there is a relationship between an image of a longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle and a visual surface pattern of the fiber bundle processed into a sheet-like fiber product. By means of appropriate analysis algorithms which take into account the production process of the fiber product, the visual surface pattern can be precalculated from an image of a longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle. Only the visual appearance of the strand-like fiber bundle is therefore used as a parameter for simulating a visual surface pattern. A more detailed detection of a plurality of parameters of the fiber bundle may therefore be dispensed with entirely. The image of the fiber bundle can be detected in an automated manner, without the co-operation of an operator, and, in the case of stipulated analysis algorithms, leads quickly and accurately to a simulation of the final fiber product. An image is to be understood here as meaning any information means which stores the visual nature of a fiber strand, in particular the color spectrum of the fiber strand.
[0011] The development of the method according to the invention in which a running thread is sensed is particularly advantageous, so that an on-line determination of the carpet quality can be carried out in a process for producing a fiber strand, for example a BCF thread, from a plurality of individual colored threads.
[0012] In order to arrive at accurate theoretical surface patterns at as low an outlay as possible in computation terms, the developments of the method according to the invention, as claimed in Claims 3 and 4 , are particularly advantageous. In this case, the longitudinal portions of the fiber bundle are plaited in a plurality of thread plies lying next to one another, in order to detect an extract of the thread plies as an image.
[0013] However, the longitudinal portions of the fiber bundle may also be wound into a bobbin, so that the image of at least one extract of the bobbin is detected.
[0014] The detection of the image of an extract of one of the end faces of the bobbin or of the complete end face of the bobbin has proved to be particularly advantageous. In this case, the longitudinal portions of the fiber bundle are laid closely to one another, so that the image information can be converted into the surface pattern of the fiber product by means of only a few computing operations.
[0015] The image is in this case advantageously recorded by one or more photocells, so that the signals from the photocells can be fed directly for image analysis. In this case, the light signals can be converted directly into electrical charges by means of the photocells. The digital data are fed to an image analysis unit which extract the required computation data by means of corresponding image analysis algorithms and transfer them to the evaluation electronics for calculating the visual surface patterns.
[0016] There is also the possibility, however, that the image is stored in each case as a digital pattern and the data of a plurality of digital patterns are fed to the image analysis unit.
[0017] The method according to the invention is particularly effective in the production of multi-colored yarns which serve for producing a color pattern in a fiber product. To that extent, the method variants according to Claims 9 and 10 are preferably employed.
[0018] In this case, integration into a production process of the fiber bundle according to Claims 12 and 13 is particularly advantageous, since the simulation results can be utilized directly for the setting and variation of process parameters in the production process of the fiber bundle. Thus, the process parameters of the production process of the fiber bundle can be influenced by a following process for producing a predetermined fiber product. In this case, in a first method variant, the changes of one or more process parameters can be generated in such a way that the simulated surface pattern is compared with a stored desired default surface pattern. It is also possible, however, to obtain corresponding process parameter generations from a straightforward analysis of the surface pattern.
[0019] In a second method variant, even the analysis of an image or a comparison of the image with a stored pattern image is utilized in order to generate changes of one or more process parameters.
[0020] The method according to the invention for simulating visual surface patterns of a fiber product thus makes it possible to have completely novel methods for the production of fiber bundles. The method according to the invention for producing a BCF yarn consisting of a plurality of differently colored multi-filament threads in a BCF spinning process is distinguished in that a BCF yarn is provided which delivers the desired surface patterns during further processing into a carpet. In this case, the simulation results can be evaluated, even before the start of the process, in order to define directly the process parameters for the spinning, drafting, crimping, swirling and winding of the threads. Furthermore, however, there is also the possibility, despite a selective process parameter setting, of carrying out continuous simulation during the process, in order to change the setting of at least one of the process parameters as a function of a simulation result.
[0021] Alternatively, in a simulation, monitoring and control can be carried out before the process start of the running production process in that an image of a longitudinal portion of the BCF yarn is detected and is compared with a stored pattern image. The setting of the parameter can then be changed as a function of the comparison.
[0022] Alternatively, however, there is also the possibility that a visual surface pattern of the carpet is calculated for every digitized data of the image, so that corresponding parameter changes can be carried out from a comparison with a desired default pattern of the carpet.
[0023] The apparatus according to the invention, as claimed in Claim 14 , is distinguished by a simple arrangement which can be used in a flexible way. Thus, the image acquisition appliance for sensing the image of a longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle can advantageously also be employed in a production process of the fiber bundle. The image acquisition appliance can in this case detect the longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle in any desired positions within the process. The image acquisition appliance is advantageously assigned to a bobbin handling device or to the bobbin-winding machine of the production process.
[0024] In order to obtain a high resolution of the appearance of the fiber bundle, the image acquisition appliance is preferably equipped with one or more photocells which are arranged to form a surface sensor or a line sensor. CCD sensors of this type are particularly suitable for achieving maximum resolution and color reproduction qualities. The image acquisition appliance may in this case be assigned optics for light refraction or lighting means for light amplification.
[0025] For the direct processing of the sensor signals, the image acquisition appliance is connected to an image analysis device assigned to the evaluation device.
[0026] For incorporation into a production process of a fiber bundle, the evaluation electronics have directly an interface with respect to a control device by means of which the production process can be controlled. To that extent, direct data can be exchanged and parameter changes of the process parameters can be initiated without delay.
[0027] With incorporation into the production process, therefore, classifications of the bobbins produced can also advantageously be carried out, so that, in the processing of the bobbins into a carpet fabric, a high uniformity of the feed product can be achieved.
[0028] The apparatus according to the invention, as claimed in Claim 22 , is particularly suitable for producing a composite thread from a plurality of visually different individual threads according to predetermined pattern maps in order to obtain a quality of the composite thread which is uniform for a subsequent sheet-like product. Particularly for the production of carpet yarns, a high uniformity of the visual properties can be achieved by means of the apparatus according to the invention. Thus, an image acquisition appliance is provided, so that an actual-value/desired-value comparison between maps of, for example, the color spectra can be carried out directly by coupling to an evaluation unit.
[0029] The development of the apparatus is particularly advantageous in which the image acquisition appliance is arranged upstream of the winding device in the thread run of the BCF thread. On-line monitoring for monitoring the uniformity of the projected thread is consequently achieved.
[0030] In order, during the production process, to assess possible deviations between an actual image and a pattern image and as far as possible transfer them directly into a simulated surface pattern, the development of the apparatus according to the invention is particularly advantageous in which the image acquisition appliance is assigned to a bobbin produced by means of the winding device. Thus, a longitudinal portion, plaited in a plurality of plies, of the fiber bundle can be detected and, if appropriate, converted to a surface pattern.
[0031] Independently of the arrangement of the image acquisition appliance, it is particularly advantageous if the evaluation device is coupled to a control device by means of which at least one process parameter can be changed. Consequently, possible deviations in the visual appearance of the fiber strand can be converted directly into process changes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] The inventive method will be described in more detail hereinbelow with the aid of an exemplary embodiment of the inventive apparatus, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a first exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for carrying out a method according to the invention;
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically a further exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for carrying out a method according to the invention;
[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates diagrammatically a map of a longitudinal portion of a fiber bundle;
[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically a map of an extract of a bobbin;
[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates diagrammatically a visual surface pattern of a fiber product; and
[0038] FIG. 6 illustrates diagrammatically an apparatus according to the invention for carrying out a production method according to the invention for producing a BCF yarn.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a first exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention for simulating a visual surface pattern of a fiber product. The apparatus has a sensor device 2 which is arranged in the vicinity of a fiber bundle 1 . The sensor device 2 is designed as an image acquisition appliance 3 , by means of which an image of a longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle 1 is detected. The fiber bundle 1 may be sensed by the sensor device 2 as a stationarily clamped fiber sample or in a running process.
[0040] The sensor device 2 is coupled to an image analysis device 4 which is assigned to an evaluation device 5 . The evaluation device 5 is coupled to a display device 6 , by means of which an indication of results is possible.
[0041] In the exemplary embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1 , of the apparatus according to the invention, an image of a longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle 1 is detected. For this purpose, the image acquisition appliance 3 preferably has CCD sensors, by means of which the light signals can be converted directly into charges. The sensor signals are fed to the image analysis device 4 , in which an image analysis unit carries out a treatment and analysis of the data and determines extracted computation data by means of appropriate algorithms. The extracted computation data are assigned to the evaluation device 5 which consists of evaluation electronics with corresponding computation software, in order to calculate a visual surface pattern of a fiber product by simulation. The visual surface pattern can then be indicated via the display device 6 . The display device 6 used is preferably a monitor.
[0042] The apparatus, illustrated in FIG. 1 , for carrying out the method according to the invention can be improved in the detection of the image in such a way that the image acquisition appliance 3 is assigned a lighting means in order to amplify the light signals emanating from the fiber bundle. For example, a laser could be used as lighting means. Optics may likewise be employed in order to make it possible to focus the light beams in order to generate the image.
[0043] FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a further exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention. The design of the apparatus is essentially identical to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 , and therefore reference is made to the abovementioned description and only the differences are explained at this juncture.
[0044] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 , the longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle is wound into a bobbin 8 . An extract of the end face 9 of the bobbin 8 is recorded as an image by the image acquisition appliance 3 . The image may in this case extend either only over an extract or over the entire end face 9 of the bobbin 8 . For this purpose, the image acquisition appliance can be guided movably in such a way that the end face is detected completely, for example by a line sensor.
[0045] The image acquisition appliance 3 is coupled to the image analysis device 4 and the evaluation device 5 . The evaluation device 5 has an additional interface with respect to a control device 7 which is assigned, for example, to the production process of the fiber bundle. To that extent, there is a direct data connection between the evaluation device 5 and the control device 7 , so that possible parameter changes of the production process can be carried out on the basis of the simulation results. At the same time, the evaluation device 5 is coupled to the display device 6 , so that the simulated surface patterns can be indicated.
[0046] The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2 can be used in a bobbin inspection station, for example so that bobbin sorting and classification can be carried out. It is also possible, however, to employ the apparatus directly in the production process of the fiber bundle, so that action can at the same time be taken in the process in an on-line connection.
[0047] The apparatuses, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , for carrying out the method according to the invention are based essentially on image processing. Thus, in the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 , an image of the fiber bundle 1 is generated by the image acquisition appliance. FIG. 3 shows, as an example, a map of a multi-colored fiber bundle. The illustration in FIG. 3 is black/white, so that the color differences are reproduced in various gray tones. The fiber bundle is in this case a BCF yarn which is formed from, overall, three differently colored individual threads. The individual threads are formed, in turn, by a multiplicity of filaments. In the map illustrated in FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the individual threads within the BCF yarn have a very low intermixing which, during subsequent further processing into a carpet, leads to a typical color pattern with clearly delimited colors. With the aid of image analysis, information can be generated from the image by means of the method according to the invention and is converted with the aid of analysis algorithms into a theoretical surface pattern. The simulated surface pattern thus makes it possible to have a simulation of the final fiber product. In the event that specific surface patterns are desired in the fiber product, in this case a carpet, variations can be carried out in the production process of the BCF yarn, for example in the intermixing of the individual threads in the BCF yarn. A predetermined surface pattern of the fiber product can therefore be obtained even during the production of the fiber bundle.
[0048] It should be expressly mentioned at this juncture that the image depicted in the invention is not to be equated to the map shown in FIG. 3 . In this context, an analog or digital information means, by which the visual characteristic property of the fiber strand can be specified, is designated as an image. Thus, for example, in the case of a multi-colored thread, the image can be formed by a color spectrum which specifies the composition of the individual colors in the longitudinal portion of the fiber strand.
[0049] FIG. 4 shows an image of a part-view of a bobbin. In this case, the image shows a multiplicity of thread plies, the fractions of the fiber bundles being arranged next to one another and one above the other. The map already shows a surface pattern which has been formed by the winding of the fiber bundle. By means of corresponding analysis algorithms, which take into account, in particular, the process of the further processing of the fiber bundle into the fiber product, the information extracted from the map can be calculated with relatively low outlay in computation terms to form a surface pattern of the fiber product.
[0050] An example of a simulated surface pattern is illustrated in FIG. 5 . This is a multi-colored surface pattern of a carpet which appears in the black/white map as a result of different gray tones. The surface pattern illustrated in FIG. 5 could have been calculated, for example, from the image of the fiber bundle illustrated in FIG. 3 or from the image of the bobbin illustrated in FIG. 4 .
[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention of a BCF spinning process, in order to carry out the method according to the invention for producing a BCF yarn. For this purpose, the apparatus has a spinning device 12 , in which a plurality of spinnerets are arranged next to one another for extruding a plurality of filament bundles. In this exemplary embodiment three spinnerets 13 . 1 , 13 . 2 and 13 . 3 are arranged next to one another. Each of the spinnerets 13 . 1 to 13 . 3 is fed a colored polymer melt, a differently colored polymer melt being extruded in each of the spinnerets. Thus, for example, three differently colored filament bundles can be extruded simultaneously. Below the spinnerets 13 . 1 to 13 . 3 is provided a cooling device 16 for cooling the filament bundles which are combined in each case into a thread 14 . 1 , 14 . 2 and 14 . 3 by means of a preparation device 15 .
[0052] The threads 14 . 1 , 14 . 2 and 14 . 3 are combined in parallel in a plurality of treatment stages and are crimped into a BCF yarn 21 by means of a crimping device 19 . The treatment stages in this case contain a pretangling device 17 for the separate pretangling of the threads 14 . 1 to 14 . 3 , and a take-up device 18 for taking up and drafting the threads. The crimping device 19 is in this case designed as a compressive crimping device, by means of which the threads 14 . 1 to 14 . 3 are textured into a thread plug. The thread plug is subsequently cooled via a cooling drum 20 and taken up to form the BCF yarn 21 . Before winding by means of the winding device 23 , a secondary swirling takes place by means of the secondary swirling device 22 .
[0053] The BCF yarn 21 is wound into a bobbin 8 in the winding device. The bobbin 8 is assigned an image acquisition appliance 3 , by means of which an image of an extract of the bobbin 8 is detected. The image acquisition appliance 3 is coupled to an image analysis device 4 , by means of which the data of the image are analyzed and extracted. An analysis is carried out from the extracted computation data by means of the evaluation device 5 . The evaluation device 5 is coupled to a control device 7 which controls the entire BCF spinning process.
[0054] In the exemplary embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 6 , of the apparatus for producing a BCF yarn, different method variants can be implemented. In a first design variant, a pattern image of a desired bobbin view, which is compared with the actual image of the bobbin 8 , could be stored in the evaluation device 5 . In the event that inadmissible deviations are detected in the comparative analysis, the generation of a control command which is fed directly to the control device 7 takes place. Within the control device 7 , one or more parameter changes of the process parameters could be determined and initiated on the basis of the control command. Thus, in particular, the nature of the individual threads and the intermixing of the threads into the BCF yarn may be influenced in such a way that a desired appearance of the bobbins 8 is achieved.
[0055] This method variant can also advantageously be utilized with a modified apparatus for on-line monitoring of a BCF yarn. In this case, the image acquisition appliance 3 is arranged in the region between the secondary swirling device 22 and the bobbin-winding device 23 . This situation is illustrated by dashes in FIG. 6 . The image acquisition appliance 3 is assigned directly to the running thread 21 , so that a detection of an actual image of a defined longitudinal portion of the BCF yarn 21 takes place continuously. The actual image can be compared via the evaluation device 5 with a stored pattern image, for example a predefined color spectrum of the BCF yarn. By the evaluation device 5 being coupled to the control device 7 , undesirable deviations between the actual image and the pattern image can in this case be converted into corresponding control signals in order to change one or more settings of process parameters. It is also possible, however, to indicate and document the deviation so that a classification of the bobbins produced can subsequently be carried out.
[0056] In a further alternative for carrying out the method, there is the possibility that a simulation calculation takes place in the evaluation device 5 from the computation data of the image, in order to determine the visual surface pattern of a carpet. The calculated surface pattern is compared with a stored desired default surface pattern. The desired parameter adaptations take place via the control device 7 as a function of the comparative analysis. The method variant can advantageously be implemented with both apparatus variants, so that both the sensed bobbin and the sensed thread can be utilized for on-line simulation.
[0057] In the exemplary embodiments, illustrated in FIG. 6 , for carrying out the method according to the invention for producing a BCF yarn, there is also the possibility, however, that the settings of the process parameters are carried out before the process start as a function of a simulation calculation or as a function of an actual surface pattern of a carpet.
[0058] The method according to the invention and the apparatus according to the invention thus make it possible to have completely novel ways of producing fiber products which are processed into a surface pattern of a fiber product in a further processing process by knitting, weaving or plaiting. Thus, novel surface patterns of the fiber product can be created by means of simulations. The invention makes it possible to have fiber production manufacture aimed at the final product.
|
A method and an apparatus for simulating a visual surface pattern of a fiber product and a method and an apparatus for producing a multicolored BCF yarn. In this case, at least one parameter of a strand-like fiber bundle is sensed and is digitized into data which is converted with the aid of evaluation electronics into a surface pattern. The visual appearance of a longitudinal portion of the fiber bundle may be detected as an image as a parameter of the stand-like fiber bundle. A rapid and reproducible simulation of the visual surface pattern of a fiber product is consequently possible. Additionally, the production of the fiber product, for example a BCF yarn, can be monitored by means of the simulation results, so that at least one process parameter can be selected and/or monitored. For this purpose, an image acquisition appliance is provided, which is assigned to a bobbin or to the BCF yarn and which is connected to an evaluation device for an actual-value/desired-value comparison.
| 3
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0114531 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Nov. 17, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The described technology relates generally to a system and method for cleaning a substrate.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] A flat panel display is a thin display device having a flat panel and being relatively thin with respect to other display devices. Typical examples of a flat panel display include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display device, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, etc.
[0006] A flat panel display includes a display panel for displaying an image, and in order to manufacture such a display panel, various processes, for example, an etching process and a cleaning process are performed.
[0007] Particularly, when cleaning a silicon oxide film on an amorphous silicon layer that is formed in the OLED display or a silicon oxide film on a polysilicon layer, a spin cleaning method, or a track cleaning method of spraying a hydrofluoric acid (HF) cleaning liquid to a substrate on an in-line with a spray method or of flowing a hydrofluoric acid cleaning liquid with a flow method is used.
[0008] However, as the OLED display is formed in relatively larger sizes, in a spin cleaning method, it is difficult to rotate a substrate in a high speed, and in a track cleaning method, etching uniformity is difficult due to an etching difference between an intermediate portion and an edge portion of a substrate, and thus a crystallization process of an amorphous silicon layer, which follows the etching and an interface between a polysilicon layer and a gate insulating layer are affected, whereby a problem such as a crystallization stain and an element failure occurs.
[0009] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
SUMMARY
[0010] The described technology has been made in an effort to provide a system and method for cleaning a substrate having the characteristics of improving etching uniformity and remarkably reducing a use amount of a cleaning liquid.
[0011] An exemplary embodiment includes a substrate cleaning system including a carrying unit having a plurality of rollers for carrying a substrate, wherein each of the rollers includes a roller shaft and a plurality of division rollers coupled to the roller shaft, and wherein a gap between adjacent ones of the roller shafts is larger than a radius of each of the division rollers; a first rinse unit located along the carrying unit and configured to apply a first cleaning liquid onto the substrate; and a cleaning unit comprising a slit nozzle and configured to apply a second cleaning liquid to the substrate after it encounters the first rinse unit.
[0012] Division rollers of the adjacent rollers may be alternately arranged.
[0013] A silicon layer and a silicon oxide film may be sequentially formed on the substrate.
[0014] The first cleaning liquid may be ultrapure water or deionized water, and the second cleaning liquid may be an aqueous solution including ammonium fluoride or hydrofluoric acid.
[0015] A concentration of hydrofluoric acid of the second cleaning liquid may be 0.2% to 2.0%.
[0016] A width of an ejection opening of the slit nozzle may be 0.1 mm to 2 mm.
[0017] The slit nozzle may include a hydrofluoric acid resistant material.
[0018] A second gap between the slit nozzle and an upper surface of the substrate may be 1.5 mm to 5 mm.
[0019] The cleaning unit may further include an air knife that removes the first cleaning liquid on the substrate; and an aqua knife that removes the second cleaning liquid on the substrate.
[0020] The substrate cleaning system may further include a second rinse unit that ejects a third cleaning liquid to the substrate that passes through the cleaning unit.
[0021] The third cleaning liquid may be ultrapure water or deionized water.
[0022] In another embodiment, a method of cleaning a substrate is provided, the method including loading the substrate onto a carrying unit; moving the substrate under a first rinse unit with the carrying unit and applying a first cleaning liquid to the substrate using the first rinse unit; moving the substrate under a cleaning unit with the carrying unit and applying a second cleaning liquid to the substrate using a slit nozzle of the cleaning unit; and performing a reaction process of the second cleaning liquid while sustaining the substrate to which the second cleaning liquid is applied in a horizontal state.
[0023] A reaction time period that performs the reaction process may be 5 seconds to 100 seconds.
[0024] A silicon layer and a silicon oxide film may be sequentially formed on the substrate, and the silicon oxide film may be etched using the second cleaning liquid in the reaction process.
[0025] The applying of a second cleaning liquid to the substrate may include forming the second cleaning liquid in a predetermined thickness on the substrate.
[0026] The applying of a second cleaning liquid to the substrate may be performed while sustaining the substrate in a horizontal state.
[0027] At the applying of a second cleaning liquid to the substrate, a gap between the slit nozzle and an upper surface of the substrate may be 1.5 mm to 5 mm.
[0028] The method may further includes, after the ejecting of a first cleaning liquid on the substrate, removing the first cleaning liquid from the substrate in which the first cleaning liquid remains using an air knife.
[0029] The method may further include, after the performing of a reaction process of the second cleaning liquid, removing a reaction material of the second cleaning liquid in which the reaction process is performed using an aqua knife from the substrate.
[0030] The first cleaning liquid may be ultrapure water or deionized water, and the second cleaning liquid may be an aqueous solution including ammonium fluoride or hydrofluoric acid.
[0031] A concentration of hydrofluoric acid of the second cleaning liquid may be 0.2% to 2.0%.
[0032] The method may further include ejecting the third cleaning liquid onto the substrate in which a reaction material of the second cleaning liquid is removed using the second rinse unit.
[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment, by applying a second cleaning liquid in a uniform thickness only onto a silicon oxide film using a slit nozzle, a use amount of the second cleaning liquid can be remarkably reduced, compared with a conventional spin cleaning method, spray method, or flow method.
[0034] Further, by minimizing a width of an ejection opening of a slit nozzle and a gap between a slit nozzle and a substrate, a second cleaning liquid of a uniform thickness is applied onto a silicon oxide film and a division roller of one roller of adjacent rollers of a carrying unit is alternately arranged with the other one division roller, a first gap between adjacent roller shafts is larger than a size of a radius of a division roller and is 20 mm or less and thus by reducing an area of a portion in which the division roller and the substrate doe not contact, flatness of the substrate is improved and thus etching uniformity of the silicon oxide film can be improved.
[0035] Further, while etching uniformity of the silicon oxide film is improved, a method of cleaning a substrate can be applied to a large sized-substrate.
[0036] Further, because etching uniformity is improved, a crystallization stain and an element failure are prevented from occurring.
[0037] Further, because the second cleaning liquid is applied only onto a silicon oxide film in a uniform thickness using a slit nozzle and a substrate is stopped under a cleaning unit during a reaction time period, a manufacturing space can be reduced, compared with a conventional spray method, and because a separate slope time period is unnecessary, compared with a conventional flow method, a tact time can be reduced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0039] FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating a carrying unit of the substrate cleaning system of FIG. 1 .
[0040] FIGS. 3 to 7 are diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of cleaning a substrate using a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0041] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.
[0042] The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.
[0043] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating a carrying unit of the substrate cleaning system of FIG. 1 .
[0044] As shown in FIG. 1 , a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment includes a carrying unit 100 that carries a substrate 10 , a first rinse unit 200 that positions on the carrying unit 100 and that ejects a first cleaning liquid 20 (see FIG. 3 ) on the substrate 10 , and a cleaning unit 300 that applies a second cleaning liquid 30 (see FIG. 4 ) to the substrate 10 that passes through the first rinse unit 200 .
[0045] A silicon layer 11 of an amorphous silicon layer or a polysilicon layer is formed on the substrate 10 , and a silicon oxide film 12 is formed on the silicon layer 11 . The silicon oxide film 12 is an oxide film that is formed on the silicon layer 11 in a manufacturing process and can be removed using a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0046] The carrying unit 100 includes a plurality of rollers 110 that are disposed at a predetermined gap, and the roller 110 includes a roller shaft 111 and a plurality of division rollers 112 that are coupled to the roller shaft 111 .
[0047] As shown in FIG. 2 , a plurality of roller shafts 111 are oriented parallel to each other, and a plurality of division rollers 112 rotate with a rotation of the roller shaft 111 and rotate the substrate 10 contacting the division roller 112 . The division roller 112 may be made of a material such as rubber having a large friction force or coefficient.
[0048] The division roller 112 of one roller 110 of adjacent rollers 110 is alternately arranged with another division roller 112 . Therefore, because an area of a portion in which the division roller 112 and the substrate 10 do not contact can be reduced, flatness of the substrate 10 can be improved.
[0049] Further, a first gap d 1 between adjacent roller shafts 111 is larger than a size of a radius of the division roller 112 and, for example, may be about 20 mm or less. If the first gap d 1 is smaller than a size of a radius of the division roller 112 , the division roller 112 of a first roller 110 of the adjacent rollers 110 contacts a roller shaft 111 of a second roller 110 and thus a friction force occurs. If the first gap d 1 is larger than 20 mm, it is difficult for the roller shaft 111 to appropriately rotate and an area which the division roller 112 does not support the substrate 10 increases, which may cause a cleaning liquid to pool in the area and thus the substrate 10 may be bent due to a weight of the cleaning liquid, whereby flatness of the substrate 10 may be affected.
[0050] The first rinse unit 200 is separated from the carrying unit 100 to be positioned at an upper part thereof. The first rinse unit 200 includes a first support 210 that is attached to a first fixing frame 1 and a plurality of first ejection portions 220 that are connected to the first support 210 and that eject a first cleaning liquid 20 onto the substrate 10 . The first cleaning liquid 20 may use ultrapure water or deionized water (DI water). The first cleaning liquid 20 that is ejected from the first rinse unit 200 removes a contamination material on a silicon oxide film 12 .
[0051] The cleaning unit 300 includes an air knife 310 that is attached to the first fixing frame 1 , a slit nozzle 320 that is attached to the first fixing frame 1 and that is located behind the air knife 310 in a traveling direction of the substrate 10 , and an aqua knife 330 that is attached to a second fixing frame 2 that is separated by a gap from the first fixing frame 1 .
[0052] The air knife 310 removes a residue of the first cleaning liquid 20 on the substrate 10 that is carried under the cleaning unit 300 using a high air pressure.
[0053] Because a width t of an ejection opening 321 of the slit nozzle 320 is a small width of about 0.1 mm to 2 mm, the second cleaning liquid 30 is ejected onto the substrate 10 in a substantially uniform thickness. Further, because a second gap d 2 between the ejection opening 321 of the slit nozzle 320 and an upper surface of the substrate 10 , i.e., the silicon oxide film 12 is a small size of 1.5 mm to 5 mm, the second cleaning liquid 30 that is ejected from the slit nozzle 320 is applied in a substantially uniform thickness onto the silicon oxide film 12 . The second cleaning liquid 30 is an aqueous solution including ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) or hydrofluoric acid (HF), and a concentration of hydrofluoric acid of the aqueous solution may be 0.2% to 2.0%. Because the second cleaning liquid 30 is an aqueous solution including ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) or hydrofluoric acid (HF), the slit nozzle 320 is made of a hydrofluoric acid resistant material. The second cleaning liquid 30 that is applied in a substantially uniform thickness is deformed into a reaction material 31 that is separated from the silicon layer 11 by reacting with the silicon oxide film 12 under the second cleaning liquid 30 .
[0054] The aqua knife 330 removes the reaction material 31 of the second cleaning liquid 30 on the substrate 10 using DI water of a high water pressure.
[0055] A second rinse unit 400 is disposed at the rear side of the cleaning unit 300 in a travel direction of the substrate 10 . The second rinse unit 400 is separated from the carrying unit 100 to be positioned at an upper part thereof and includes a second support 410 that is attached to the second fixing frame 2 and a plurality of second ejection portions 420 that are connected to the second support 410 and that eject a third cleaning liquid 40 onto the substrate 10 . The third cleaning liquid 40 can use ultrapure water or DI water.
[0056] The third cleaning liquid 40 that is ejected from the second rinse unit 400 removes a contamination material or a residue of the reaction material 31 on the silicon layer 11 .
[0057] In this way, because a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment applies the second cleaning liquid 30 in a substantially uniform thickness only onto the silicon oxide film 12 using the slit nozzle 320 , an amount of the second cleaning liquid 30 used can be remarkably reduced, compared with a conventional spin cleaning method, spray method, or flow method.
[0058] Further, by minimizing a width t of the ejection opening 321 of the slit nozzle 320 and the second gap d 2 between the slit nozzle 320 and the substrate 10 , the second cleaning liquid 30 of a substantially uniform thickness is applied onto the silicon oxide film 12 , and the division roller 112 of one roller 110 of the adjacent rollers 110 of the carrying unit 100 is alternately arranged with the other one division roller 112 , and because the first gap d 1 between the adjacent roller shafts 111 is larger than a size of a radius of the division roller 112 and is 20 mm or less, an area of a portion in which the division roller 112 and the substrate 10 do not contact is minimized, and thus flatness of the substrate 10 is maximized, whereby etching uniformity of the silicon oxide film 12 can be improved.
[0059] Hereinafter, a method of cleaning a substrate using a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7 .
[0060] FIGS. 3 to 7 are diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of cleaning a substrate using a substrate cleaning system according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0061] First, as shown in FIG. 3 , in a method of cleaning a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment, the first cleaning liquid 20 is ejected onto the substrate 10 that is loaded on the carrying unit 100 using the first rinse unit 200 . The first cleaning liquid 20 that is ejected from the first rinse unit 200 removes a contamination material on the silicon oxide film 12 that is formed on the substrate 10 . In this case, when an ejection angle of the first ejection portion 210 of the first rinse unit 200 is excessively small or excessively large, the first cleaning liquid 20 is intensively ejected in a narrow range or is widely ejected in a wide range and thus uniform cleaning may not be performed and therefore, in one embodiment, an ejection angle a 1 of the first ejection portion 210 is set within a range of about 30° to about 75° from a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the substrate 10 .
[0062] Next, as shown in FIG. 4 , by rotating the roller shaft 111 , the carrying unit 100 moves the substrate 10 on the carrying unit 100 under the cleaning unit 300 . In this case, because the air knife 310 is located at a front of the cleaning unit 300 (i.e., it is encountered first by an object on the carrying unit 100 ), a residue of the first cleaning liquid 20 on the substrate 10 is removed using a high air pressure.
[0063] At the same time, the second cleaning liquid 30 is applied onto the silicon oxide film 12 of the substrate 10 using the slit nozzle 320 of the cleaning unit 300 . In this case, because a width t of the ejection opening 321 of the slit nozzle 320 is small (for example, about 0.1 mm to 2 mm), the second cleaning liquid 30 is ejected onto the substrate 10 in a uniform thickness. Because the second gap d 2 between the ejection opening 321 of the slit nozzle 320 and the silicon oxide film 12 of the substrate 10 is a small size of 1.5 mm to 5 mm, the second cleaning liquid 30 that is ejected from the slit nozzle 320 is applied in a substantially uniform thickness onto the silicon oxide film 12 . By constantly being applied to the moving substrate 10 , the second cleaning liquid 30 is applied in a substantially uniform thickness onto the silicon oxide film 12 .
[0064] Next, as shown in FIG. 5 , the substrate 10 to which the second cleaning liquid 30 is applied is sustained in a horizontal state and a reaction process of the second cleaning liquid 30 is performed. The second cleaning liquid 30 that is applied in a substantially uniform thickness is deformed into the reaction material 31 that is separated from the silicon layer 11 by reacting with the silicon oxide film 12 under the second cleaning liquid 30 . In this case, a reaction time period in which a reaction process is performed may be about 5 seconds to 100 seconds. If a reaction time period is smaller than about 5 seconds, a time period in which the second cleaning liquid 30 reacts with the silicon oxide film 12 may be too short and thus it is difficult to completely remove the silicon oxide film 12 , and if a reaction time period is longer than about 100 seconds, a time to complete the entire process may be too long.
[0065] Further, the division roller 112 of a first roller 110 of the adjacent rollers 110 of the carrying unit 100 is alternately arranged with a second division roller 112 , and by adjusting the first gap d 1 between the adjacent roller shafts 111 , an area of a portion in which the division roller 112 and the substrate 10 do not contact is reduced and thus flatness of the substrate 10 is maximized, whereby etching uniformity of the silicon oxide film 12 can be improved.
[0066] Further, the rollers 110 are classified into a contact roller that contacts with the substrate 10 and a non-contact roller that does not contact with the substrate 10 , and a gap between the non-contact roller and the substrate 10 may be about 5 mm or less, and a gap between the non-contact roller and the contact roller may be between about 30 mm and about 100 mm.
[0067] Next, as shown in FIG. 6 , a reaction material 31 of the second cleaning liquid 30 is removed from the substrate 10 with DI water of a high water pressure using the aqua knife 330 .
[0068] Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the third cleaning liquid 40 is ejected onto the substrate 10 in which the reaction material 31 of the second cleaning liquid 30 is removed using the second rinse unit 400 . The third cleaning liquid 40 can use ultrapure water or DI water, and the third cleaning liquid 40 that is ejected from the second rinse unit 400 removes a contamination material or a residue of the reaction material 31 on the silicon layer 11 .
[0069] In this case, in order for the third cleaning liquid 40 that is ejected from the second rinse unit 400 not to be injected into the cleaning unit 300 , an ejection angle a 2 of the second ejection portion 420 may be set at up to about 30° from a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the substrate 10 .
[0070] Accordingly, in a method of cleaning a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment, because the second cleaning liquid 30 is applied in a substantially uniform thickness only onto the silicon oxide film 12 using the slit nozzle 320 , a use amount of the second cleaning liquid 30 can be remarkably reduced to about 1/10 compared with a conventional spin cleaning method, spray method, or flow method. Further, while improving etching uniformity of the silicon oxide film 12 , the method can be applied to a large sized-substrate 10 . Further, because etching uniformity is improved, a crystallization stain and an element failure are prevented from occurring.
[0071] In a conventional spray method, because the substrate 10 is continuously carried, a length of the cleaning unit 300 is extended and thus much manufacturing space may be occupied, and in a conventional flow method, because a slope time period of the substrate 10 for flowing the second cleaning liquid 30 is necessary, a process time is relatively long. However, in a system and method for cleaning a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment, because the second cleaning liquid 30 is applied in a substantially uniform thickness only onto the silicon oxide film 12 using the slit nozzle 320 and the substrate 10 is stopped under the cleaning unit 300 during a reaction time period, a manufacturing space can be minimized compared with a conventional spray method, and a separate slope time period is unnecessary, compared with a conventional flow method and thus a process time can be minimized.
[0072] A system and method for cleaning a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment are applied to the substrate 10 of a flat panel display, as described above, and can be applied to the substrate 10 to be used to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.
[0073] While this disclosure has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS
[0074]
[0000]
10: substrate
20: first cleaning liquid
30: second cleaning liquid
40: third cleaning liquid
100: carrying unit
200: first rinse unit
300: cleaning unit
400: second rinse unit
|
A substrate cleaning system including a carrying unit having a plurality of rollers for carrying a substrate, wherein each of the rollers includes a roller shaft and a plurality of division rollers coupled to the roller shaft, and wherein a gap between adjacent ones of the roller shafts is larger than a radius of each of the division rollers; a first rinse unit located along the carrying unit and configured to apply a first cleaning liquid onto the substrate; and a cleaning unit comprising a slit nozzle and configured to apply a second cleaning liquid to the substrate after it encounters the first rinse unit.
| 7
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention describes to a method for autonomous inspection or processing of floor areas, in particular for inspecting or processing by means of an autonomous robot, for example.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Numerous self-propelled robots for cleaning or processing floor areas are known and are commercially available. In principle, the most complete possible processing of the floor area in the shortest possible time is to be achieved. In the case of simple systems, random navigation methods are used (for example, EP 2287697 A2 from iRobot Corp.), which manage without preparing or using a map of the environment, in which the floor area to be processed is located. This means that no location information with respect to obstructions, floor area boundaries, cleaned/non-cleaned regions, etc., is used. In combination with local movement strategies, the travel direction is merely (randomly) changed in the event of a collision with an obstruction. Thus, for example, repeated cleaning of floor areas is accepted, without guaranteeing (in finite time) a complete cleaning of the floor area.
[0003] More complicated systems prepare a map of the environment for targeted path planning and targeted cleaning of the floor area by means of a SLAM algorithm (SLAM: “simultaneous localization and mapping”). In this case, a map and the position of the robot in the map are ascertained by means of sensors, for example, laser range scanners, triangulation by means of camera and laser, contact sensors, odometric sensors, acceleration sensors, etc. In newer cleaning robots, which use such a SLAM module, the prepared map is non-permanent, i.e., a new map is prepared for each new cleaning operation (i.e., after completion of a preceding cleaning operation). In such systems, no map-based items of information are usually communicated to the user (for example, what was cleaned in which manner), and the user has no influence on the internal use of the map (for example, on a division of the floor area into regions to be processed and regions not to be processed).
[0004] In contrast to non-permanent maps, the use of permanently stored maps enables more efficient processing operations, since repeated exploration of the environment is not necessary. A processing operation can therefore be calculated beforehand. In this case, additional map-based items of information can be ascertained and reused (for example, problem regions, strongly soiled regions, etc.). For example, in EP 1 967 116 A1 the degree of soiling of a floor area is ascertained and stored in the map to adapt the processing intensity (for example, duration, frequency, etc.) accordingly during following processing cycles. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,592 B2 from Intellibot, for example, a stored/permanent map is used to assign (possibly different) functions (for example, vacuuming, wiping) to individual partial regions of a map, which can then be executed autonomously by a cleaning device. In US 2009/0182464 A1 from Samsung, the available map is divided into partial regions, which are subsequently cleaned sequentially.
[0005] However, the given circumstances in the region to be cleaned are frequently variable from one cleaning operation to the next. Thus, for example, persons or unknown objects (for example, shoes or bags) can be located in the region to be cleaned or furniture can be adjusted. This makes it difficult for the robot to carry out the processing completely autonomously. For this reason, an interaction between user and robot is provided in many systems. It is helpful in this case if the robot requests aid from the user in a targeted manner, for example, when it detects changed circumstances.
[0006] A cleaning system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,884 A, which represents the expansion of a computer. The computer manages a permanent map which it can update. The map is used as a basis for the cleaning. The computer represents an interface to the user, by means of which messages about possible obstructions can be output.
[0007] Methods are also known by means of which regions which are not accessible during a processing operation are omitted and can be made up at a later point in time in the same processing operation or in a subsequent processing operation. Such a method is described, for example, in WO 03/014852 A1.
[0008] A robot is described in US 2010/0313364 A1, which can clean regions, which it has possibly not processed during a processing trip, later in a post-processing trip.
[0009] A method is described in US 2011/0264305, in which a cleaning robot transmits a map about the region to be cleaned to an external device and in this manner allows for an interaction with the user.
[0010] However, the user typically either has no influence on the behavior of the robot in the event of eventual irregularities or non-accessible regions, for example, in the case of robot systems which operate entirely without maps or only with temporary maps, or the user must specify to the robot for each established irregularity how it is to proceed further.
[0011] Excessively frequent interaction or repeated interaction for the same problem is frequently perceived as annoying by the user. Too little interaction or a lack of interaction, in contrast, is frequently interpreted as a low intelligence of the robot.
[0012] The object on which the invention is based consists of providing an autonomous robot, which adapts the interaction to the needs and desires of the user and to the area of responsibility of the robot.
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Said object is achieved by a mobile robot according to Claim 1 and a method according to Claim 17 . Different examples and developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
[0014] A mobile, self-propelled robot for autonomous execution of activities is described hereafter. The robot exhibits the following according to one example of the invention: a drive module for moving the robot across the floor area; a processing module for executing activities during a processing operation; a navigation module, which is designed to navigate the robot across the floor area during the processing operation on the basis of a map of the environment, and to store and manage one or more maps of the environment. The robot furthermore comprises at least one sensor module for acquiring items of information with respect to the structure of the environment; an analysis unit, which is implemented for the purpose of determining the area to be processed during a processing operation, comparing it to a reference, and storing items of information about a deviation between the reference and the actually processed area, and a communication module, which is implemented to establish, during, after completion, or after interruption of the processing operation, a connection to a human-machine interface, to communicate the stored items of information about a deviation between the reference and the actually processed area and therefore to give a user the option of engaging in the processing operation, making changes in the environment, or starting a renewed processing operation, wherein it is decided on the basis of specific, pre-definable criteria whether an item of information is to be communicated upon request by the user, without request, or not at all. The communication module is furthermore implemented for the purpose of accepting a control command from the user, to interrupt, continue, modify, or restart the processing operation.
[0015] Furthermore, a corresponding method for automatic execution of activities with the aid of a self-propelled, autonomous robot is described. The processing module does not necessarily have to process the floor area. Solely inspection or transport tasks can also be carried out. All mentioned modules do not have to be explicitly integrated into the mobile robot. For example, the analysis unit can also be implemented on a stationary computer, which can communicate with the mobile robot (for example, via radio).
[0016] The examples and technical features of the mobile robot which are described in conjunction with the processing of a floor area are also transferable, as mentioned, to a mobile robot for executing other or additional activities. The activities executed by the described mobile robot can comprise, for example, the processing of floor areas, the inspection of the floor area or the environment, the transport of objects, the filtering of air, and/or the execution of games. A processing module is not absolutely necessary, for example, in the case of use solely for inspection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0017] The following figures and the further description are to help to understand the invention better. The elements in the figures are not necessarily to be understood as a restriction, rather, value is placed on illustrating the principle of the invention. In the figures, identical reference signs identify identical or similar components or signals having identical or similar significance. In the figures:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic isometric illustration of a self-propelled robot for autonomous cleaning of floor areas;
[0019] FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of a robot for autonomous processing of floor areas on the basis of a block diagram;
[0020] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary illustration of a self-propelled robot for autonomous cleaning of floor areas at various positions in a region to be cleaned; and
[0021] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary illustration of a self-propelled robot for autonomous cleaning of floor areas in a region to be cleaned, which has irregularities;
[0022] FIG. 5 shows an example of the structure of a robot according to the invention for autonomous processing of floor areas on the basis of a block diagram;
[0023] FIG. 6 shows an example on the basis of a flow chart of a method for processing floor areas with user interaction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic isometric illustration of a self-propelled robot 100 for autonomous cleaning of floor areas. FIG. 1 also shows a Cartesian coordinate system having the origin in the center of the robot 100 . Such devices are frequently—but not necessarily—implemented in a disk-shaped manner. The vertical axis z goes through the center of the disk. The longitudinal axis is identified with x and the transverse axis is identified with y.
[0025] The robot 100 comprises a drive module (not shown), which can have, for example, electric motors, gears, and wheels. The drive module can be implemented, for example, for moving the robot in the forward and reverse directions (in the illustration from FIG. 1 , this would be along the x axis) and rotating it about the vertical axis (in the illustration from FIG. 1 , this would be the z axis). Therefore, the robot can—theoretically—approach any point of a floor area (which is parallel to the plane defined by the x axis and the y axis). The robot furthermore comprises a processing module, for example, a cleaning module, which is implemented to clean the floor area located under (and/or adjacent to) the robot. For example, dust and dirt particles are vacuumed into a collection container or conveyed therein mechanically (or in any other manner). Such robots are known—per se—and essentially differ by way of the type of the navigation in the environment and the “strategy”, which is applied during the processing of the floor area, for example, during a cleaning operation.
[0026] Robots are known, which manage without preparing or using a map. In such comparatively simple systems, random navigation methods are generally used. Location-related items of information, for example, items of information with respect to obstruction or orientation points, are not stored and reused during the processing operations. In combination with local movement strategies, such robots generally (randomly) change the travel direction in the event of collision with an obstruction. In this manner, floor areas in a region to be cleaned are in parts cleaned multiple times, while other floor areas are possibly not cleaned at all.
[0027] For this reason, more complicated, “smart” systems have been developed, which ascertain a map of the environment and simultaneously the corresponding position of the robot in this map, to thus make the robot as independent as possible and to achieve the best possible cleaning result, so that reworking by the user is only necessary to a limited extent or not at all. Such methods are known and are referred to as SLAM methods (simultaneous localization and mapping, see, for example, H. Durrant-Whyte and T. Bailey: “Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM): Part I The Essential Algorithms”, in: IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, volume 13, issue 2, pages 99-110, June 2006). In this manner, targeted navigation is enabled. The map and the position of the robot in the map can be ascertained in this case by means of one or more sensors. In some known systems, a new map is prepared for every new cleaning operation, the maps are thus not permanent.
[0028] More efficient processing operations are possible using systems, in which the maps prepared by the robot are permanently stored and reused for following cleaning operations, in comparison to systems having temporary maps, since repeated exploration of the environment is not necessary. In addition, map-based items of information can be ascertained and reused. Thus, for example, strongly soiled regions can be marked in the map and specially handled during a following cleaning operation. User-specific items of information, for example, room names, can also be accepted. According to the examples of the invention described here, the user can take influence on the processing operation, in particular in that he reacts to messages of the robot with respect to the processing operation or with respect to the environment. This interaction option or the benefits linked thereto for the user are to ensure that the acceptance of such robots is increased with consumers.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram, which illustrates the schematic structure of an example of a robot 100 for autonomous processing (for example, cleaning) of floor areas. A drive module 130 and a processing module 140 are shown, which were already mentioned above. Both modules 130 and 140 are controlled by a control and navigation module 110 . The navigation module 110 is implemented to navigate the robot across the floor area during a cleaning operation on the basis of a map of the environment. The map is stored in this case in a memory of the control and navigation module 110 in the form of map data. Different strategies for planning the set point trajectory of the robot are known for navigation in the environment. In general, the attempt is made to cover the floor area to be processed (for example, cleaned) as completely as possible using the shortest possible trajectory (path), to ensure comprehensive processing (for example, cleaning).
[0030] The robot 100 furthermore comprises a sensor module 120 for acquiring items of information with respect to the structure of the environment and/or with respect to properties of the floor area. For this purpose, the sensor module can have one or more sensor units, which are implemented to acquire items of information, on the basis of which a map of the environment can be constructed and the position of the robot on the map can be located. Suitable sensors for this purpose are, for example, laser range scanners, cameras, triangulation sensors, contact sensors for recognizing a collision with an obstruction, etc. As already described, a SLAM method can be used for constructing the map and for simultaneously determining the position of the robot within the map. The (temporary) map thus newly constructed and the permanent localization map corresponding thereto can be combined to recognize possible differences. Recognized differences can indicate an obstruction, for example. Persons located in a room can represent moving obstructions, for example (see below).
[0031] A communication connection to a human-machine interface 200 (HMI) can be established by means of a communication module 160 . A personal computer (PC) comes into consideration in this case as the human-machine interface 200 , however, it can also only be a simple display screen on the robot housing or a mobile telephone or smart phone. An external display screen, for example, a television, can also be part of the human-machine interface 200 . According to one example of the invention, the human-machine interface 200 enables the robot to communicate items of information with respect to the processing operation or with respect to the environment (i.e., items of map information) to the user and to request feedback (i.e., user feedback) from the user. The user can input a control command, for example, via a PC or via a button arranged on the robot housing. Of course, other variants of a human-machine communication are also known. This human-machine interface 200 enables stored items of information to be displayed with the corresponding positions in the map for a user, and therefore gives the user the possibility of intervening in the processing operation (or alternatively an inspection operation) or making changes of the environment. The human-machine interface 200 enables the processing operation (or the inspection operation) to be terminated, modified, continued, or restarted by way of the input of a control command by the user.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows an example of an autonomous robot 100 at a position A inside a region G to be cleaned. The region G to be cleaned is divided in this case into various rooms G 1 and G 2 , which are connected to one another by a door. In this case, various objects (black areas) can be located in the individual rooms G 1 , G 2 . The entire area G to be cleaned having the objects located therein can be stored in a map stored by the robot 100 . During a processing operation, the robot 100 can then process the region G to be cleaned on the basis of the map.
[0033] During a normal processing operation, the robot will be able to process the entire region G to be cleaned, except for the regions below the objects. It can therefore move, for example, from the position A into the position A′, to also carry out the processing in the second room G 2 .
[0034] However, it can occur that, for example, objects are displaced, partial regions are blocked, or unknown objects, which are not recorded in the map, are located in the region G to be cleaned. This is shown as an example in FIG. 4 . In this illustration, an object 20 is displaced in the first room G 1 (in comparison to FIG. 3 ) such that processing of the region GN (shown by dotted lines) is no longer possible for the robot 100 . In addition, the door to the second room G 2 is closed, so that the robot 100 cannot travel into this room G 2 (also shown by dotted lines) and processing is therefore not possible.
[0035] The sensor units, which deliver the environmental information required for constructing the map, can be used for the purpose, for example, of recognizing obstructions which are not yet recorded on an existing map. Contact sensors can detect a collision, it can be recognized, for example, via current sensors for measuring the load current of the drive unit when the robot hangs (for example, on the fringes of a carpet). Other sensor units can detect the robot getting stuck, for example, in that the drive wheels spin. Further sensor units can be provided, which are implemented, for example, for ascertaining the degree of soiling of the floor. The acquired items of environmental information can be transmitted together with a position of the robot assigned to the respective item of information on the map to the control and navigation module 110 . Obstructions which suddenly “appear” at a point and “disappear” again after a short time can indicate movement in the room, for example, persons who are moving in the room. The robot can thus recognize, for example, whether persons are moving in a room and it can react thereto in particular.
[0036] The robot 100 can be implemented for the purpose of initiating an interaction with a user in a targeted manner, for example, to inform the user about incomplete floor coverage and enable him to remedy the circumstances for the incomplete coverage and to communicate to the robot, for example, which of the partial regions which were not processed are to be subjected to a processing attempt once again. Excessively frequent interaction can easily be perceived as annoying by the user in this case.
[0037] FIG. 5 shows a further example of a robot for autonomous processing of floor areas. The robot differs from the example shown in FIG. 2 by way of an additional analysis unit 150 . The analysis unit 150 can process various items of information, for example, and can decide on the basis of specific criteria whether or not an interaction is to be initiated with the user. If an interaction should be initiated, it can also be determined, for example, whether an interaction is to be performed only upon request by the user or independently by the robot. The behavior of the robot can be adapted in this manner to the given circumstances in the region G to be cleaned and to the desires and requirements of the user.
[0038] The analysis unit 150 can be implemented, as shown in FIG. 5 , as an independent module. However, it can also be integrated in the navigation module 110 , in the communication module 160 , or any arbitrary component of the robot 100 . In addition, it is also possible that the analysis unit 150 is not embodied in the robot 100 , but rather, for example, in the human-machine interface 200 used (for example, in a computer or smart phone).
[0039] A method for adapting the behavior of the robot is shown as an example in FIG. 6 . Firstly a reference can be made available to the robot, for example. This can specify to the robot the region to be cleaned and the desired coverage of the region to be achieved. The reference can, for example, be specified beforehand by a user in the form of a map, in which the regions to be clean are entered. However, the reference can also be prepared by the robot itself, for example, by an exploratory trip or as it carries out processing operations. A reference which is prepared in this manner or predefined by the user could also be adapted automatically by the robot if necessary, for example, on the basis of user interactions.
[0040] A reference in the form of a map could be, for example, a so-called feature map, in which the environment of the robot is assembled in abstract form from features. These features can then be assembled with the aid of logic rules to form objects. Such objects can be rooms or objects located in rooms, for example. As soon as such a map is available, an area to be achieved can then be calculated before a processing operation. By means of path planning, for example, all points in a room can be checked for accessibility from an instantaneous robot position.
[0041] During a processing operation, the robot can then carry out a measurement of the actually processed area. During this measurement, for example, the traveled area can also be logged. This can be performed, for example, on the basis of the stored map, however, also on the basis of a newly prepared map, for example, which can be compared to the provided map. The map type which is prepared during the measurement can be adapted to the map type of the stored map. For example, local regions can also be written with the aid of a grid map (a map which is decomposed with the aid of a network (grid)) and these local regions can be linked to a feature map. This can be performed, for example, in that the local regions are converted into “features” (for example, descriptions of the local region of approximated by a line or traverse) and incorporated into the feature map (in the simplest case, the endpoints of a line and the item of information that these points are associated with a line). However, simply also logging them in an existing grid map is also possible, for example, in that, for example, each grid point, the equivalent area of which was processed, is marked as processed.
[0042] In addition to the measurement of the floor coverage, which is essentially performed by also logging the processed area, further obstructions can be recognized during the processing. Furthermore, the environment can be “scanned” further, to recognize new objects. Thus, for example, a door can be recognized as such by object recognition, for example, by recognizing the door handle and with the aid of an image database. Detected objects can be entered in the map.
[0043] Incomplete processing of a region to be processed can be induced by the robot itself, for example, in that it independently terminates the processing of a region or partial region, for example. This can be the case, for example, if the robot detects (too many) people in a region, which could interfere with its processing or who could be disturbed by the robot by way of its processing. The reasons why the robot terminates the processing of a region can also be linked to the map. Such a linkage can be achieved, for example, in that corresponding objects (for example, a room, a part of a room, a piece of furniture), which consist of features, for example, are linked to reasons.
[0044] The measurement carried out of the floor coverage achieved during a processing operation can be used as the foundation for a subsequent analysis. In a subsequent analysis, for example, the reference and a performed measurement can be compared to one another. The provided data can be processed in this case and relevant (interesting) parameters (for example, the cleaned areas, non-cleaned areas, reasons for not cleaning) can be extracted. Carrying out such a comparison can be performed in greatly varying ways and can be carried out, for example, at the end of a processing operation and/or at one or more points in time during a processing operation. If the comparison is carried out during a processing operation, the comparison is thus restricted to regions for which the processing was already completed. For this purpose, the processed region can be segmented both in the reference and also in the present measurement into partial regions. A comparison can be started, for example, when the processing of a partial region is completed.
[0045] Greatly varying algorithms are known for carrying out the comparison. Such algorithms can be, for example, a grid point to grid point comparison, for example, upon the use of a reference and result grid map, or an incorporation of rule-based logic, to be able to acquire complex relationships. One advantage of a more complex analysis is, for example, that the updated measurement map can be interpreted again after each (partial) measurement operation. Thus, for example, on the basis of logical rules in a feature map, an obstruction can be recognized in hindsight as a closed door, for example, if the obstruction has completely blocked the passage to a room, for example. Therefore, for example, without using object recognition, a closed door can be recognized on the basis of logic or the detection of a door in a preceding measurement step can be verified.
[0046] During the analysis, for example, areas can be judged according to cost functions. In the case of a cleaning robot, for example, for the ith partial area A i , the product of expected dirt pickup S i (can be known from previous processing operations) and (unprocessed) partial area A, can be calculated, from which a possible partial cleaning benefit R, results as follows:
[0000] R i =A i ·S i ·W i , (1)
[0000] wherein W i is a weighting assigned to the ith partial area A i (see below). If one sets (by definition), for example, S i =1 for all partial areas, the area benefit is obtained as a special case of the cleaning benefit. The integral (total) cleaning benefit R is obtained by adding up the partial cleaning benefits R i for all areas A i and all indices i in the set I:
[0000] RΣ iεI R i (2)
[0047] A typically strongly soiled area therefore has a higher cleaning benefit than an area which is normally not very soiled. The “costs” for not cleaning are therefore high in the case of an area having high cleaning benefit. The cleaning benefit is an example of a general cost function which the robot is to minimize. It would also be possible, alternatively or additionally, to calculate in a processing risk of an area. A risk could be, for example, the robot remaining stuck on a slippery or slick surface. This risk could be taken into consideration, for example, by adapting the weighting factors (which can normally be set to 1). The cost function can be used as a criterion, to decide whether an item of information with respect to a processing operation, an obstruction, a recognized object, or the like is fundamentally to be communicated to the user only upon request by the user, without request, or not at all.
[0048] Such cost functions can be adapted and tailored, for example, by preceding user feedback. Thus, for example, upon repeated preceding user input that small unprocessed partial regions are not to be subjected to a further attempt at processing, this can result in a reduction (for example, by the weighting factors W i ) of the calculated possible benefit in the case of small areas.
[0049] For example, if the region of an apartment under a dining table is frequently blocked by chairs and is therefore not accessible to the robot, the user could communicate to the robot that he no longer wishes attention to be given to this region. However, the location of chairs and couches is frequently very different from one processing operation to the next in living spaces. Thus, for example, during one processing pass, the region under the dining table can be blocked, however, it can be partially or completely possible during a following processing operation. It can be ensured by the analysis, for example, that this region is recognized again as the dining region during each processing operation, to reliably prevent the user from not being informed.
[0050] In a feature map which is segmented into objects, this is possible, for example, in that a very fuzzy description of location, shape, and size is given to the abstract object “region under the dining table”. In addition, for example, the object can also be linked with “chair obstructions”. In this manner, the robot can identify, for example, unreachable regions in the living room, which are not accessible because of chair obstructions, as the dining region, which is not communicated to the user.
[0051] In some cases, it can occur that regions cannot be identified, because of the limited items of information which the robot can measure using its sensor elements. For this reason, for example, a detection probability can be calculated from the cost function. This detection probability can be increased, for example, with each discovery of an obstruction (for example, chair obstruction). The result of the analysis can also be a statistical description of the non-processed regions, for example.
[0052] During the analysis, for example, new items of information can also be concluded. Thus, for example, a door handle which is detected in the measurement step can be interpreted as a door to a previously undiscovered (and therefore unprocessed) region. During the analysis, it can also be taken into consideration, for example, that only a partial processing of the entire region to be processed was desired. This can be achieved, for example, in that the reference is adapted accordingly.
[0053] In the following step, a decision can be made, for example, about which items of information are communicated to the user and/or which feedback is expected from the user. By separating the steps of analysis and decision, more structure can be given to the method, for example, and more complex behavior patterns can be generated with less effort, for example. However, it is also possible, for example, to combine analysis and decision.
[0054] For example, with the aid of the data extracted during the analysis, decisions can be made during the decision with the aid of predefined rules. In a simple case, for example, a comparison of the calculated cleaning benefit to a threshold value (target value, for example, a defined fraction of the maximum possible cleaning benefit) can be carried out and a decision can be made based thereon. However, complex state machines can also be implemented. Thus, for example, a battery charge state of the robot could additionally be determined before a user is informed. The user could request immediate post-processing of an unprocessed area, which is possibly not possible with the given battery charge state, since it is too low. The robot could first inform the user in such a case when the battery charge state is sufficient for post-processing. It could also take into consideration the present time of day, for example. Thus, for example, immediately informing the user can be waived in the late evening or at night, and it can be shifted to the following day, for example.
[0055] It could also be checked, for example, whether the user is located in the house. This could be possible, for example, if the user is logged on to a local WLAN network (wireless local area network), as long as he is located in the house. Additionally or alternatively to the mentioned factors, a variety of further factors is also conceivable, on the basis of which a decision about whether and when a user is to be informed could be influenced.
[0056] During the interaction, data are processed for the user and relayed to the human-machine interface in dependence on the decision made. The type of the representation of the data can vary in this case in accordance with the type of the human-machine interface. Thus, for example, a map, in which the unprocessed regions are marked in color, for example, can only be displayed via a graphics-capable user interface, for example, via a smart phone application.
[0057] It is also possible to make the decision of the robot accessible to the user in multiple different ways simultaneously. Thus, for example, additionally to the above-mentioned color emphasis of the non-processed regions via a smart phone application, an email having a brief summary of the information could also be sent. In addition, the reason for incomplete processing can also be mentioned to the user if possible, to make it as simple as possible for the user to remedy the causes thereof, in order to enable a renewed attempt of the floor processing.
[0058] In addition to the information flow to the user, feedback can also be expected from the user. Since the type of the desired feedback can be dependent on the transmitted information, for example, the type of the expected response can also be communicated to the user. Thus, for example, only a confirmation can be expected for the message “Kitchen could not be cleaned since the door was closed. Please inform me as soon as I should clean the kitchen,” while a map representation having partial regions can be expected in response to an item of information “Please mark the partial regions which I should process once again”.
[0059] In addition, for example, the preceding decision can be communicated to the user during the interaction, for example, by emphasizing in color a partial region, about which the user did not wish to be explicitly informed, in a displayed map. In this manner, the possibility can be given to the user of correcting preceding feedback. The user could select the corresponding region in the map and erase an entry “do not communicate”, for example.
[0060] During the interpretation, a decision can be made about an action of the robot or future decisions can be influenced in dependence on the user feedback. During the interpretation, for example, in the event of a positive response of the user (action requested) the sequence can continue to the next block or, in the event of a negative response (no action requested), the sequence can be terminated. However, it is also possible to link the response of the user to previous responses and to further rules, on the one hand, to decide which actions should be executed presently (for example, complete or partial post cleaning of a partial region) and, on the other hand, to make preparations for future interactions.
[0061] For example, if the user communicates to the robot to start a new processing attempt “later” for the non-processed partial regions, the robot could thus wait until the user is verifiably not in the building (for example, via a registration in a local WLAN network) and then initiate a new attempt. If a user has communicated repeatedly, for example, that he does not desire for regions which are less than the area of a shoe and are located in the foyer to be post-processed, the robot could adapt the analysis or the decision rules accordingly, so that the user is in future no longer “disturbed” by non-processed areas, which originate with high probability from shoes standing around in the foyer.
[0062] Alternatively, the user feedback can be stored in the reference map or can influence the reference map accordingly. Thus, for example, the abstract object “foyer” can be populated with the property: “do not report areas under 27 cm 2 ”. In the same way, the foyer could manage entirely without the message, in that the reference to the foyer is set to “do not clean”.
[0063] During the preparation of the action, the actions decided on by the method can be processed so that the robot can carry them out. The execution of actions can be dependent in this case on the capabilities of the robot. Thus, in this block if multiple unprocessed areas are present, for which a further processing attempt is to be started, for example, the following steps can be carried out: 1. Sorting the areas according to various criteria (for example, accessibility, risk of the processing attempt). 2. Path planning to the individual areas. 3. Transfer of the path list for execution to the robot.
[0064] The possible function of a robot 100 according to the invention for autonomous processing of floor areas will be explained in greater detail hereafter on the basis of five exemplary cases.
First Example
[0065] During a processing operation (for example, triggered by a corresponding calendar setting of the user), the couch in the living room is shifted such that the region located behind it can no longer be approached or cleaned by the robot (for example, the couch was moved so close to the wall that the robot no longer has space between wall and couch). The user is out of the house during the processing operation and only comes back after completion of the processing operation. The robot cleans the remainder of the apartment, stores the present processing operation, and returns to its charging station.
[0066] Subsequently, the robot analyzes the map and ascertains whether a substantial cleaning benefit (i.e., an improvement of the “cleanness” of the apartment to be cleaned) could be achieved if the couch were shifted back to the original space. In the case in which a substantial cleaning benefit would occur, the robot informs the user (via the human-machine interface 200 ) about the non-cleaned regions of the apartment (in this example, the non-cleaned region behind the couch) and indicates a corresponding reason (for example, “region could not be approached—space insufficient”).
[0067] The user then has the possibility of engaging in the cleaning process insofar as he shifts the couch back again so that the robot has sufficient space for cleaning Subsequently, the user can give the robot a “finish cleaning” command (via the human-machine interface 200 , for example, a button on the robot). With the aid of the stored map of the environment and the information about the non-cleaned region, the robot can now attempt to approach the region behind the couch in a targeted manner and clean it. If the couch was shifted sufficiently, then, for example, (only) the region behind the couch is cleaned and therefore the cleaning operation of the entire apartment is completed.
[0068] Alternatively thereto, however, the user also has the possibility of informing the robot that in future he no longer wishes to receive a communication about the shifted couch. In this case, the robot can link this information to the object “couch” in the map, store it in the map, and in future no longer inquire in the event of shifting of the couch even if a significant cleaning benefit could be achieved. In addition, it is also possible by way of the linkage of the user interaction with parts of the map and the storage of this language to display to the user in the map the information that no communication is desired in the event of blocking in this region. In this manner, the user could process and possibly change these linkages at a later point in time.
[0069] By way of the information communicated by the robot, the user also knows, for example, that the robot can only reach the region behind the couch with difficulty or barely. To increase the success for future cleaning operations, the user now also has the possibility of making this region, which is difficult to access, more easily reachable for the robot. The robot could also learn from a simple input of the user, however, which behavior is expected from it in reference to items of information about obstructions and can take consideration thereof in future.
Second Example
[0070] During a cleaning operation, the space under the dining table is blocked with chairs, so that good cleaning coverage under the table is not possible. The robot omits this region and continues the cleaning at another point. After completion of the cleaning of the apartment, the robot returns to the base station. The analysis of the cleaning map in comparison to the stored map and to earlier cleaning results has the result that the omitted region is a typically strongly soiled region and therefore a greater cleaning benefit could be achieved. For this reason, the robot informs the user that the region under the table could not be cleaned, since the chair legs are too close together.
[0071] The user then has the possibility of making the region better accessible (for example: placing the chairs on the table) and prompting the robot to perform a renewed cleaning attempt of the omitted region with the aid of a “finish cleaning” button. Alternatively, however, the user could also conclude that he would rather clean this region by hand in general and could mark the region as an excluded region in the map. The robot will no longer attempt to approach the region in this case. Thus, for example, the risk can also be reduced of being stuck there.
Third Example
[0072] During a cleaning operation, the robot “discovers” that a door is closed or blocked. The robot cleans the remainder of the apartment and returns to its charging station. The analysis of the cleaning map carried out thereafter has the result that an entire room could no longer be approached and cleaned due to the closed door. Upon the query of the user (or on its own), the robot informs the user (via the human-machine interface 200 ) about the non-cleaned regions of the apartment in comparison to its last cleaning operations (in this case, the non-cleaned region corresponds to the closed room) and specifies a corresponding reason (for example, “Room could not be approached—door is closed”).
[0073] The user now has the possibility of engaging in the cleaning process insofar as he opens the doors so that the robot can move into the room. Subsequently, the user can give the robot (again via the human-machine interface 200 , for example, a button on the robot) a “finish cleaning” command. With the aid of the stored map of the environment and the information about the non-cleaned region, the robot can now attempt to approach and clean the room in a targeted manner. If this is successful, the cleaning operation of the entire apartment is therefore completed. To increase the success for future cleaning operations, the user now also has the possibility of ensuring that the door to this room is left open.
[0074] Alternatively thereto, the user can also communicate to the robot, for example (via the human-machine interface 200 , for example, via a further button), however, that he only wishes this room to be cleaned when the door is open. In a dialogue following thereon, for example, he can also select, for example, that a further communication is only desired when the room has not been cleaned, for example, for more than a week (or another definable period of time). The robot can then link this information about the desired behavior to the corresponding map position and store it and in future proceed according to the wishes of the user.
Fourth Example
[0075] The robot terminates its current cleaning operation of the kitchen, since too many moving obstructions (for example, people) are delaying the cleaning operation for too long (for example, in relation to a predefined time specification). The robot cleans the remainder of the apartment, stores the current cleaning operation, and returns to its charging station. After the analysis of the cleaning map, the robot decides that it should inform the user that a substantial cleaning benefit would result by way of the cleaning of the kitchen. It transmits a message about the insufficiently cleaned regions of the apartment (in this case, the insufficiently cleaned region corresponds to the kitchen) to the user (via the human-machine interface 200 ) and specifies a corresponding reason (for example, “Region could not be sufficiently cleaned, too much movement”).
[0076] The user can give the robot (via the human-machine interface 200 , for example, a button on the robot) a “finish cleaning” command. The robot can now approach and clean the kitchen in a targeted manner. If this is successful, the cleaning operation of the entire apartment is thus completed. Due to the obtained information, the user now also knows that the robot can only clean the kitchen with difficulty at the original time (for example, because of too much human traffic). To increase the success for future cleaning operations, the user now has the possibility of changing the calendar setting of the robot, for example, such that, with high probability, fewer people will be in the kitchen during the newly selected time window.
[0077] In the case in which, for example, there is no more suitable point in time for the cleaning of this room, however, the user can also request the robot to clean the kitchen as well as possible in future in spite of movement. For example, the possibility would also exist of instructing the robot to process the region multiple times during a cleaning operation, to ensure better coverage in spite of movement. This information can then again be noted in the map and the robot can adapt itself in future to the desired behavior.
Fifth Example
[0078] A mobile robot is used to inspect devices set up in a building (for example, water dispensers, copier machines, coffee machines, lighting, etc.) or to search the building in general, for example, for unexpected objects or (unauthorized) persons. For this purpose, the mobile robot has already constructed a complete map of the environment during an earlier inspection. The robot cannot approach a room because a sliding door is stuck. The robot inspects the remainder of the building as much as possible, returns to its starting position, and informs the user (for example, the night watchman) via email, for example, via a wireless LAN interface (local area network) that a room could not be inspected. The user has the option of repairing the stuck door and causing the robot to continue the inspection, for example, via a response email.
[0079] In the fifth example, the human-machine interface 200 is formed, for example, by an email client on a computer and the communication module 150 is formed by the wireless LAN interface of the robot, which enables a communication via a (local) network with the user. Other embodiments of a human-machine interface 200 and a communication module 150 are possible, however.
[0080] The examples and technical features of the mobile robot described in conjunction with the processing of a floor area are also transferable to a mobile robot for executing other activities. All activities which can be assumed by autonomous self-propelled robots are conceivable in this case. These activities can comprise, for example, the inspection of the floor area or the environment, the transport of objects, the filtering of air, and/or the execution of games. The described processing module 140 is implemented accordingly in robots which execute activities other than or in addition to the processing of floors. In some cases, a processing module 140 is not necessary, for example, in the case of solely monitoring or inspecting rooms, areas, or objects.
[0081] While the invention was described on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, the invention may accordingly additionally be modified within the basic idea and the scope of protection of this disclosure. The present application is therefore to cover numerous variants, possible uses, or adaptations of the invention using the fundamental principles thereof. In addition, the present application is intended to cover such deviations from the present disclosure which represent known or common practice in the prior art, on which the present invention is based. The invention is not restricted to the above-specified details, but rather may be modified according to the appended claims.
|
A mobile, self-propelling robot for carrying out activities autonomously is described. The robot can include a drive module for moving the robot over the floor surface, a processing module, a navigation module that navigates based on a map of the surroundings. The robot can also include a sensor module for sensing information relating to the structure of the surroundings, an analysis unit designed to determine the surface processed during a processing operation, to compare the surface and store information about a deviation therebetween, and a communication module to communicate the stored information about the deviation and thereby provide a user with the possibility of intervening, where on the basis of predefinable criteria it is decided whether information is to be communicated or not. The communication module can also receive a control instruction from the user and to interrupt, continue, modify or start again the processing operation.
| 6
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to an improvement in computing systems and in particular to improved database query execution where the query being executed includes filtering operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In query processing systems, such as the relational database management system (RDBMS) DB2™, data values are extracted from stored images of the data for further processing by the query evaluation system. Typically, the data is structured as rows comprised of column values, said rows being grouped into contiguous storage blocks known as pages. A part of the task of query evaluation comprises the process of isolating successive rows and extracting a (possibly proper) subset of the columns of the row for subsequent query evaluation steps such as filtering, sorting, grouping, or joining.
[0003] Extracting column values from pages involves steps of identifying and locating in main memory the page containing the next needed row, locating the next needed row within the page, locating the needed column values within the needed row, and copying the needed column values to new locations in memory where they are made available for subsequent query evaluation steps. Typically, locating a page in memory requires determining whether the page is in main memory and, if so, determining where in memory the page is located. If the page is not in main memory, the page must be brought to main memory from secondary storage (typically from disk).
[0004] Additionally, in query evaluation systems supporting concurrent query executions, steps must be taken to stabilize the page to ensure that it remains at the same location in memory and to avoid concurrent read and updates to the page to preserve the logical integrity of the page contents. Subsequent to copying needed column data values to new locations, the page stabilization conditions must be released.
[0005] The steps of accessing data by locating a page, stabilizing the page, locating a row in the page, and releasing stabilization for each row to be processed by the query evaluation system can constitute a significant portion of the overall execution cost of a query.
[0006] Prior art query evaluation systems, such as RDBMSs, use different approaches to avoid repeatedly accessing rows in a page by following the potentially costly steps set out above. For example, where there are predicates in queries that are to be satisfied, it is possible to evaluate the predicates for located rows before retrieving the sets of column values of interest for the queries. Where a row does not meet the predicate condition, the next row (potentially on the same page in the data) may be accessed without requiring a renewed stabilization of the page. The existing location in the page is also known, which may reduce the cost of locating the next row.
[0007] This application of predicates to column values of a current row while the column values still lie with their row in the currently identified page is sometimes called search argument (or SARG) processing. This processing approach allows the system to continue to the next row on the same page without releasing page stabilization, re-identifying the location of the page in memory, and re-stabilizing the page whenever the SARG predicate(s) are not satisfied. Additionally, programmatic book keeping associated with transfer of control between page processing and query evaluation components of the query processing system can be avoided for rows which would soon be discarded subsequent to a predicate being evaluated using the copied column values.
[0008] Another prior art approach to reducing the need to restabilize the data page involves processing the needed columns of the current row directly from its page in the data and continuing directly to the next row on the page. Typical processing operations which can “consume” column values directly from the page include sorting (enter column values into the sorting data structure) or aggregation (include column values in the running results for SUM, AVG, MAX, etc.). This type of processing is sometimes referred to as “consuming pushdown”, because there is a ‘pushdown’ of a consuming operation into data access processing.
[0009] The above approaches, however, apply only where there is a predicate to be evaluated, or where there is a consuming operation carried out as part of the query execution. In query processing systems, such as RDBMSs, there are other types of queries that are potentially costly to execute and which are therefore not susceptible to the above approach. An example of such a query is a query having non-predicate and non-consuming operations but which filter data values.
[0010] It is therefore desirable to have a query processor which is able to execute a query including filtering in a manner that reduces the number of page stabilizations required to execute the query.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved execution of database queries including filtering operations. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing a database query resulting in an access plan, including a filtering criteria, in a database management system comprising a data manager, a set of data, a query manager, the method comprising the steps of:
[0012] the query manager calling the data manager to access query-specified data in the set of data,
[0013] the data manager performing a callback to the query manager
[0014] the query manager indicating to the data manager, in response to the callback, whether the query-specified data satisfies the filtering criteria,
[0015] the data manager returning the query-specified data based on the response from the query manager to the callback.
[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above method in which the set of data is stored on pages and the method further comprising the step of the data manager stabilizing the page on which the query-specified data is located prior to access said data, the method further comprising the step of maintaining the stabilization of the page during callback to the query manager.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above method in which the database query comprises an SQL DISTINCT clause.
[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for processing queries for a database, said method steps comprising the method steps of claim 1 , 2 or 3 .
[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product for a database management system comprising a data manager, a set of data, and a query manager for processing a database query resulting in an access plan, including a filtering criteria, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied in said medium, comprising:
[0020] computer readable program code means for the query manager to call the data manager to access query-specified data in the set of data,
[0021] computer readable program code means for the data manager to perform a callback to the query manager,
[0022] computer readable program code means for the query manager to indicate to the data manager, in response to the callback, whether the query-specified data satisfies the filtering criteria,
[0023] computer readable program code means for the data manager to return the query-specified data based on the response from the query manager to the callback.
[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above computer program product, in which the set of data is stored on pages and in which the computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied in said medium, further comprises:
[0025] computer readable program code means for the data manager to stabilize the page on which the query-specified data is located prior to accessing said data, and
[0026] computer readable program code means for maintaining the stabilization of the page during callback to the query manager.
[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a query processing system comprising a data manager, a set of data, and a query manager for processing a database query resulting in an access plan, including a filtering criteria,
[0028] the query manager comprising means for calling the data manager to access query-specified data in the set of data,
[0029] the data manager comprising means for performing a callback to the query manager
[0030] the query manager comprising means for indicating to the data manager, in response to the callback, whether the query-specified data satisfies the filtering criteria, and
[0031] the data manager comprising means for returning the query-specified data based on the response from the query manager to the callback.
[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above query processing system, in which the set of data is stored on pages and data manager further comprises means for stabilizing the page on which the query-specified data is located prior to access said data, and means for maintaining the stabilization of the page during callback to the query manager.
[0033] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a query processing system comprising a data manager for accessing data records located in pages in a set of stored data, the data manager stabilizing a page on which a data record is stored before accessing the record, the query processing system also comprising:
[0034] a query processor for processing a data access plan, the query processor calling the data manager and the query processing system indicating to the data manager where a query being processed includes a designated filtering operator,
[0035] where the data manager receives the indication of a designated filtering operator, the data manager stabilizing a current data page containing the next located record in the set of stored data, the data manager applying the designated filtering operator to a next located record before releasing the stabilization of the current data page, the data manager locating a further set of records in the stabilized current data page to locate a one of the records matching the designated filtering operator.
[0036] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above query processing system, in which the data manager applies the designated filtering operator to the next located record by calling the query processor to carry out the filtering operation.
[0037] Advantages of the present invention include improved efficiency for the execution of database queries that include filtering operations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0038] The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing, wherein:
[0039] [0039]FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating the steps in query interpretation using the preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0040] In the drawing, the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawing are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] [0041]FIG. 1 is a flow chart diagram illustrating steps in executing a query in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention. Query 10 represents a query to be executed to access data in a database. Compiler 12 compiles query 10 and generates an access plan for the query. Query processor 14 receives the access plan from compiler 12 . As required, query processor 14 calls data management system (DMS or data manager) 16 to obtain access to data 18 . In the preferred embodiment, records or rows of data are stored on pages in data 18 . Data management system 16 retrieves column values from data 18 and returns the values to query processor 14 . Processing is carried out by query processor 14 in accordance with the access plan created by compiler 12 and data is returned as result 20 which corresponds to query 10 as applied to data 18 .
[0042] In query processing systems that support concurrent access to data, the location and stabilization of a page containing data is a potentially expensive operation. Each time that data management system 16 stabilizes a page in data 18 , and locates (using a notional cursor, in the preferred embodiment) a position in the page in data 18 , there will be a resulting time cost added to the processing of the query.
[0043] Where a query includes a filtering operation, such as that carried out by the DISTINCT operator found in SQL, there may be significant calls from data management system 16 to data 18 to retrieve rows for filtering by query processor 14 . As explained above, repeated accessing of data 18 where pages are stabilized and then released on each access, incorporates potentially avoidable inefficiencies in the query processing.
[0044] In the system of the preferred embodiment, non-predicate filter processing may be carried out without the data management system 16 releasing the stabilization of the page in data 18 which is being read from. It is therefore possible to carry out non-predicate filtering directly on column values of a current row while the column values are “in place” in the stabilized and located row in the currently identified page.
[0045] The approach of the preferred embodiment is described with reference to the following Program Description Language (PDL) of processing a query including the keyword DISTINCT. The example is presented as showing execution first without, and then with, the execution steps of the preferred embodiment. The example uses the following query on table “employee” have column “name”:
[0046] SELECT DISTINCT name FROM employee;
[0047] In the following PDL fragments, query_processor corresponds to query processor 14 , and data_manager corresponds to data management system 16 as shown for the RDBMS of FIG. 1. In the RDBMS query execution without the steps of the preferred embodiment, the access plan for the above query results in the following execution:
[0048] 1. data_manager stabilizes the page containing the next record (row) in the employee table;
[0049] 2. data manager copies the name column from the row located by data_manager to query_processor buffers (buffer thisRec)
[0050] 3. data_manager releases the page position of the page containing the returned record (unfix/unlatch)
[0051] 4. query_processor applies any further processing, in this case the FILTER:
[0052] if no records seen yet, initialize oldRec, a query_processor buffer for one record: oldRec=thisRec
[0053] else if oldRec !=thisRec, then this is a distinct record, allow the data to flow (back to the user)
[0054] else (oldRec==thisRec), this is a nonDistinct record, do not allow the data to flow
[0055] query_processor loop back to first step, drive data_manager to get the next record
[0056] In the above approach, the DISTINCT filtering operation is done after the page is released and each row is produced by data_manager to query_processor.
[0057] The query processing of the example query using the approach of the preferred embodiment results in the following access plan being implemented:
[0058] 1. data_manager positions the cursor (fix/latch) on a row location in a page in the data;
[0059] 2. data_manager calls back to query_processor to filter the row (without releasing the fix/latch on the row location in the page in data):
[0060] if no records seen yet, initialize oldRec, a query_processor buffer for one record: oldRec=thisRec (where thisRec is the data_manager buffer), return to data_manager that the record qualifies
[0061] else if oldRec !=thisRec, then this is a distinct record, return to data manager that the record qualifies
[0062] else (oldRec==thisRec), then this is a nonDistinct record, return to data_manager that the record does not qualify
[0063] 3. if the record qualifies (it is determined to be distinct), then data_manager copies the name column from data_manager to query_processor buffers and data_manager releases the row position in the page in data (unfix/unlatch), proceed to step 4 ;
[0064] else data_manager positions the cursor to the next row on the page and loop to step 2 , above
[0065] 4. query_processor applies any further processing to the query_processor buffers
[0066] 5. query_processor loop back to drive data_manager to get the next record.
[0067] The above description for the simple SQL query including filtering (by the DISTINCT keyword) illustrates the improvement of the preferred embodiment. The data manager is able to keep the data page stabilized over multiple rows where the filtering specified by the DISTINCT keyword results in rows being skipped in the processing of the query.
[0068] The preferred embodiment provides better query processing performance in comparison with processing that requires repeated calls to data manager 16 , in FIG. 1. This is because, in a manner similar to SARG and consuming pushdown (referred to above), filtering the record allows the system to continue to the next row on the same page without releasing page stabilization, re-identifying the location of the page in memory, and re-stabilizing the page whenever the filtering operations are not satisfied. Additionally, programmatic bookkeeping associated with transfer of control between page processing and query evaluation components of the query processing system can be avoided for rows which would soon be discarded subsequent to a predicate being evaluated using the copied column values.
[0069] A further basis for increased query processing performance with the preferred embodiment system is related to the current state of the art in the architecture of central processing units (CPUs) on which the preferred embodiment will be implemented. In such CPUs, resource utilization is increased by spatial and temporal locality of reference. When a CPU references data and/or instructions that are near to other data or instructions, both in time and space, then the CPU is able achieve improved performance. A fast (but relatively small) cache is found near or on the CPU in many current CPUs. This cache is intended to be filled when new data or instruction locations are referenced. Subsequent references to the same data or instructions, or to proximate data or instructions that were loaded in the cache as part of the caching method, are retrieved from the (fast) cache. Where the CPU carries out access in this manner using the cache, the CPU is able to process data and instructions more quickly than where there is access to instructions or data not resident in the cache.
[0070] The preferred embodiment system permits a looping process to be carried out over the rows contained in a page. This looping process improves utilization of CPUs by increasing the spatial and temporal locality of both instruction and data references and, thus, makes more effective use of instructions and data lodged in the processor memory caches.
[0071] The processing of queries using the preferred embodiment system can occur in conjunction with other pushdown approaches to query evaluation such as SARG, consuming and other filtering pushdowns. The filtering pushdown of the preferred embodiment does not preclude the data in a row located by data manager 16 and identified as being one of the rows successfully passing the defined filter also being subject to other predicate evaluation or consuming operations before being potentially returned to query processor 14 .
[0072] It will also be apparent from this description that the filtering that is subject to the system of the preferred embodiment may be carried out where an SQL query (query 10 in FIG. 1) does not explicitly contain a filtering operator (such as DISTINCT) but where compiler 12 generates an access plan that includes a filtering operator as a logically equivalent query to the query as originally written. For example, optimizer 12 may use DISTINCT in the access plan for the following query:
[0073] SELECT name FROM employee GROUP BY name;
[0074] The rewritten query is the example set out above. The query is logically equivalent but will be able to make use of the approach of the preferred embodiment if rewritten including an express filtering operator (DISTINCT, in this case).
[0075] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described here in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto. Such variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
|
A query processing system has a query processor and a data manager. The query processor calls the data manager to carry out data access for a query including a filtering operation. The data manager accesses the data in a set of data and before returning the data, initiates a callback to the query processor to determine if the located data meets the filtering criteria. Where the data does not satisfy the filtering criteria, the data manager seeks additional data in the set of data, without having to return the first located data to the query processor.
| 8
|
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/657,754 filed May 30, 1996 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/527,048, filed Sep. 12, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,898 the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to dryers used in papermaking in general and in particular to dryers of the two tier type.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Paper is made by forming a mat of fibers, normally wood fibers, on a moving wire screen. The fibers are in a dilution with water constituting more than ninety-nine percent of the mix. As the paper web leaves the forming screen, it may be still over eighty percent water. The paper web travels from the forming or wet end of the papermaking machine and enters a pressing section where, with the web supported on a dryer fabric, the moisture content of the paper is reduced by pressing the web to a fiber content of between forty-two and forty-five percent. After the pressing section, the paper web is dried on a large number of steam heated dryer rolls, so the moisture content of the paper is reduced to about five percent.
The dryer section makes up a considerable part of the length of a papermaking machine. The web as it travels from the forming end to the take-up reel may extend a quarter of a mile in length. A major fraction of this length is taken up in the dryer section. As the paper industry has moved to higher web speeds, upwards of four- to five-thousand feet per minute, the dryer section has had to become proportionately longer because less drying is accomplished at each dryer as the paper moves more quickly through the dryers. Increasing the length of an existing dryer section is often difficult and costly, especially where increases in the building length are required to house the longer machine. Existing papermaking machines are under economic pressure to increase paper speed to remain cost competitive. Higher paper speeds however require more drying capability in the dryer section.
One type of dryer widely used in existing papermaking machines is known as a two-tier dryer, and has two rows of steam heated dryer rolls four to seven feet in diameter. The dryer rolls in the upper and lower rows are staggered. The paper web runs in a meandering fashion from an upper dryer roll to a lower dryer roll and then on to an upper roll over as many rolls as is required. An upper dryer fabric backs the web as it travels over the upper dryer rolls, and leaves the paper web as it travels to the lower rolls. The upper dryer fabric is turned by dryer fabric reversing rolls spaced between the upper rolls. On the lower dryer rolls the web is supported by a lower dryer fabric, which is also turned between lower dryer rolls by lower dryer fabric reversing rolls. This apparatus advantageously dries first one side and then the other of the web.
Justus et al. disclose that the drying capability of a two tier dryer can be increased by using air caps. However Justus et al. is over 35 years old and is not known to have been implemented in an economic machine. Justus et al. teaches the necessity of utilizing dryer felts capable of withstanding temperatures on the order of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Such low temperatures combined with suggested air speeds of 10,000 to 20,000 feet per minute are insufficient to justify the cost of adding air caps to existing dryer systems. Justus et al. suggest that the dryer felt can be provided by any foraminous or reticulated material of sufficient porosity or air permeability to permit the passage therethrough of the impinging air streams.
Koski et al. show a two tier dryer with two air caps over two dryers near the wet end of a dryer section. The dryer section of koski et al. has two felts in engagement with the paper as it passes over the dryer rolls and under the air caps. Because the web is underlain by a felt, heat transfer to the web is limited from the dryer roll which is enclosed by the air caps.
Kerttula et al. in FIG. 7 disclose placing an air cap over a reversing roll in a single tier dryer system. The reversing roll is of the vacuum type and holds the web onto a dryer felt which underlies the web. A vacuum reversing roll by definition can't be steam heated and if it were replaced with a heated roll the positioning of the felt between the web and the dryer surface would prevent effective heat transfer between the dryer and the web. Furthermore, vacuum is required by Kerttula et al. in order to hold the web onto the dryer while air is blown directly onto the web.
Ilmarinen et al. likewise disclose placing a wire or dryer fabric between the surface of the dryer rolls and the web where air caps are positioned over the dryer.
What is needed is a dryer section which dries both sides of the web simultaneously and which can be applied to existing two tier dryer sections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The dryer section of this invention may be installed as part of a new papermaking machine, or may be installed as a retrofit to an existing dryer section of the two tier double felted type. Air caps are employed over the dryer rolls to simultaneously dry both sides of the web to increase drying rates. The air caps employ blown air at a temperature of 500-900 degrees Fahrenheit and air speeds of 20,000-40,000 feet per minute. The dryer fabric employed is foraminous with a permeability of between 400-1,200 cubic feet per minute per square foot and is designed to withstand peak temperatures of up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit and average temperatures of between 500-600 degrees Fahrenheit. The design of the air caps utilizes recirculation of the blowing air to control drying rates. Existing two tier dryers can be retrofit with a high temperature felt and air caps. Air caps are particularly advantageous on the last dryer in the dryer section where conventional steam heated dryers begin to lose their effectiveness. Installing air caps on existing machines allows increased drying capability without increased dryer section length. Increased drying capability in turn allows increased operating speed which improves the economic performance of an existing papermaking machine.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a papermaking dryer apparatus which provides an increased rate of drying of a paper web.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for increasing the drying capabilities of existing two tier papermaking dryer sections.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a papermaking dryer which prevents the formation of curl in the paper web being dried.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a dryer section of a papermaking machine which controls curl and maximizes onesideness of the paper formed.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a two tier double-felted dryer section of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a nozzle plate of an air cap of the dryer section of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a flat development view of the sheet metal which comprises the air cap plate of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the sheet metal part of FIG. 3, taken at the area 4.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a hole in the sheet metal part of FIG. 4, taken along section line 5--5.
FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a retrofitted embodiment of the dryer section of this invention on a papermaking machine within a machine building.
FIG. 7 is a graph of drying rate vs. number of dryers for a conventional dryer section and one employing the dryer section with air caps of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-7, wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a two tier dryer section 20 is shown in FIG. 1. The two tier dryer section 20 is part of a papermaking machine 22, shown schematically in FIG. 6. The papermaking machine is housed in a building 24, and typically will include a former section and a pressing section ahead of the dryer section 20, as well as a calender section and a reel section after the dryer section.
In order to avoid irregularities and tendencies to curl in the produced paper, it is desirable to dry the web 26 on both sides. Unidirectional drying of the paper web results in dimensional changes between the dryer side and the dryer fabric side of the web which, in turn, results in a permanent set or curling in the paper web.
The dryer section 20 incorporates a conventional two tier double-felted dryer section. As shown in FIG. 1, the web 26 passes alternatively from heated upper dryer cylinders or rolls 28 to heated lower dryer rolls 29, so that first one side and then the other of the web 26 is subjected to drying by contact with the a dryer surface 36. The web 26 is supported as it passes over the upper dryer rolls 28 by a first dryer fabric 30 which overlies the web, and as it passes beneath the lower dryer rolls 29 by a second dryer fabric 32 which is positioned outwardly from the web. The upper first dryer fabric 30 extends over rolls 34 as it passes between upper dryer rolls. The second dryer fabric 32 extends over rolls 38 as it passes between lower dryer rolls 29.
The dryer section 20 employs air caps 42 to dry the dryer fabric side of the web. The air caps 42 are hoods which overlie the upper portions 44 of the dryer rolls 24 and blow high velocity hot air through the dryer fabric to dry the upper surface of the web simultaneously with (and preferably at the same rate as) the roll side of the paper which is dried by the steam heat transmitted to the surface 36 of the upper dryer rolls 28.
The air caps 42 augment the evaporation rate of a steam heated drying cylinder. Each air cap 42 is located above an upper dryer roll 28, as shown in FIG. 1, and impinges hot air through the dryer fabric and onto the web.
As shown in FIGS. 2-5, each air cap is supplied by a duct (not shown) with high temperature and pressure air. The air cap 42 has a metal hood 46 or nozzle plate, shown in FIG. 2, which is comprised of sheet metal formed to curve around the heated dryer roll 28. For best performance, the hood should be formed to maintain a constant distance from the surface of the dyer fabric beneath it, for example one inch. Numerous air impingement holes 48 having a discharge diameter of 0.20 inches are formed in the hood 46. Each hole, as shown in FIG. 5, is formed with an inlet 50 which decreases in diameter as it approaches the inside surface 52 of the hood 46. The thickness of the sheet metal forming the hood 46 may be approximately 0.25 inches, the maximum diameter of the inlet 50 being approximately 0.58 inches, and the radius of the curve on the inlet being approximately 0.19 inches. The result of the decreasing diameter of the inlet holes is an increase in the velocity of the air as it reaches the dryer fabric and then the web 26. The air impingement holes 48, as shown in FIG. 4, are positioned in a pattern which is offset from parallelness to the strict machine direction, for example by about 3.9 degrees. The result of this staggering of the holes is that all areas of the web will see a uniform air flow as the web travels under the air cap.
As shown in FIG. 3, a number of slots 54, approximately 2 inches wide, extend in the cross machine direction and serve to exhaust the air once it has been blown on the dryer fabric and web. The air caps 42 are supplied with air in a closed-loop air supply system. Spent impingement air from the caps is scavenged through the slots 54, which serve as exhaust openings in the nozzle plate 46. The exhaust air is returned back to a main supply blower where it is compressed, sent to a burner, and then back to the air caps. To maintain desired impingement air humidity level, a percentage of the exhaust is vented to atmosphere and fresh make-up air is added to the system. The air caps may be mounted to the papermaking machine frame for pivoting movement away from the upper dryer rolls 28 to permit access to the rolls 28 as needed.
In order to allow the passage of air through the dryer fabric 30, the dryer fabric must be of a porous or foraminous nature. Thus, the dryer fabric employed in the dryer section 20 will have a porosity in the range of four-hundred to twelve-hundred cubic feet per minute per square foot at one-half inch of water as typically measured by those skilled in the art of the design and construction of papermaking dryer fabrics. Conventional thinking in the papermaking industry is that runnability problems limit dryer fabric permeability to less than 90 cubic feet per minute. The air supplied by the air caps 42 may have a temperature range of four-hundred (Preferably 500 or more) to nine-hundred degrees Fahrenheit and be blown at a velocity of between eight-thousand and forty-thousand feet per minute. The high air temperatures require dryer fabrics which can withstand up to nine-hundred degrees Fahrenheit for brief periods of time and steady-state temperatures in the range of five-hundred to six-hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
Dryer fabrics of this nature may be constructed of metal, high temperature plastics such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) also sold as Ryton® fibers and manufactured by Phillips Petroleum Company, or other high temperature materials such as Nomex® fiber produced by E. I. Du Pont de Nemours Corporation, 1007 Market St., Wilmington Del., which can be formed into the necessary fibers. The preferred dryer fabric materials appear to be those woven from fine spiral fibers of long length, an example of a company currently developing dryer fabrics with high temperature capability is Diao Bo of Japan, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, MHI 2-51, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-KU, Tokyo 100, Japan.
The effect of the dryer section of this invention with air caps versus a dryer section without air caps is illustrated in the chart of FIG. 7. For example, a papermaking machine with 41 dryer rolls can run at 4450 feet per minute without air caps. By adding air caps to the last six dryers, machine speed can be increased to 55130 feet per minute, a 15 percent increase. As shown in FIG. 7, the final dryer rolls without air caps tend to have markedly less efficiency in removing moisture than the preceding dryers. By adding air caps, the rate of moisture removal is significantly improved.
The dryer section 20 of this invention is of particular utility where it is desired to retrofit a conventional two tier double felted dryer section. As illustrated in the schematic view of FIG. 6, an existing papermaking machine will include a number of significant sections of machinery both upstream and downstream of the dryer section. For increased production of any papermaking machine, the operating speed must be increased. Yet increased web speed means reduced residency time of the web at any particular dryer roll. Adding additional dryer rolls to an existing papermaking machine is a costly option-requiring the displacement of large segments of the papermaking machine with new foundations and costly adjustments. Where the building is of limited size, there may be insufficient space for additional rolls. By retrofitting an existing papermaking machine dryer section to include the air caps of this invention, additional drying capacity can be provided without moving any substantial elements of the existing machine.
Hence, without regard to the capacity of the existing dryer section, the speed of web formation of the existing components of the papermaking machine may be increased by a selected percentage by adding air caps to the dryer starting with the last dryer until approximately as many air caps are added as existing dryer rolls multiplied by the selected percentage increase times 0.7. Then the dryer fabric of the existing machine which overlies the upper dryer rolls is replaced with a new dryer fabric capable of withstanding a temperature of at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit and having a porosity of between four-hundred and twelve-hundred cubic feet per minute per square foot at one-half inch of water. The improved papermaking machine is then operated and air blown at about 28,000 feet per minute at a temperature of at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit onto the web as it passes through each air cap.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
|
A new dryer section or an existing dryer section of the two tier double-felted type has air caps disposed over the upper dryer rolls to simultaneously dry both sides of the web to increase drying rates. The heated pressurized air is blown through multiple air impingement holes in the air cap nozzle plates to impinge the web at a temperature of 500-900 degrees Fahrenheit and air speeds of 20,000-40,000 feet per minute. The dryer fabric employed is foraminous with a permeability of between 400-1,200 cubic feet per minute per square foot and is designed to withstand peak temperatures of up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit and average temperatures of between 500-600 degrees Fahrenheit. The design of the air caps utilizes recirculation of the blowing air to control drying rates.
| 3
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a panel set for the formation of athermanous walls, each panel comprising a central core of insulating plastics material between two rigid lateral, substantially sheetlike structures, each panel having edges juxtaposable to the edges of other panels. The invention relates also the the coupling device for connecting panels of the sets together.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Panel sets of the above type are already known, wherein the connection between panels is effected by U-shaped members. In these panel sets, each leg of the U-shaped member penetrates in respective slots in the rigid lateral structures covering the central cores of two adjacent panels. The member extends a considerable way from the junction between panels. This also requires two U-shaped members for each pair of panels, one on each side thereof.
Such a system requires the lateral structure to be of a special formation, it being necessary for it to be provided with the slots and the U-shaped members fixed in place by bolts, requiring in turn suitable nuts to receive them. Also, when a panel is to be juxtaposed to a further four panels, one on each edge thereof, the slots must be provided along the panel edges and, as has already been stated, on both sides thereof.
It also is not easy to assemble the panels, since they must be held juxtaposed while the U-shaped members are being fitted and it is necessary to work on both sides of the wall being formed with the panels practically at the same time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the disadvantages of the above and other known embodiments, a panel set of the type described hereinbefore has been devised, characterised fundamentally in that each panel has attached thereto an element of at least one coupling device formed of two mating elements. The coupling device includes, a male element having an outwardly extending active member and a female element having an inwardly extending active member provided with an inlet opening. The mating elements constitute one coupling device on two separate panels. The active female member is adapted to receive insertion of the active male member when the panels are juxtaposed with the female element having an adjustable retractable resilient stop adapted to allow the insertion and retention of the panels together and to force juxtaposed panels closer together.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To facilitate the understanding of the foregoing, reference is made hereinafter to the accompanying drawings which, in view of its illustrative nature, should be deemed to be devoid of any limitation with respect to the scope of legal protection being claimed. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panel set according to the invention, forming an athermanous wall and abutting a floor S and wall P illustrated in cross section;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of a panel provided with male elements of a coupling device according to one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of a panel having a female element of a coupling device according to the invention;
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a male mating element of a coupling device according to the invention insertably connected in a panel having a convex outer edge;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a female mating element of a coupling device according to the invention insertably connected in a panel having a concave outer edge;
FIG. 6 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the male mating element of the coupling device illustrated in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the male mating element of the coupling device illustrated in FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the female mating element of the coupling device illustrated in FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the female mating element of the coupling device illustrated in FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view, along the lines X--X of FIG. 9, but with the stem of the male mating element being inserted into the slot of the female mating element the retractable stop in the female element engaging the stem of the male element, the stop spring slightly tensioned, and the convex and concave edges of the panels omitted;
FIG. 11 is a cross view, sectional similar to FIG. 10, but illustrating the resilient retractable stop in a position of high spring tension; and
FIG. 12 is a side view of the stop which is located in the female element of the coupling device according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, there is illustrated in the first place a set of panels 1 formed by a number of panels juxtaposed edge on, partly forming a wall having athermanous properties. This panel set prevents the passage of heat as a consequence of the properties of the panels to be described hereinafter. In FIG. 1, the athermanous wall formed by the panels is supported on a floor S and a wall P.
In a preferred embodiment, and as best seen in FIGS. 2-5 each panel 1 comprises a central core 2 of lightweight, insulating plastics material, preferrably injected foam polyurethane. The central core 2 is sandwiched between two rigid lateral structures 3 which provide the necessary strength and rigidity to the panel and to the wall formed by a set thereof. Preferably the lateral structures 3, which are substantially sheet-like, are formed by metallic sheets covering the front walls of the panel and are provided with perpendicular flanges 4 covering a marginal portion of an edge 5 of the panel. The front dimensions of the panel are as appropriate for each case, although the panels often measure from 30×30 cm to 90×450 cm. The panels are plane, although right-angled panels are contemplated for forming the corners of the athermanous walls.
Each panel is provided with at least one element of a coupling device (shown complete in cross-section in FIG. 10) formed by two mating elements, one of which is a male element 6 and the other a female element 7.
Nevertheless, with the exception of the smaller sized panels, it is desirable for the same edge 5 of a panel 1 to be provided with a plurality of elements of the same type and the opposite edge to be provided with the other mating elements and the same happens with the edges between said opposite edges. It is, moreover, preferred for the location of such elements to be such that when one panel is juxtaposed at the edge on to another panel, the mating elements mate so that each pair of mating elements, one on one panel and the other on a juxtaposed panel, form a coupling device.
Preferbly, the panels which are to form a particular athermanous wall are all the same, so as not to have to select each time the desirable panel to be juxtaposed to another. The above may obviously require an exception in the panels located on two adjacent edges of an athermanous wall, according to the dimensional requirements of the two walls P and floor S and the ceiling which may delimit the extension of the athermanous wall. Moreover, there may be an exception for the panels forming corners.
Preferably, the mating elements on the same edge of a panel are disposed symmetrically relative to the ends of the edge itself and also the distance of one terminal element to the extreme end of the edge is half the distance between two consecutive elements.
The panel edges 5 having mating elements of the same type are preferably convexly shaped as shown by reference numeral 5a in FIG. 4 with dimensions mating those of concave shaped panel edges 5b shown in FIG. 5 having the opposing mating elements, this provides for a better sealing of the athermanous wall formed by a set of panels. Preferably, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 the convex panel edges 5a are provided with the male mating elements 6 and the concave panel edges 5b have the female mating elements 7.
As shown in FIG. 4, the male element 6 is provided with an anchor portion 8 trapped in the central core 2 of the panel 1 and an active male member or stem 9 extending outwardly from the convex panel edge 5a. Preferably, and as seen FIGS. 4, 7 and 10 the stem 9 is provided with bevelled corners 10. The stem 9 is also provided with at least one flank 11 having an inwardly tapering surface, the thickness of the stem reducing in the direction of the anchor portion. FIG. 2 shows a stem 9' of a male mating element 6 as provided with a single flank 11 with the above features, whereas FIGS. 7 and 10 illustrate the stem 9 having two flanks 11 with said features, the flanks being symmetrical in this case about a median plane. The advantages to be derived from this shape of the flanks will be described hereinafter.
On the other hand, and as best seen in FIG. 8, the female mating element 7 is provided with a female member or slot 12 with opening 13. The female slot 12 is of a size sufficient to allow the insertion therein of the male stem 9 with a clearance. In the panel 1 as shown in FIG. 5, the female element 7 is trapped in the central core 2 of the panel and the opening 13 is flush with the concave edge 5b of the panel.
As best seen from FIGS. 5, 10, and 11, the female element 7 is provided also with a bore 14 which is partly threaded and which is provided with a first open end 15 on the outside of the female element 7 and a second open end 16 in the slot, the second open end 16 being smaller than the first open end 15. In the bore 14 there is housed a resilient retractable stop 17 having a substantially frustoconical end 18 penetrating in the slot 12 through the open end 16. The frustoconical end 18 extends from a disc 19 having a diameter larger than that of the open end 16, whereby it may not penetrate in the slot 12.
At the other end of the bore 14 there is the threaded stud 20 screwed in said bore and between the stud 20 and disc 19 there is a spring 21 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a helical spring tending to force the stop 17 apart from the threaded stud 20. The stud may be manipulated from the outside of the panel 1, to which end it is provided with a slot 22.
The bore is made in such a way that when the male stem 9 is inserted in the slot 12, the end 18 of the resilient retractable stop 17 bears against the flank 11, whereby the force of said end on the sloping flank 11 causes a force component in the direction of insertion so as to urge the mating elements together. Therefore, the respective panels are attached by the mating elements.
The male and female elements 6 and 7 are made preferably from plastics material, such as nylon, having great rigidity and strength. Moreover, since this material is not a good heat conductor, the possibility of heat losses through such elements is avoided.
Nevertheless, the elements 6, 7 may also be metallic, it being necessary, nevertheless, for such metal to be rustfree. In such a case, possible heat losses occur therethrough. Nevertheless, they are small since the transmission surfaces which the elements represent is very small in comparison with the total panel area. If metal elements are used, however, care must be taken that they do not contact the metal sheeting forming the lateral structures 3, by locating therebetween plastics material of the central core 2. In this way undesirable vapour condensation in the areas of the panel surface in contact with the elements 6 and 7, which would be at a different temperature from the rest of the panel, is avoided.
From the foregoing, it may be easily appreciated how the panel set is assembled. By simply juxtaposing two panels through the edges provided with mating elements, the stem of the male elements is inserted in the slot of the female elements. During the insertion operation, the bevels 10 of the head of the male stem 9 bear against the frustoconical end 18 of the resilient retractable stop 17, thereby overcoming the force of the spring. The stop 17 retracts and allows complete insertion of the stem 9. After this, the retractable stop 17 advances again and bears against the flank 11, thereby forcing the mating elements together, with the resulting pressure between the panel edges 5 improving the sealing of the panel set.
To dismantle the panels, it is sufficient to separate them, whereby the flank 11 forces the stop 17 into the bore 14 against the force of the spring 21. Nevertheless, as stated above, the retractable stop 17 is adjustable by the threaded stud 20. Therefore, if the stud 20 is screwed into the bore 14, it may reach the position illustrated in FIG. 11, wherein the helical spring is fully compressed, thereby preventing recoil of the stop 17 and, therefore, the possibility of separating the panels. In this position of maximum tension of the spring 21, the force of the stop 17 against the flank 11 of the stem 9 is greater and consequently the component forcing the panel edges together is also greater.
To dismantle the panels, it is sufficient to slacken off the threaded stud 20 and consequently reduce the pressure of the spring 21, which will allow the male element to be separated from the female element, as mentioned hereinbefore.
From the foregoing, the advantages of the panel set and coupling device of the invention will be appreciated. Such advantages may be summed up as follows: ease of assembly by simple juxtapositioning of the panel edges; immediate retaining of the male element stem in the female element slot by means of the retractable stop; tendency of the mating elements to be forced together by the end of the stop bearing against the stem flank; ease of adjustment of the spring pressure, with the possibility of making the stop recoil impossible; simplicity of the operations required for dismantling the panels and, moreover, the athermanous walls formed by the panels have a smooth surface.
|
A panel set for the formation of athermanous walls, each panel comprising a central core made from insulating plastics material and formed between two rigid sheets. The connection between panels is effected by coupling devices, each of which is formed by two mating elements, the corresponding elements of one coupling device are located on adjacent panels. One of the mating elements is provided with an outwardly active male member and the other mating element is provided with an active female member, adapted to receive the male member. The female mating element has an adjustable retractable resilient stop adapted to allow the insertion and retention of the panels together and to force juxtaposed panels closer together.
| 4
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with the breaking or resolution of oil-in-water (O/W) bituminous emulsions by treatment with salts of poly(tertiary amino)polyurethanes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A great volume of hydrocarbons exist in known deposits of tar sands. These deposits occur at various places, the Athabasca tar sands in Canada being an example. The petroleum in a tar sand deposit is an asphaltic bitumen of a highly viscous nature ranging from a liquid to a semisolid. These bituminous hydrocarbons are usually characterized by being very viscous or even non-flowable under reservoir conditions by the application of driving fluid pressure.
Where surface mining is not feasible, the bitumen must be recovered by rendering the tar material mobile in-situ and producing it through a well penetrating the tar sand deposit. These in-situ methods of recovery include thermal, both steam and in-situ combustion and solvent techniques. Where steam or hot water methods are used, a problem results which aggravates the recovery of the bitumen. The difficulty encountered is emulsions produced by the in-situ operations. These emulsions are highly stable O/W emulsions which are made even more stable by the usual presence of clays. Most liquid petroleum emulsions are water-in-oil (W/O) types. These normal W/O emulsions are broken by methods known in the art. However, the bitumen emulsions which are O/W types present a much different problem, and the same demulsifiers used in W/O emulsions will not resolve the O/W bitumen emulsions.
Ser. No. 152,453 filed 5/22/80, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,148, claims the use of polyurethanes as demulsifiers.
Application Ser. No. 326,456 filed of even date, claims the water soluble salts of polyoxyalkylene polyamines as bitumen demulsifiers.
Application Ser. No. 326,461 filed of even date, claims the water soluble salts of certain cationic polymers as bitumen demulsifiers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a method for recovering petroleum from O/W bitumen emulsions by resolving or breaking (demulsifying) these emulsions by contacting the emulsions at a temperature of from between about 25° and 160° C. with water soluble salts prepared by adding inorganic or organic acids to polyurethanes of greater than about 5,000 molecular weight prepared by the reaction of polyisocyanates with diols containing at least one tertiary amino group.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The process of this invention utilizing the chemical demulsifier as described above utilizes as a chemical demulsifier a particular water soluble salt of a poly(tertiary amino)polyurethane.
The particular demulsifiers useful in this invention are water soluble salts prepared by adding to polyurethanes of greater or equal to 5,000 molecular weight prepared by reaction under appropriate conditions of temperature and catalysis of polyisocyanates, preferably diisocyanates such as toluene diisocyanate or MDI, of molecular weight under about 500 with diols containing at least one tertiary amino group, inorganic or organic acid to render a 1 wt. % aqueous solution, pH<8 and pH>1 prior to addition of the demulsifier to the bitumen emulsion.
Examples of diol containing at least one tertiary amino group are bis(hydroxyethyl)piperazine, N-methyl diethanolamine, ethyldiethanolamine, diethoxylated or propoxylated alkoxy polyalkoxy amines, di(hydroxyalkyl) pyridines, di(hydroxyethyl) dimethylaminopropylamine, etc.
The acids useful in this invention are mono-, di- or polybasic and can be inorganic mineral acid such as HCl, H 2 SO 4 , H 3 PO 4 or acidic salts such as NaHSO 4 , Na 2 HPO 4 , and similar compounds or low molecular weight carboxylic acids such as acetic acid.
An additional embodiment of this invention is the use of the water phase of the broken bitumen emulsions in subsequent bitumen recovery operations. The water phase of the broken bitumen emulsions contains the demulsifying water soluble salts described above. The bitumen is usually recovered by hot water and/or steam which emulsifies the oil in situ and makes it more mobile for production. Therefore, the aqueous phase of the broken bitumen emulsion containing a demulsifier may not be used without further treatment for production of additional bitumen. Therefore, this invention also includes the step of raising the pH of the aqueous phase of the broken bitumen emulsions to greater than about 8 so that the demulsifying salts mentioned above are rendered ineffective as demulsifiers and the aqueous may then be reinjected into the bitumen formation to emulsify further bitumen.
Therefore, an embodiment of this invention is a process for recovering bitumen from a tar sand formation comprising injecting into a tar sand a fluid containing hot water and/or steam in order to emulsify the bitumen in the tar sand and then recovering the emulsified bitumen. This bitumen emulsion is then demulsified by adding thereto water soluble salts of the polyurethanes as described herein. The aqueous phase of the broken bitumen emulsion is then converted into inactive polymers by pH adjustment and is reinjected into a bitumen containing formation to recover additional bitumen.
The produced bitumen emulsions may be treated by the process of our invention in a conventional manner, for example, in a conventional horizontal treater operated, for example, from about 25° to 160° C. and, preferably, from about 50°-150° C. at autogenous pressures. The concentration of the chemical demulsifier described above used in treating the bitumen in water emulsions may range from about 1 to 200 parts per million and, preferably, from about 10 to 120 parts per million with the optional addition of an organic diluent and/or inorganic salt as well as standard flocculants and mechanical or electrical means of demulsification. The following examples describe more fully the present process. However, these exampls are given for illustration and are not intended to limit the invention.
EXAMPLE I
PREPARATION OF POLYURETHANES FROM POLYETHOXYLATED JEFFAMINE® M-300
(a) A one-liter resin flask was charged with 200 g of the 30 molar ethoxylate of JEFFAMINE M-300 ##STR1## which was stripped at 100° C. for 1/2 at 0.4 mm pressure to remove traces of moisture present. Contents of the flask were cooled to 80° C. and the following were charged: 200 g toluene (previously dried over 3A molecular sieves), 0.2 g 2,6-di-t-butyl-p-cresol, and 0.08 g dibutyltin dilaurate. Toluene diisocyanate (16 ml, 0.9 mole) was added over a six minute period at 50° C. and the mixture was stirred under nitrogen for 1 hour at 50° C. followed by 2 hours at 100° C. Solvent was removed under vacuum to obtain a product having a molecular weight (basis hydroxyl number) of 10,000.
(b) Procedure Ia above was repeated with the following variations: starting material was neutralized to ˜pH 8 with concentrated hydrochloric acid prior to TDI addition, 300 g toluene solvent was employed, and 0.95 moles (16.9) TDI were added. The stripped product has an average molecular weight of 12,400 basis liquid chromatography.
EXAMPLE II
PREPARATION OF POLYURETHANE FROM N-METHYLDIETHANOLAMINE
A one-liter resin flask was charged with 75 g of N-methyldiethanolamine (previously dried over 3A molecular sieves) and 250 g dry tetrahydrofuran. Also charged were 0.2 g of 2,6-di-t-butyl-p-cresol and 0.08 g dibutyltin dilaurate. Contents were heated to reflux under nitrogen atmosphere with mechanical stirring and then charged over a 45 minute period with 85.4 ml (0.95 mole) toluene diisocyanate followed by a 3 hour reflux period. Solvent was removed to leave a white solid product having a molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography of 6,900.
EXAMPLE III
BOTTLE EMULSION TESTS
The following basic testing procedure was employed:
(a) A 1 wt. % solution (on an amine charged basis where aminopolymers were used, rather than on an amines salts basis) of each chemical was prepared (in water, toluene or tetrahydrofuran).
(b) A 30 ml PYREX® test tube equipped with screw top was charged with 23 ml emulsion of 11.5 wt. % bitumen content obtained by in-situ steam flooding in tar sand pattern located at Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
(c) 2 ml of Wizard Lake Crude Oil was added as diluent and the contents of the test tube were mixed.
(d) The contents of the test tube were equilibrated in an 80° C. oven for 1-2 hours and mixed again.
(e) Chemical was added to the hot, dilute emulsion at the following concentrations: 30, 60, 120 ppm.
(f) Contents of the test tubes were mixed, re-equilibrated in an oven at 80° C. for 1 hour and mixed again.
(g) After 20 hours of standing at 80° C., measurements were made on the volume of top and middle layers, and the appearance of the aqueous phase was noted. Samples of some top layers were carefully removed by pipetting and subjected to Karl-Fischer analysis for determination of the water content. pH measurements were made on the aqueous phases of some broken emulsions to confirm that the addition of even highly acidic demulsifier solutions in the small quantities used have little effect on lowering the pH from the initially observed emulsion pH of 7.8.
Results are shown in the table on the following page. Comparative examples are given to show the relative ineffectiveness of neutral polyaminopolyurethanes (IIIn and IIIo). A known demulsifier, POLYOX® WSR-301, is also included for comparison purposes.
The effectiveness of salts of Example Ia-b products show that higher charge density is not of importance as with other polyamine salt demulsifiers.
The effectiveness of salts of Example II, on the other hand, show that high polymer molecular weight is not necessary such as with polyurethanes.
__________________________________________________________________________DEMULSIFIER TESTING Oil Phase Emulsion PhaseExampleCandidate Demulsifier Concentration Volume in ml. Volume in ml.III (pH of 1% aq. soln)* (ppm) (% H.sub.2 O) (% H.sub.2 O) Aqueous Phase Appearance__________________________________________________________________________a Product of Ex. Ia(6.3) 60 5.75 (21) 0 Muddy with solidsb Product of Ex. Ia(6.3) 120 5.5 (36) 0 Muddyc Product of Ex. Ib(3.1) 60 6.25 (9) 0.25 Muddyd Product of Ex. Ib(3.1) 120 4 2 Muddye Product of Ex. Ib(3.1) 30 5 (40) 0 Muddyf POLYOX WSR-301 30 7 2.5 Muddyg POLYOX WSR-301 60 7.75 (68) 0.25 Yellow, translucenth POLYOX WSR-301 120 8 (97) 1.25 Brown, translucenti None -- 3 3.5 Muddyj Product of Ex. II(1.8) 120 6.75 (22) 0 Light, muddyk Product of Ex. II(5) 120 7.75 (11.5) 0 Light, muddyl POLYOX WSR-301 120 7.25 (40) 1.25 Dark, translucentm None -- 2.5 2 Muddyn Product of Ex. Ia 60 2.5 1.75 Muddy with solidso Product of Ex. II 120 1.75 3.5 Muddyp None -- 3 3 Muddy__________________________________________________________________________ *Concentrated hydrochloric acid used to neutralize the polyaminopolyurethanes in cases where pH is listed
|
A process for recovering bitumen from oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions is disclosed wherein water soluble demulsifiers are used. These demulsifiers are salts of poly(tertiary amino)polyurethanes prepared by the reaction of polyisocyanates with diols containing at least one tertiary amino group which reaction product is then reduced in pH until water solubility is attained. To resolve the bituminous petroleum emulsions, the process is carried out between 25° and 160° C. wherein the demulsifier of the invention is contacted with the bituminous emulsion.
| 1
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a hydraulic control valve that can be used in a hydraulic circuit to perform two functions using a single hydraulic pump. It is more particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with a valve designed to be fitted to the hydraulic circuit of an automobile vehicle to enable simultaneous or independent supply of a hydraulic steering system and a system for braking the wheels of the vehicle.
2. Description of the prior art
In known hydraulic circuits it is common practise to use a hydraulic pump for each of the functions to be performed. This results in a relatively high unit cost for the installation.
The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages by providing a valve for controlling one of the two functions (braking, for example) of a two-function circuit supplied by a single hydraulic pump.
The device in accordance with the invention is naturally designed to be 100% safe, guaranteeing independent functioning of the two circuits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists in a hydraulic valve adapted to be connected between a pressurized supply line and first and second lines feeding respective first and second circuits with different functions, said valve comprising:
a first control member adapted to connect said supply line to said first feed line;
a two-way distributor device for said second feed line; and
a second control member adapted to apply to said second feed line a pressure proportional to the force exerted by the user damped by virtue of a dashpot effect.
The invention will now be described in more detail and by way of non-limiting example only with reference to the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a hydraulic circuit diagram showing the principle of the connection provided by a control valve in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section through the valve in question when it is in a neutral position, that is to say when the steering circuit is connected continuously and the braking circuit is not operated.
FIG. 3 is an analogous cross-section when the user operates the braking circuit, the steering circuit continuing to be supplied as usual.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The equipment shown in the drawings comprises a hydraulic pump 1 adapted to feed oil under pressure into an outlet line 2 from which it can be distributed to a line 3 controling the steering circuit of a vehicle and/or to a line 4 controling the braking circuit of the same vehicle.
The pump 2 takes up oil from a reservoir 5 and discharges it towards a point 6, at a pressure with a maximum value in the order of 140 bars, for example. An adjustable pressure relief valve 7 is provided on a branch connection from the point 6: if operated because of excess pressure, the excess oil is returned to a reservoir 8. Beyond the point 6 the link 2 feeds the control valve 9 in accordance with the invention to feed the steering line 3 and/or the braking line 4.
The control valve 9 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) comprises three functional subsystems:
a steering control member 10 which connects the supply line 2 to the steering circuit 3 according to the known principle of an open center upstream circuit;
a two-position distributor device 11 for braking;
a braking control member 12 adapted to apply to the braking circuit 4 a pressure proportional to the force exerted by the driver on the brake pedal, with a dashpot type damper.
To this end the control valve 9 comprises a body 13 inside a bore 44 within which a hollow cylindrical main piston 14 can slide. The main piston ends with a head 15 around which slides the sleeve of a valve member 16 the rear end of which has a helical compression spring 17 bearing against it. The spring has thrust applied to it by a ring 18 in abutting engagement with a flange 19 on a plunger 20 whose rear end passes out through a fixed cap 21 closing off the body 13.
A seal 22 ensures that the sliding of the plunger 20 in the cap 21 is fluid-tight.
Inside the ring 18 a calibrated helical spring 23 is compressed between the flange 19 of the plunger 20 and the rear end 24 of the head 15 of the main piston 14.
A piston 25 slides inside the cylindrical front part of the main piston, its cross-section being calculated to balance the annular cross-section of the valve member 16 lying between:
its guide diameter 26 on the main piston 14, and
its guide diameter 27 in the body 13.
The piston 25 also delimits a damper chamber 28 at the back of the blind bore within which it slides inside the main piston 14. Its foot 29 bears against a fixed screwthreaded plug 30 which closes off the body 13.
Four annular grooves are formed in the body 13 along the length of the main piston 14, namely:
a groove 31 connected to a brake return line 32;
a groove 33 connected to the brake line 4;
a groove 34 connected to the pressure inlet line 2; and
a groove 35 connected to the steering line 3.
Lateral holes 36 and 37 formed in the hollow cylindrical wall of the main piston 14 are provided at the locations of the grooves 31 and 33, respectively, and they can be closed off in whole or in part by fluid-tight sliding within the bore of the stator body 13.
A circular edge 38 is provided on the outside of the main piston 14 to maintain communication between the grooves 34 and 33 to a more or less restricted degree (FIG. 3) or to isolate them from each other (FIG. 2), by virtue of fluid-tight sliding within the body 13.
Operation is as follows:
The equipment makes it possible to perform two functions using a single pump:
(1) to feed a steering system 3 with a specified maximum pressure, for example 140 bars;
(2) to feed a brake circuit 4 with a pressure: P break =f (force on pedal), with a maximum brake pressure that can be less than the steering system pressure, for example 90 bars.
These two functions may be performed independently or simultaneously.
The pressure feed to the brakes is obtained at 4 by means of a calibratable pressure reduction member 12. The upstream circuit 2 which feeds the steering function being of the open center kind, the feed to the pressure reducer 12 is obtained by means of a calibratable valve type system (FIG. 1).
FIG. 2 shows the valve 9 in the unoperated position. In the absence of any force on the plunger 20 the groove 33 of the brake circuit is connected to the brake return groove 32 through the intermediary of the lateral holes 36 and 37 in the main piston 14. The valve member 16 bears against the cap 21. There is thus a free passage between the pressure inlet groove 34 and the groove 35 connected to the steering function 3, whereas the passage between the pressure inlet groove 34 and the brake groove 33 is closed off by the main piston 14.
In this configuration passage is provided from the pump 1 to the steering function 3, the brake function 4 being connected to the return line 32 (FIG. 1). The piston 25 serves to balance the annular cross-section of the valve 16 between the diameters 26 and 27. Also, the piston 25 procures dynamic balancing of the main piston 14 by virtue of the dashpot effect.
The whole corresponds to a dead travel 39 (FIG. 2).
FIG. 3 shows the valve in the braking position. When a force is applied to the plunger 20 the compression of the spring 17 situated between the ring 18 and the valve member 16 causes a rise in pressure in the pressure inlet groove 34 such that:
Pe×Sc=Kl×X
in which:
Pe=inlet pressure in groove 34;
Sc=annular cross-section of valve member 16 between guide diameters 26 and 27;
K1=thickness of spring 17;
X=travel of plunger 20 - dead travel 40.
At the same time, compression of the spring 23 displaces the main piston inside the body 13. The lateral holes 36 in the main piston 14 are then closed off, preventing coupling of the brake groove 33 to the brake return groove 31/32. The lateral holes 37 continue to provide a coupling between the brake groove 33 and the chamber 31 formed in the body 13 around the foot 29. The hydraulic braking of the edge 38 then authorizes movement of the pressure inlet groove at the orifice 34 towards the braking groove 33, and this in such a way that:
P.sub.break ×ST=K2×X
where:
ST=annular cross-section of main piston 14 between the outside diameter of main piston and the diameter of piston 25;
K2=thickness of spring 23.
When this condition is satisfied, the main piston 14 moves back and the edge 38 cuts off the passage from 34 to 33. The lateral holes 36 are still not uncovered and so continue to close off the passage from 33 to 31. The brake pressure is therefore proportional to the force on the plunger 20.
In the braking position the connection from the pressure inlet 34 to the steering function 35 is still provided by the passage corresponding to lifting of the valve 16 relative to the edge 42 of the body 13.
The equipment in accordance with the invention has the following advantages:
it enables simultaneous or independent supply of a hydraulic steering system and a braking system using a single pump,
it enables pressure limiting in the braking circuit to a known valve, compatible with the durability of the braking system seals; and
it enables progressive braking according to the force on the pedal.
|
A hydraulic valve is adapted to be connected between a pressurized supply line and first and second lines feeding respective first and second circuits with different functions, such as the steering and braking functions of an automobile vehicle. It comprises a first control member adapted to connect the supply line to the first feed line, a two-way distributor device for the second feed line and a second control member adapted to apply to the second feed line a pressure proportional to the force exerted by the user damped by virtue of a dashpot effect.
| 1
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/207,489 filed on Aug. 11, 2011, which respectively claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/401,310 filed on Aug. 11, 2010; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/463,390 filed on Feb. 16, 2011; and China Patent Application No. 201110215584.0 filed on Jul. 29, 2011, which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to child holding accessories that may be suitable for use with play yards.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Play yards are used to contain and provide a safe environment for a child to sleep or play. Currently, most play yards are constructed to include a frame around which a fabric element is wrapped and stretched to form the boundaries of the play yard. Due to the wide spread use of play yards, efforts have been made to increase their versatility to caregivers. For example, some child holding accessories may be added to play yards, such as changing tables (also commonly called “changers”, bassinets, and child sleeping beds (also sometimes called “nappers”). While these different types of accessories may provide more versatility, it may be expensive to purchase a different accessory for each use. Moreover, it may also be cumbersome to store multiple child holding accessories, or to change the accessory for each different use.
[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an improved child holding accessory that may be more convenient in use, provide comfortable resting support and address at least the foregoing issues.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present application describes a child holding accessory that can be used in combination with a rigid support frame. The child holding accessory can be desirably installed on the rigid support frame, and integrate multiple regions adapted to receive the child in different configurations of use. Examples of construction for these holding regions can include, without limitation, a changing table and a child sleeping bed.
[0008] In one embodiment, the child holding accessory includes a reversible resting support and at least one fixture for attaching the resting support with a rigid support frame.
[0009] The reversible resting support has a first and a second bearing surface facing opposite directions, the first and second bearing surfaces respectively having different profiles, and each of the first and second regions being positionable to be upwardly facing to receive a child thereon.
[0010] Moreover, the present application also describes an infant support apparatus that includes a rigid support frame, a reversible resting support, and at least one fixture rotatably connected with the resting support. The reversible resting support has a first and a second bearing surface facing opposite directions, the first and second bearing surfaces respectively having different profiles, and each of the first and second regions being positionable to be upwardly facing to receive a child thereon. The fixture is configured to attach the resting support with the rigid support frame at an elevated position above a floor, and the resting support being rotatable relative to the fixture attached to the rigid support frame to position either of the first and second bearing surfaces upwardly facing.
[0011] At least one advantage of the structures described herein is the ability to provide a child holding accessory that can integrate two opposite regions adapted to receive the child in different configurations of use. The bearing surfaces associated with the two regions can deform differently when the child is placed thereon. Accordingly, the bearing surfaces of the two regions can be designed to provide differential firmness and bending curvature that suits the different functional uses of the two regions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a play yard provided with a child holding accessory in a first configuration of use;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the play yard of FIG. 1 with the child holding accessory in a second configuration of use;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a first side of the child holding accessory;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a second side of the child holding accessory opposite to the first side;
[0016] FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of the child holding accessory with the second region turned upward;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the construction of a resting support in the child holding accessory;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the construction of a support board that can be assembled in the resting support;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view illustrating portion A of FIG. 6 ;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating another embodiment of a support board that can be assembled in the resting support;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view illustrating portion B of FIG. 8 ; and
[0022] FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating yet another embodiment of a support board that can be assembled in the resting support of the child holding accessory.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The present application describes a child holding accessory that can be used in combination with a play yard. The child holding accessory can integrate multiple regions adapted to receive the child in different configurations of use. Examples of construction for these holding regions can include, without limitation, a changing table and a child sleeping bed. Each of the holding regions can be designed to deform differently when the child is placed thereon so as to provide adequate resting support.
[0024] FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views illustrating an embodiment of a child holding accessory 102 suitable for use with a play yard 104 , and FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic views respectively illustrating two opposite sides of the child holding accessory 102 . Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the play yard 104 can include a rigid support frame 106 over which is held an enclosure 108 that defines an inner space 110 opened upward. In one embodiment, the enclosure 108 can be made of a flexible cloth material that is stretched around the support frame 106 to define multiple sidewalls surrounding the inner space 110 . The child holding accessory 102 can be detachably mounted at an upper side of the enclosure 108 above the inner space 110 . The child holding accessory 102 is thereby adapted to receive a child at an elevated position on the play yard 104 for facilitating the care of the child.
[0025] The child holding accessory 102 can be constructed as an adjustable module that includes a resting support 114 having multiple regions adapted to receive the child. Examples of these regions can include, without limitation, a first region R1 constructed as a changing table, and a second region R2 constructed as a child sleeping bed on a side opposite to the side of the first region R1. The child holding accessory 102 can be adjustable to turn the second region R2 downward and the first region R1 upward to be used as a changing table (as shown in FIG. 1 ), or to reversely turn the first region R1 downward and the second region R2 upward to be used as a child sleeping bed (as shown in
[0026] FIG. 2 ). This adjustment of the child holding accessory 102 can be permitted by using one or more adjustable fixtures 130 A, 130 B to attach the resting support 114 with the play yard 104 .
[0027] In one embodiment, the resting support 114 can include a surrounding frame 132 formed from multiple tubular segments connected together, and a bearing platform 134 affixed with the surrounding frame 132 . The adjustable fixtures 130 A and 130 B may be mounted with two opposite sides of the surrounding frame 132 , and are adapted to fasten the resting support 114 with two opposite handrails of the play yard 104 . In one embodiment, at least one of the two adjustable fixtures, for example adjustable fixture 130 A, can include a rotary mechanism that is operable to permit relative rotation of the resting support 114 . While the adjustable fixture 130 A is attached with the support frame 106 , the resting support 114 thus can be rotated relative to the play yard 104 to turn either of the first region R1 and the second region R2 upward. The other fixture 130 B can have an adjustable catch 136 that can bear on the associated handrail of the play yard 104 .
[0028] FIG. 3 shows the first region R1 of the child holding accessory 102 , and
[0029] FIG. 4 shows the second region R2 of the child holding accessory 102 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first region R1 used as a changing table can have a relatively flat bearing surface BS 1 . The first bearing surface BS 1 thus can provide a stable support to allow a parent to conveniently change the child's diaper. The second region R2 used as sleeping bed can have a second bearing surface BS 2 that has a raised head portion 138 that is higher than other regions of the second bearing surface BS 1 . According to one embodiment, the head portion 138 can be formed by a piece of fabric that has one edge sewed at a higher position, or that is securely held with the fixture 130 A via a strap. The child can be placed on the second bearing surface BS 2 with the head resting at a higher level on the head portion 138 so as to provide a more comfortable sleeping position.
[0030] The left and right sides of the surrounding frame 132 can also include side frame segments 132 A that have a curved shape. When the first region R1 is turned upward, the side frame segments 132 A can respectively have curved shapes that project/arch upward to gather and tighten a fabric material between the surrounding frame 132 and the first bearing surface BS 1 . Moreover, the side frame segments 132 A can increase the height of the left and right side edges of the changing table, which can prevent the child from accidentally falling down and provide safer use. When the second region R2 is turned upward, the curved shapes of the side frame segments 132 A are projecting/arching downward to facilitate downward bending of the second bearing surface BS 2 and provide comfortable sleeping support.
[0031] In conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4 , FIG. 4A is a schematic side view illustrating the child holding accessory 102 with the second region R2 turned upward. The surrounding frame 132 can also include a head-side frame segment 132 B and a foot-side frame segment 132 C that are transversally connected between the side frame segments and respectively mounted with the fixtures 130 A and 130 B. The fixtures 130 A and 130 B can respectively define pivot points P1 and P2 through which a rotation axis a can pass. The head-side frame segment 132 B and the foot-side frame segment 132 C can be arranged at different distances H1 and H2 from the rotation axis α, such that the head-side frame segment 132 B can be higher than the foot-side frame segment 132 C.
[0032] According to one embodiment, the surrounding frame 132 can be entirely located at a same side of the rotation axis α, and the distance H1 between the head-side frame segment 132 B and the rotation axis α can be smaller than the distance H2 between the foot-side frame segment 132 C and the rotation axis α. When the first bearing surface BS 1 is turned upward, the surrounding frame 132 can be located above the rotation axis α and the foot-side frame segment 132 C can be at a position higher than the head-side frame segment 132 B to facilitate diaper changing. In contrast, when the second bearing surface BS 2 is turned upward to be used as a sleeping bed, the surrounding frame 132 can be located below the rotation axis α and the foot-side frame segment 132 C can be at a position lower than the head-side frame segment 132 B to provide comfortable sleeping support.
[0033] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the resting support 114 . The bearing platform 134 can include a flexible cushion element 140 and a support board 142 . The cushion element 140 can be assembled to enclose the support board 142 , and include a first layer 144 on the side of the first region R1, and a second layer 146 on the side of the second region R2. The first and second layers 144 and 146 can be joined together by sewing, bonding or other suitable techniques. In one embodiment, the first layer 144 used for the changing table can include a fabric that is water-proof and easy to wipe-off, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)-based polymer materials. The second layer 146 used for the sleeping bed can include soft and comfortable fabric, like cotton cloth or flannelette. It will be understood that the first and second layers 144 and 146 are not limited to the aforementioned examples, and other flexible/soft materials may be included, such as webbing materials, foamed polymer pad and the like.
[0034] The support board 142 can be placed between the first and second layers 144 and 146 , and have a first side 142 A and an opposite second side 142 B. Two opposite ends of the support board 142 can be connected with the surrounding frame 132 via connecting elements 148 , such as straps, cords, and the like. The support board 142 can provide a support sufficiently rigid for sustaining the weight of the child received in either of the first and second region R1 and R2. In the meantime, the support board 142 can also be designed to deform differently depending on whether the child is supported on the bearing surface BS 1 or BS 2 . For example, the support board 142 can bend freely when the child is placed on the bearing surface BS 2 to conform to the child's body and provide comfortable sleeping. On the other hand, when the child is placed on the bearing surface BS 1 , bending of the support board 142 is reduced or prevented to provide a flat and stable surface for better accessibility while changing the child's diaper. Exemplary embodiments of the support board 142 are described hereafter with reference to FIGS. 6 through 10 .
[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating one embodiment of a support board 202 that can be assembled in the bearing platform 134 and provide the aforementioned deformation capabilities, and FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view illustrating portion A of FIG. 6 . The support board 202 can be integrally formed in a single piece from a plastics material. The support board 202 can have a first side 202 A and an opposite second side 202 B, and include an array of hollow cells 210 that are joined together. Each cell 210 can include a plurality of sidewalls 210 A, 210 B and 210 C that delimit an inner cavity 212 of the cell 210 . Adjacent cells 210 can have their respective sidewalls 210 B connected each other on the second side 202 B, such that that the cells 210 can be joined together at the second side 202 B of the support board 202 . On the other hand, the first side 202 A of the support board 202 can include a plurality of slits 216 that are respectively delimited between the sidewalls 210 C of each pair of adjacent cells 210 , and separate from one another the sidewalls 210 A of the cells 210 on the first side 202 A of the support board 202 .
[0036] The slits 216 can partly disconnect the cells 210 from one another so as to allow relative deflecting movements between the cells 210 . When the support board 202 is assembled with the cushion element 140 , the first side 202 A can lie adjacent to the first layer 144 (i.e., corresponding to the first region R1), and the second side 202 B adjacent to the second layer 146 (i.e., corresponding to the second region R2).
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 3 through 6 , when the child is supported on the second region R2, the weight of the child is applied from the second side 202 B of the support board 202 . This pressure can cause the cells 210 to pivot about their respective joining portions. As a result, the cells 210 can deflect relative to one another in a way that enlarges the slits 216 and splits the sidewalls 210 C of adjacent cells 210 away from each other. Accordingly, the support board 202 can freely bend in a first direction D1, which causes the bearing surface BS 2 to sink and suitably conform to the child's body for providing a comfortable resting position. Aside bending movements, the inner cavities 212 can also permit the cells 210 to deform to provide comfortable support of the child.
[0038] On the other hand, when the child is supported on the first region R1, the weight is applied from the first side 202 A of the support board 202 . This pressure can cause the sidewalls 210 C of adjacent cells 210 to contact against each other, which can substantially prevent bending of the support board 202 in a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1. As a result, the first bearing surface BS 1 can provide a flat and stable support for better accessibility while changing the child's diaper.
[0039] The support board 202 can therefore deform differently depending on whether the load of the child's weight is exerted from the first side 202 A or the second side 202 B of the support board 202 , which can result in different firmness of the first and second bearing surfaces BS 1 and BS 2 . The firmness of the first and second bearing surfaces BS 1 and BS 2 can be assessed by determining how each of the first and second bearing surfaces BS 1 and BS 2 bends and the depth to which it sinks upon application of a load pressure, i.e., the bend curvature and sinking depth of the support board 202 can be different depending on whether the child's weight is applied from the first side 202 A or second side 202 B For example, the second bearing surface BS 2 can bend and sink to a greater depth when the child is placed thereon, whereas the first bearing surface BS 1 can hardly sink when the child is placed thereon. Accordingly, the bearing platform 134 can provide adequate support curvatures respectively in accordance with the required use conditions, e.g., the changing table requires a flat surface for easy accessibility, and the sleeping bed requires a bent curvature for increased comfort.
[0040] FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating another support board 302 suitable for use with the bearing platform 134 described previously, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of portion B shown in FIG. 8 . The support board 302 can be similar to the support board 202 in construction, having a first side 302 A and an opposite second side 302 B, and including an array of hollow cells 310 that are joined together. Each cell 310 can include a plurality of sidewalls 310 A, 310 B, 310 C and 310 D that delimit an inner cavity 312 of the cell 310 . Adjacent cells 310 can have their respective sidewalls 310 B connected each other on the second side 302 B, such that the cells 310 can be joined together at the second side 302 B of the support board 302 . On the other hand, the first side 302 A of the support board 302 can include a plurality of slits 316 A and 316 B that respectively extend parallel to two intersecting directions X and Y. The slits 316 A can be delimited between the sidewalls 310 C of two adjacent cells 310 , and the slits 316 B can be delimited between the sidewalls 310 D of two adjacent cells 310 . As a result, the sidewalls 310 A of the cells 310 can be separated from one another, and the slits 316 A and 316 B can partly disconnect the cells 310 so as to allow relative deflecting movements between the cells 210 .
[0041] When the support board 302 is assembled with the cushion element 140 , the first side 302 A can lie adjacent to the first layer 144 (i.e., corresponding to the first region R1), and the second side 302 B adjacent to the second layer 146 (i.e., corresponding to the second region R2). Like previously described, when the child is supported on the second region R2, the weight of the child is applied from the second side 302 B of the support board 302 . This pressure can cause the cells 310 to pivot about their respective joining portions. Because the joining portions of the cells 310 extend along two directions X and Y, the support board 302 can bend in different planes of curvature. As a result, the capacity of the support board 302 to deform is increased to better fit the shape of the child's body. When the child is supported on the first region R1, the weight is applied from the first side 302 A of the support board 302 . This pressure can cause the sidewalls 310 C and 310 D of adjacent cells 310 to contact against each other, which can substantially prevent bending of the support board 302 in the second direction D2.
[0042] FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating the construction of another support board 402 . The support board 402 can include two board elements 404 , and a resilient joint element 408 . The board elements 404 can be made from any rigid materials, such as plastics, woods and the like. The joint element 408 can elastically deform to allow relative displacement between the board elements 404 . In one embodiment, the joint element 408 can have a flex structure similar to that of the support board 202 or 402 , having opposite first and second sides 408 A and 408 B and including a plurality of hollow cells 410 provided with inner cavities 412 . The cells 410 can be joined together on the second side 408 B of the joint element 408 , and disconnected on the first side 408 A via a plurality of slits 414 . The joint element 408 can thus freely deform when the load pressure is applied from the second side 408 B. In contrast, bending deformation of the joint element 408 can be substantially prevented when the load pressure is applied from the first side 408 A.
[0043] It is worth noting that the support board structures described herein may be advantageously used for any child holding devices in general. For example, seat modules in stroller, car seat, high chair and swing apparatuses may also use any of the support board structures illustrated above to provide increased comfort.
[0044] At least one advantage of the structures described herein is the ability to provide a child holding accessory that can integrate two opposite regions adapted to receive a child in different configurations of use. In particular, the child holding accessory can include a support board that can deform differently depending on the region where the child is placed. As a result, the bearing surfaces associated with the two regions can present different firmness to provide adequate resting of the child.
[0045] Realizations in accordance with the present invention therefore have been described only in the context of particular embodiments. These embodiments are meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. Accordingly, plural instances may be provided for components described herein as a single instance. Structures and functionality presented as discrete components in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims that follow.
|
A child holding accessory includes a reversible resting support and at least one fixture for attaching the resting support with a rigid support frame. The reversible resting support has a first and a second bearing surface facing opposite directions, the first and second bearing surfaces respectively having different profiles, and each of the first and second regions being positionable to be upwardly facing to receive a child thereon.
| 0
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a plate heat exchanger of the kind comprising a package of heat transferring plates, two end plates between which the package of heat transferring plates are kept together, and more specifically to a plate heat exchanger having an arrangement for automatically opening the plate heat exchanger for permitting inspection, cleaning, repair, replacement and/or removal of heat transferring plates and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] When used for certain applications or in certain industries a plate heat exchanger of this kind may need to be opened relatively often, e.g. once every day, for inspection and/or cleaning of the heat transferring plates. This process may require the removal of one or more plates for closer inspection or cleaning. Traditionally, one of the end plates is fixed and the other end plate is moveable towards the fixed end plate to close the plate heat exchanger and is movable away from the fixed end plate to open the plate heat exchanger. Tightening bolts are used to keep the end plates together and the tightening bolts are secured by nuts. To open the plate heat exchanger by moving the end plate either the bolts or the nuts have to be rotated, so that the end plates and thus the heat transferring plates may be moved away from each other.
[0003] Such rotation of the bolts or the nuts, in connection with opening of the plate heat exchanger as well as in connection with restoring of it for operation, means a heavy, time consuming and not quite simple work. Sometimes, particularly in connection with large plate heat exchangers, electrically or pneumatically operated tools are used for the rotation, but a tool of this kind has to be moved often between the different bolts or nuts, particularly at the beginning of an opening operation and at the end of a restoring operation, in order that the bolts and end plates will not be subjected to all too uneven loads or stresses. With respect to the compression of the package of heat transferring plates it is also important that each one of the bolts or nuts is rotated exactly so much that the end plates in their operating positions will be situated in parallel with each other. If not so, leakage may come up between the heat transferring plates.
[0004] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,112 is disclosed a plate heat exchanger, a package of heat transferring plates is kept together between two end plates by means of two or more threaded bolts and nuts in threading engagement therewith. A motor is arranged through an endless drive member, such as a tooth belt or the like, simultaneously to rotate all the bolts or all the nuts. The plate heat exchanger thereby may be rapidly, simply and safely opened and restored for operation in connection with inspection and/or cleaning of the heat transferring plates.
[0005] In EP-A2-1 462 752 is disclosed a plate heat exchanger including two end plates, a package of heat transfer plates arranged between the end plates, and a closure system. The closure system includes a plurality of tie bar assemblies. Each tie bar assembly includes a tie bar extending between the first and second plates, and a threaded member engaging the tie bar. The closure system and the end plates are relatively arranged and configured such that relative rotation between the tie bar and the threaded member of each tie bar assembly is operative to move the movable end plate towards and away from the fixed end plate to close and open, respectively, the plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger is arranged and configured such that the heat transfer plates can be removed from the plate heat exchanger without relocating any of the tie bars.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention has for its object to provide an plate heat exchanger having means for automatically and simultaneously opening the opening of a plate heat exchanger and restoring of it for operation, and that further is provided with means for easy removal, cleaning, service and insertion of heat exchanger plate into the plate heat exchanger, without deteriorating the plate heat exchanger capability to withstand high pressures during its operation.
[0007] This object has been solved by providing a plate heat exchanger having automatic opening means and having at least one partly removable tightening bolt. By means of such a device the plate heat exchanger may be rapidly and simply opened to a desired degree and, with the same rapidity and simplicity, restored for operation after removal, inspection, cleaning and service or insertion of heat exchanging plates. Through the simultaneous rotation of all the bolts or nuts much time can be saved in connection with opening and restoring of the plate heat exchanger. Further, it is made sure thereby that the bolts and the end plates are subjected to a uniform load or stress during the whole compression of the package of heat exchanging plates.
[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention the at least one of threaded bolts that are arranged to be partly removable includes two portions, a first removable portion extending from the fixed end plate, through the other movable end plate to a position close to the drive unit and a second portion extending from a position close to the drive unit to a position inside the drive unit. The two portions of the at least two of threaded bolts are connected by a shaft connection, where the shaft connection is designed so that the first removable portion of the partly removable threaded bolts can be separated from the second portion of the partly removable threaded bolts without moving the partly removable threaded bolts axially.
[0009] According to a further aspect of the invention a friction reducing bearing is arranged between each bolt head and the end plate. At least one bolt head is removably attached to the end plate.
[0010] According to another aspect of the invention each nut is connected to a nut fixation device that prevents rotation of the nut in relation to the movable end plate and that prevents axial movement of the nut in relation to the movable end plate. At least one nut fixation device is removably attached to the movable end plate.
[0011] According to yet another aspect of the invention each of the end plates is provided with at least one cut-out or recess on each long side of the end plate for receiving the partly removable threaded bolts. The at least one cut-out or recess on each long side of the end plate for receiving the partly removable threaded bolts enables the partly removable threaded bolts to be removed radially.
[0012] According to yet another aspect of the invention the drive unit comprises a motor that is arranged to simultaneously, rotationally drive all the threaded bolts via a force translating system, and thereby moving the end plate between two positions. The drive unit may be electrically operated, and where each threaded bolt is associated to a separate gear box, where the gear boxes being connected to the motor via a shaft- and belt arrangement.
[0013] According to yet another aspect of the invention the at least one of threaded bolt on the side of the plate package is arranged to be partly removable, thereby giving the user the possibility of to remove heat exchanger plate from any side of the plate heat exchanger.
[0014] According to yet another aspect of the invention the plate heat exchanger is provided with a security system for enabling the interruption the movement of the movable end plate from any places around the plate heat exchanger.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] In the following, the invention will be explained more with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plate heat exchanger according to the invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a side view of a plate heat exchanger according to the invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plate heat exchanger according to the invention, seen from a different angle than the plate heat exchanger of FIG. 1 ;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a side view of a plate heat exchanger according to the invention, where the plate heat exchanger is open;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plate heat exchanger according to the invention, where the plate heat exchanger is open;
[0021] FIG. 6 is partial detailed view of a bolt or shaft connection;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a partial detailed view of a first bearing unit according to the invention;
[0023] FIG. 8 is partial detailed view of a second bearing unit according to the invention;
[0024] FIG. 9 is another partial detailed view of the second bearing unit according to the invention;
[0025] FIG. 10 is partial detailed view of a first nut arranged on one end plate according to the invention;
[0026] FIG. 11 is partial detailed view of a second nut arranged on one end plate according to the invention;
[0027] FIG. 12 is perspective view of a drive unit according to the invention;
[0028] FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of a shaft connection according to the invention;
[0029] FIGS. 14 a - 14 c are different detailed views of a nut fixation device; and
[0030] FIGS. 15 a - 15 b are different detailed views of the bearing unit according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Heat exchangers are used for transferring heat between two fluids separated by a solid body. Heat exchangers can be of several types, the most common are spiral heat exchangers, tubular heat exchangers and plate heat exchangers. Plate heat exchangers are used for transferring heat between a hot and a cold fluid that are flowing in alternate flow passages formed between a set of heat exchanger plates. The arrangement of heat exchanger plates defined above is enclosed between end plates that are relatively thicker than the heat exchanger plates. The inner surface of each end plate faces the heat transfer plates.
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a plate heat exchanger 100 comprising a package of heat transferring plates 1 , which are kept together between two end plates 2 and 3 . The heat exchanger or transferring plates 1 are arranged hanging on a carrying bar 4 that substantially extends between the two end plates 2 , 3 . The carrying bar 4 is in one end fixedly attached to an upper end of the end plate 2 and in the opposite end fixedly attached to an upper end of a support column 5 . The end plate 3 , which is movable along the carrying bar 4 , is used to press the heat exchanger plates 1 together to form a plate package. A guide bar 6 , that guides the heat exchanger plates 1 in their lower end, connects a lower end of the support column 5 with a lower end of the end plate 2 . In FIGS. 1-3 the plate package is shown as schematic box. The plate package may be housed by a cover to protect for dirt and the like.
[0033] The heat exchanger plate 1 discussed above includes in a manner known per se a corrugation or pattern for increasing the heat transfer and a number of port holes, typically four, for forming a corresponding number of port channels extending through the plate package and being in connection with the flow channels formed between the heat exchanger plates 1 .
[0034] The end plate 2 is suitably provided with a number of port or connections corresponding to ports of the heat exchanger plate 1 . The end plate 3 may also be provided with ports, as well as the port of the end plate 2 may be provided with a blind cover.
[0035] The heat exchanger plates 1 , which between themselves usually have flexible gaskets 8 (best shown in FIG. 5 ) for defining flow spaces between the heat exchanger plates 1 for two heat exchange fluids. The gasket 8 , which is preferably made of an elastic material, e.g. rubber material, is disposed in a groove which extends along the periphery of the constituent heat exchanger plates 1 and around ports. The gasket 8 may possibly comprise a metal or be surrounded by a second material, e.g. metal, PTFE, etc.
[0036] As mentioned above the movable end plate 3 are pressed towards the fixed end plate 2 to form a plate package of the heat exchanger plates 1 . To keep the heat exchanger plates 1 together threaded tightening bolts 9 are used. The tightening bolts 9 extend between the fixed end plate 2 and a drive unit 10 arranged on the support column 5 , and passing through holes or recesses in the edge portions of the two end plates 2 , 3 . Each bolt 9 has a bolt head means 11 at one of its ends, possibly situated at the outside (or integrated in) of the end plate 2 (see FIGS. 7-9 ), and carries nuts 12 on its threaded part, possibly situated at the outside (or integrated in) of the end plate 3 (see FIGS. 8 and 11 ).
[0037] The drive unit 10 (see FIG. 12 ) may be based on a solution with one electrical motor 14 , which is driving all the tightening bolts 9 in a synchronized manner. By having a gear box 15 arranged on each bolt 9 the required torque of the motor 14 is reduced. The motor speed is controlled by a motor drive 16 . A programmable logic controller unit (PLC) 17 can be used to program different ramping of speed and acceleration of the electrical motor 14 and to monitor the drive unit system and alarms thereto related. The gear boxes 15 are connected to the motor 14 by a shaft- and belt arrangement 70 - 74 , where three gear boxes 15 are connected to each other by shafts 71 and where another three gear boxes 15 are connected to each other by shafts 72 . The shafts 71 and 72 are connected to the shaft 70 of the motor 14 by belts 73 and 74 . When the motor 14 rotates, the shaft 70 , the belts 73 and 74 transfer the rotational movement from the shaft 70 and the motor 14 to the shaft 71 and 72 and further to the gear boxes 15 to drive all the tightening bolts 9 in a synchronized manner. A non-electrical motor or driving means is also possible.
[0038] As seen in FIGS. 1-5 and 12 the plate heat exchanger is provided with three tightening bolts 9 a, 9 b, 9 c on each side of the plate package. To be able to remove, replace or insert heat exchanger plates 1 of the plate heat exchanger at least one tightening bolt 9 on one side of the plate package is removable, preferably the intermediate tightening bolts 9 b located between the other two tightening bolts 9 a and 9 c. The removable tightening bolt 9 b could be located on any side of the plate package. If only one removable tightening bolt 9 b is provided it can be located according to the preference of the user. The plate heat exchanger may include two or more removable tightening bolts 9 b.
[0039] The removable bolt 9 b is equipped with one shaft connection 18 (see FIGS. 6 and 13 ) between the drive unit 10 and the movable end plate 3 , which is designed in a manner so that it can easily be separated from a shaft 19 of the drive unit 10 without moving the bolt 9 b axially. In FIG. 6 one possible shaft connection design is shown, but other shaft connections are also possible. FIG. 13 shows that the shaft connection 18 comprises two parts 18 a and 18 b that put together by a screw joint 30 . The parts 18 a and 18 b are typically clamped onto the bolt 9 b and the shaft 19 , respectively.
[0040] As discussed above the tightening bolt 9 is provided with bolt head means 11 situated at the end plate 2 (see FIGS. 1-5 and 7 - 9 ). The bolt head means 11 comprises a bearing unit 20 , 20 a, 20 b, 20 c on the end plate that supports the bolt 9 , 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, and taking up the axial forces.
[0041] The end plate 2 has a cut-out 21 (see FIGS. 1 and 8 - 9 ) located on each long side of the end plate 2 allowing the removable bolt 9 b to be removed radially. The bearing unit 20 is fixed to the end plate 2 by screws, locking pins or other attaching means 60 to support the bearing unit 20 axially when the movable end plate 3 is moved in direction from the end plate 2 . The center located bearing unit 20 b comes off together with the bolt 9 b. By help from the cut-outs 21 in the end plate 2 and cut-outs 40 in a bearing housing plate 22 of the bearing unit 20 b it is possible to slide out the entire bolt 9 b and bearing unit 20 b radially from the end plate 2 .
[0042] The end plate 2 have holes located in each corner of the end plate 2 (see FIGS. 3 , 5 and 12 ) to receive the tightening bolts 9 a, 9 c. Bearing units 20 a and 20 c supporting the tightening bolts 9 a, 9 c are fixed to the end plate 2 by screws, locking pins or other attaching means to support the bearing units 20 a and 20 c axially when the movable end plate 3 is moved in direction from the end plate 2 .
[0043] The nuts 12 (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ) on the threaded part of the tightening bolts 9 that are situated at the outside of the end plate 3 rests towards a flat surface of the end plate 3 which takes up the axial forces of the plate package, resulting from gasket forces and the pressure of the process media. The end plate 3 has a cut-out 23 (see FIGS. 1 and 11 ) located on each long side of the end plate 3 allowing the removable tightening bolt 9 b to be removed radially.
[0044] The nut 12 , 12 a, 12 b, 12 c is attached to the end plate 3 by a nut fixing device 24 , 24 a, 24 b, 24 c (see FIGS. 10-11 and 14 b - 14 c ). The nut fixing device 24 b is easily unscrewed from the end plate 3 to allow the nut 12 b to be removed together with the bolt 9 b. The function of the nut fixation device 24 is to lock the rotation of the nut 12 and to fix the nut 12 axially to the end plate 3 when moving backwards (away from the end plate 2 ) in an unloaded mode and to keep the nuts 12 synchronized axially.
[0045] FIG. 14 a shows the nut fixing device 24 b from the behind. FIGS. 14 b and 14 c show cross sectional views of the nut fixing device 24 b seen along the lines E and F, respectively, of FIG. 14 a.
[0046] The nut fixation device 24 only allows the nut 12 to be mounted in two positions, separated rotationally 180°. The tolerances of the fixation mounting screws are smaller that half the thread elevation of the bolt 9 b. This combined guarantees that the nut 12 b is correctly refitted and synchronized. As seen from FIGS. 10 and 11 , the nut fixing devices 24 a - 24 c may be slightly differently designed, but they all fulfill the same purpose.
[0047] The nut 12 provided at the end plate 3 is designed to take up deviations both radially and in alignment. The nut 12 is resting on spherical washers 25 (see FIGS. 14 b and 14 c ), which allow it to incline and follow the angle of the bolt 9 . This reduces unnecessary forces on the treads when the frame is flexing due to the weight of the different components. This feature is especially important when using bolts 9 with threads of low elevation, “M”-thread or similar. Low elevation of the treads help to keep the bolt torque low when closing the plate heat exchanger 100 .
[0048] The nut 12 is allowed to move radially as a hole through the end plate 3 is made with a clearance to the bolt 9 . The nut 12 has groove for rotational fixation which fits to the fixation device 24 . The groove is mounted vertically to allow the nut 12 to slide and incline mainly in vertical direction, the direction which is most likely to deviate. The flexible design is made to allow the nut 12 mainly (only) to take up the axial forces created by the gaskets 8 and media pressure and not be stressed by any forces created by tolerances in the frame.
[0049] The open design of the nut assembly ( 12 , 24 , 25 ) provides for easy inspection and cleaning and the clearance between all components allow cleaning water to flush out of the design. This makes seals unnecessary. The nut 12 is equipped with a grease nipple 41 to allow the threads inside the nut 12 to be properly lubricated.
[0050] Now the operation of the plate heat exchanger 100 will briefly be described. By means of the electrical motor 14 , the shafts 70 - 72 , belts 73 - 74 and via the gear boxes 15 connected to each bolt 9 a simultaneous and uniform rotation of all the bolts 9 , and by the fact that the nuts 12 are connected to the end plate 3 and the bolt head means 11 are connected with the end plate 2 in the above described manner the end plate 3 during all of its movement will be maintained in a position in which it is situated in parallel with the end plate 2 . The package of heat exchanger plates 1 will thus be compressed and opened to the same degree along its entire circumference.
[0051] As the plate heat exchanger 100 has been opened the tightening bolt/bolts 9 b can be removed to enabling full access to the heat exchanger plates 1 . Thus, make it possible to remove heat exchanger plates 1 from the plate heat exchanger 100 for cleaning, inspection or the like of the heat exchanger plates 1 . It also enables the insertion of more heat exchanger plates 1 or the insertion of the cleaned, inspected or exchanged heat exchanger plates 1 .
[0052] The bolt 9 b is removed from the plate heat exchanger 100 by disconnecting the shaft connection 18 between the drive unit 10 and the movable end plate 3 ; unfasten the bearing unit 20 b from the end plate 2 and the nut fixation device 24 b from the end plate 3 and removing the bolt 9 b radially with its connected parts. After the heat exchanger plates 1 are maintained as desired the process is reversed and the tightening bolt or bolts 9 b are re-installed and the parts are fastened. The drive unit 10 ensures that the end plate 3 again is moved towards the end plate 2 , pressing the heat exchanger plates 1 together to again form the plate package and making the plate heat exchanger 100 ready for operation.
[0053] FIGS. 4-5 show schematically a plate heat exchanger 100 according to the invention opened for inspection or cleaning of the heat exchanger plates 1 .
[0054] Along the frame of the plate heat exchanger 100 a safety switch is mounted in form of a line breaker 50 or a light barrier following the sides of the plate heat exchanger 100 . This makes it possible for an operator to stop the movement of the end plate 3 from any position around the plate heat exchanger 100 .
[0055] In the described embodiments the plate heat exchanger 100 is provided with three tightening bolts on each side of the plate package having one removable tightening bolt. The number and positions of the tightening bolts is decided based upon most cost effective design of drive unit and heat exchanger plates, and therefore may there be further tightening bolts if that is needed in view of the construction of the plate heat exchanger and the work is aimed to perform.
[0056] Therefore more than one tightening bolt may be needed to be removed to allow the heat exchanger plates to be taken out or inserted in the plate heat exchanger. When a tightening bolt with nut is removed it is very important that it is refitted in a manner that guarantees that the synchronized position between the different nuts of the movable end plate is unchanged. Otherwise the result may be that the plate package is unaligned with leaking gaskets or seized/worn threads as result.
[0057] One advantage with an electrical solution and closed gear boxes as suggested above is that no hydraulic oils or lubricants are necessary, something which is a problem on most known solutions.
[0058] The above described connection of the bolt heads and the nuts with the respective end plates may be accomplished in many different ways within the scope of the present invention.
[0059] By having a partially removable tightening bolt a simple construction can be achieved since the association to the gear boxes of the drive unit or similar driving arrangement will not be affected by the removal of the removable part of the tightening bolt as the shaft (the second part of the tightening bolt) associated to the gear box remains connected to the drive unit after the removal of the removable part of the tightening bolt (the first part of the tightening bolt).
[0060] The drive unit is located as far away as possible from the plate package to avoid that the drive unit is exposed to heat from the process.
[0061] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown on the drawings, but can be supplemented and modified in any manner within the scope of the invention as defined by the enclosed claims.
|
The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger ( 100 ) comprising a package of heat exchanger plates ( 1 ), two end plates ( 2, 3 ) between which the package of heat exchanger plates ( 1 ) is kept together, a plurality of threaded bolts ( 9 ), where the bolts ( 9 ) extends between the end plate ( 2 ) and a drive unit ( 10 ) and through the end plate ( 3 ), the drive unit being arranged for synchronously rotating the bolts ( 9 ) and having bolt heads ( 11 ) arranged to bear directly or indirectly against one ( 2 ) of the end plates, a plurality of nuts ( 12 ), each in threaded engagement with one of the bolts ( 9 ) and arranged to bear directly or indirectly against the other end plate ( 3 ), the bolts ( 9 ) and nuts ( 12 ) being arranged for movement of one of the two end plates ( 3 ) toward or away from the other, the drive unit ( 10 ) further comprising a rotating arrangement each of the bolts ( 9 ), and a motor ( 14 ) in driving engagement with rotating arrangement each of the bolts ( 9 ) for simultaneous rotation of all the bolts ( 9 ), where the bolt heads ( 11 ) and the nuts ( 12 ) being coupled to their respective end plates ( 2, 3 ) in a manner such that they are prevented from moving axially away from their respective end plates ( 2, 3 ) upon operation of the drive unit ( 10 ), where at least one of threaded bolt ( 9 ) is arranged to be partly removable.
| 5
|
[0001] The present invention relates to the treatment of baking material such as dough and batter for baking bread and cakes with high intensity ultrasonic waves. The present invention improves the overall mixing quality of dough and batter through the introduction of rheological, aeration and textural changes during the mixing stage of the dough and batter.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] Ultrasonics is a branch of acoustics dealing with vibratory waves at frequencies above the average human hearing range, i.e., frequencies over 20 kHz. In contrast, sound waves with frequencies in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz are in the audible range, whereas sound waves with frequencies below 20 Hz are in the infrasonic range. An ultrasonic wave is longitudinal, travels as concentric hollow spheres and causes a series of compressions and expansions of the molecules in the medium surrounding it as it propagates. It can be used in various engineering applications.
[0003] Ultrasonics is a trade term coined by the Ultrasonic Manufacturers Association and used by its successor, the Ultrasonic Industry Association, to refer to the use of high-intensity acoustic energy to change materials. This usage is contrasted to ultrasound, which is generally reserved for imaging, as in sonar, materials examination, i.e. non destructive inspection (NDI), and diagnostics (mammography, doppler bloodflow, etc.). However, in spite of this distinction, much technical material on ultrasound imaging actually uses the term ultrasonics.
[0004] Ultrasonication offers great potential in the processing of liquids and slurries, by improving the mixing and chemical reactions in various applications and industries. Ultrasonication generates alternating low-pressure and high-pressure waves in liquids, leading to the formation and violent collapse of small vacuum bubbles. This phenomenon is termed cavitation and causes high speed impinging liquid jets and strong hydrodynamic shear-forces. These effects are used for the deagglomeration and milling of micrometre and nanometre-size materials as well as for the disintegration of cells or the mixing of reactants. In this aspect, ultrasonication is an alternative to high-speed mixers and agitator bead mills. Ultrasonic foils under the moving wire in a paper machine will use the shock waves from the imploding bubbles to distribute the cellulose fibres in a more uniform manner in the produced paper web, which will thus culminate in the making of a stronger paper with a more even surface profile. Furthermore, chemical reactions benefit from the free radicals created by the cavitations as well as from the energy input and the material transfer through boundary layers. For many processes, this sonochemical effect leads to a substantial reduction of the reaction time, like in the transesterification of oil into biodiesel. Ultrasonication can easily be tested in lab scale for its effect on various liquid formulations. Equipment manufacturers have developed a number of larger ultrasonic processors of up to 16 kW power. Therefore volumes from 1 mL up to several hundred gallons per minute can be sonicated today in order to achieve all kinds of results.
[0005] The low-intensity ultrasonic waves, typically <1 W cm −2 are non-destructive where it will never change the physical or chemical state of the medium due to its small power level. This non-invasive technology has been applied in quality assessment and provides information about physicochemical properties, such as composition, structure, physical state and flow-rate.
[0006] The application of high intensity ultrasonic waves, typically in the range 10-1000 Wcm −2 can cause physical disruption of a material or promote certain chemical reactions. High intensity ultrasound has been used in various applications ranging from cell disruption, modification and control of crystallization processes, enzyme deactivation, meat tenderization, enhancement of oxidation and ultrasonic mixing.
[0007] In general, ultrasonic technology has been widely used for mixing purposes in the industry.
[0008] US20090168591 discloses an ultrasonic mixing system for mixing particulate including rheology modifiers, sensory enhancers, pigments, lakes, dyes, abrasives, absorbents, anti-caking, anti-acne, anti-dandruff, anti-perspirant, binders, bulking agents, colorants, deodorants, exfoliants, opacifying agents, oral care agents, skin protectants, slip modifiers, suspending agents, warming agents and combinations thereof into formulation in a treatment chamber.
[0009] JP2006045445 discloses an ultrasonic synthesizing unit being used in the manufacturing system of synthetic oil mixed with metal powder.
[0010] CN1343670 discloses a process for synthesizing organo-silicon monomer by direct mixing silicon powder with catalyst powder in liquid phase ultrasonic mixer to uniformly disperse the catalyst powder on the surface of silicon particle.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,309 teaches a continuous ultrasonic flotation unit which permits a mixture to be ultrasonically agitated as it is passed through a small mixing chamber.
[0012] EP2059336 discloses an ultrasonic treatment chamber in a mixing system used to form a liquid solution by mixing together two or more components.
[0013] EP1489667 discloses a method for a backside surface passivation of solar cells comprising a mixing system with stirring and ultrasonic treatment.
[0014] Mixing is a key step during the production of dough based products, which allows for the flour, water, and other ingredients if present, such as salt, chemical leavening agents, and/or yeast to be assimilated thereby forming a. coherent mass. It has been noted that air is also an important ingredient incorporated during mixing as it often goes unmentioned as an ingredient. The presence of air bubbles attribute to the taste sensation and the mouth-feel of food making it important in food assortments. The creation and control of aerated structures in cereal-based food such as bread, cakes and biscuits is the key to mastering the manufacture of these products as they gain their distinctive appeal from their aerated structure. Sonication is the commonly used method for micro-bubble generation besides mechanical agitation to manufacture aerated structures in these cereal based food products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In one aspect the present invention provides a high intensity ultrasonic treatment apparatus for enhancing the mixing of baking material for bread and cakes such as dough or batter. The apparatus of the present invention is integrated with a pre-existing dough or batter mixing apparatus to thus enhance the mixing of said dough or batter by introducing rheological, aeration and textural changes during the mixing process, the apparatus comprising of:
an ultrasonic bath tank which contains a plurality of piezoelectric flange mounted type transducers wherein a predetermined number of transducers are mounted on the outside sides of the tank and on the inside bottom surface of the tank, such that the transducer blocks affixed on the inside bottom surface of the tank are positioned adjacent to one another on opposing sides of the tank structure; a mounting frame assembly that has a fixed bottom frame and a moveable top frame, the frame assembly is used to support the ultrasonic bath tank and thus isolate the tank from the surface of a floor to ensure proper propagation of the generated ultrasonic waves into a target area; a pair of ultrasound generators used to generate high intensity ultrasonic waves of more than 1 KW power levels; and a control panel assembly that contains circuitry to regulate the operation of the pair of ultrasound generators connected to the ultrasonic bath tank via the plurality of piezoelectric flange type ultrasonic transducers.
[0020] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for enhancing the rheological, aeration and textural properties of baking dough and batter. More specifically, the method comprises of treating the dough or batter with high intensity ultrasonic waves by placing the dough or batter within a mixing bowl of a pre-existing mixing apparatus and immersing the bowl in an ultrasonic bath tank that is in direct contact with the generated ultrasonic waves.
[0021] The present invention enhances the rheological property of dough or batter by enabling the viscosity of the dough or batter to be varied according to the intensity of the ultrasonic waves used to treat the dough or batter. The viscosity of the dough or batter depends on the ingredients used in said dough or batter.
[0022] The present invention enhances the aeration of a dough or batter by utilizing high intensity ultrasonic waves to thus ultrasonically induce bubble activity inside a baking dough or batter due to pre-existing gaseous inclusions to thus cause the implosion and formation of bubbles that introduce and further exaggerate aeration within the baking or batter medium.
[0023] The present invention enhances the textural properties of dough or batter by utilizing high intensity ultrasonic waves to cause shrinkage of bubbles to occur due to protein denaturation that is in turn the result of acoustic cavitation. The partially unfolded protein molecules generated from surface protein denaturation associate to form a stabilizing film around the bubbles. The surface of the bubbles present, become denser and hence apparently very rigid resulting in the change of the textural properties of the dough or batter that has been treated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a bath tank used in conjunction with the high intensity ultrasonic treatment apparatus of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mounting frame assembly used to support the bath tank;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a control panel used in the high intensity ultrasonic treatment apparatus of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a high intensity ultrasonic wave/ultrasound generator used in the high intensity ultrasonic treatment apparatus of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the setup of the high intensity ultrasonic treatment apparatus of the present invention; and
[0029] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the steps required to operate the apparatus of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to represent the only forms in which these embodiments may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence for constructing the exemplary embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of this disclosure.
[0031] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 , the apparatus of the high intensity ultrasonic bath 301 for treatment of baking materials such as dough and batter used in the baking of bread and cakes of the present invention will now be described in detail. More particularly FIGS. 1 to 5 will be used to describe the apparatus of afore-mentioned high intensity ultrasonic bath 301 for enhancing the mixing of dough and batter by treatment with high intensity ultrasonic waves whereas FIG. 6 will be used in conjunction with FIGS. 1 to 5 to describe the operation of said high intensity ultrasonic bath 301 .
[0032] The present invention is a high intensity ultrasonic bath 301 for enhancing the mixing of dough and batter by treatment with high intensity ultrasonic waves, that is integrated with a pre-existing dough and batter mixing apparatus 20 , 21 , 22 and 24 to thus enhance the mixing of said dough and batter by introducing rheological, aeration and textural changes during the mixing process comprising of:
an ultrasonic bath tank 101 ; a mounting frame assembly 102 ; a pair of ultrasound/ultrasonic wave generators 104 A, 104 B used to generate high intensity ultrasonic waves of 1.5 KW and 1 KW power levels respectively; and a control panel assembly 103 that contains circuitry to regulate the operation of the pair of ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B connected to the ultrasonic bath tank 101 via the plurality of piezoelectric flange type ultrasonic transducers 1 of the present invention.
[0036] The ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention is a generally rectangular formed tank fabricated from stainless steel 316L. The tank 101 has four sides, three of which are open. The open sides of the tank 101 are rectangular shaped openings that have flanges protruding from all four sides. Each flange of a particular opening has a plurality of perforations that serve to aid in the securing of a flange mount type ultrasonic transducer 1 . Each of the previously mentioned three sides, are respectively connected to three flange mount type ultrasonic transducers 1 . Each flange mount type transducer 1 has the general shape of a rectangular cube with perforated flanges on all four of its sides that are further lined with a rubber lining (for water-proofing purposes). The flanges of the flange mount type transducers 1 and the flanges of the rectangular openings of the ultrasonic bath tank 101 act in cooperation such that, when the ultrasonic flange mount transducers 1 are mounted, the perforations of the open sides of the tank 101 and the perforations of the transducers 1 are in alignment to thus allow the ultrasonic transducers 1 to be secured in place with the aid of appropriate bolts and nuts.
[0037] Two other similar ultrasonic flange mount transducers 1 are mounted on the inside bottom surface of the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention. Each transducer 1 is oriented such they are placed facing down, adjacent to each other by a predetermined distance and are further oriented longitudinally and occupy symmetrically opposing sides of the inside bottom face of the tank 101 .
[0038] Each ultrasonic flange transducer 1 has a power output of 500 Watts and actually consists of a plurality of ceramic piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer elements (not shown) that. are capable of producing oscillations of 25 KHz. Each piezoelectric transducer element comprises of
i.) Piezoelectric ceramics to convert received electrical energy into appropriate mechanical oscillations. ii.) Two electrode plates to receive positive and negative electrical supply iii.) A back plate and front driver plate that act to generate a stable ultrasonic vibration and thus transmit the generated ultrasonic wave to the tank's 101 inside bottom surface and the water that, the tank 101 holds.
[0042] The base of the ultrasonic bath tank 101 has an opening in the front as indicated in FIG. 1 that serves as a provision to mount a temperature probe 3 , such that the temperature probe 3 is oriented longitudinally along the center line of the base of the tank 101 .
[0043] With reference to FIG. 5 , the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention has, an overflow outlet 4 to maintain the water level in the tank 101 to a predetermined level, above which the overflow outlet 4 will come into operation, and divert excess water out of the tank 101 . Apart from the overflow outlet 4 , the tank 101 also has a water inlet valve 19 a and a drain valve 19 b as indicated in FIG. 5 . The water inlet valve 19 a is used to couple via a suitable coupling means to a suitable water supply source to thus fill the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention. The drain valve 19 b on the other-hand is used to drain water from the tank 101 after use.
[0044] With reference to FIGS. 1 , 2 and 5 the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention, is mounted atop a similarly fabricated stainless steel 316L mounting frame assembly 102 . The mounting frame assembly 102 comprises of a lower frame 5 that is fixed in position to a predetermined height level above the ground reference level and a moveable upper frame 6 .
[0045] The height of the lower frame 5 that is fixed in position to a predetermined height level with reference to the ground level, this height level is determined by the length of the leveling stand 9 or length of the of the bolt down bracket 8 . The moveable upper frame 6 incorporates four linear bearings located at the four corners of said upper frame 6 . The combination of the lower frame 5 and moveable upper frame 6 are supported by four column structures that incorporate a frame stopper 7 as depicted by FIG. 2 . The entire mounting frame assembly 102 is provided with four casters to render the tank 101 and mounting frame assembly 102 of the present invention a certain measure of portability. A plurality of hydraulic jacks 10 are placed at the bottom of the mounting frame assembly 102 to enable the lifting of the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention to a predetermined level so as to ensure that the ultrasonic vibration produced by the plurality of flange mounted ultrasonic transducers 1 are not affected by the reflection of waves due to the interface of the tank 101 and the ground. The mounting frame assembly 102 thus serves to provide a measure of physical isolation between the ground level and the tank 101 to ensure that the ultrasonic waves produced by the plurality of ultrasonic flange mounted transducers 1 are not affected by interference.
[0046] The moveable upper frame 6 of the mounting frame assembly 102 of the present invention is adjusted to the height level that the ultrasonic bath tank 101 has been elevated to by the plurality of hydraulic jacks 10 such that the tank's 101 outside bottom surface rests on and is hence supported by the upper face of the moveable upper frame 6 .
[0047] As has been previously mentioned, the mounting frame assembly 102 of the present invention has four leveling stands 9 and four corresponding bolt down brackets 8 . The distribution of the bolt down brackets 8 and the leveling stands 9 are as illustrated in FIG. 2 . The stands 9 serve the purpose of ensuring the ultrasonic bath tank 101 and hence mounting frame assembly 102 is at a zero degree angle with respect to an imaginary line that is perfectly horizontal. The leveling stands 9 can be adjusted by either screwing in the clockwise or anticlockwise direction. The leveling is presumably done with the aid of a water level device. Once the mounting frame assembly 102 and the mounted ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention has been determined to be properly leveled, the bolt down brackets 8 are lowered on to the ground and subsequently secured to the ground by an appropriate means.
[0048] With reference to FIGS. 1 , 3 , 4 and 5 the pair of ultrasonic wave/ ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B of the present invention act to generate appropriate electrical signals i.e. signals with frequencies above 20 KHz, more particularly in a preferable embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic frequencies generated equate to 25 KHz. The electrical signals with the required frequency and power levels for a particular application that are generated by the pair of ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B of the present invention are respectively transmitted with the aid of appropriate RF cables to the flange mount type ultrasonic transducers 1 that are mounted around and inside the ultrasonic bath tank 101 . In a preferable embodiment of the present invention, the electrical signal generated from the ultrasound generator 104 A corresponds to an ultrasonic signal with a power level of 1.5 KW and the electrical signal generated from the ultrasound generator 104 B corresponds to an ultrasonic signal with a power level of 1 KW.
[0049] The electrical power required to drive the electronic circuitry of the ultrasound/ultrasonic wave generators 104 A, 104 B of the present invention are tapped from the control panel 103 . The pair of ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B have built in, electronic control circuitry that ensure the signals generated by the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B are maintained at the desired frequency and power level. The signal generators 104 A, 104 B have disposed on their anterior surfaces an ON/OFF switch 17 and a High/Low power level switch 18 . The ON/OFF switch 17 of the respective ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B serve to enable and disable electrical power supplied via the control panel 103 to the respective generators 104 A, 104 B. The High/Low power level switch 18 serves to permit the selection of two sweep rates. The low level corresponds to, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 80 sweep cycles/second and the high level corresponds to, 1000 sweep cycles/second. The sweep circuitry is a circuitry designed into the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B of the present invention. The variation of the sweep selection causes the signal sent to the flange mount ultrasonic transducers 1 of the present invention to vary slightly in frequency. This variation corresponds to a particular preselected sweep rate. The purpose of varying the sweep cycles/second is to distribute the energy of the irradiated ultrasonic waves radiated from the flange mounted ultrasonic transducers 1 in a uniform manner throughout the ultrasonic bath tank 101 .
[0050] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 , the entire set-up of the ultrasonic bath tank 101 , the mounting frame assembly 102 and the pair of ultrasound generators 104 A and 104 B as described in the preceding paragraphs is controlled from signals generated by the control panel 103 . The control panel 103 has 3 outputs, two of which are connected to the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B. The third output is connected to the temperature probe 3 .
[0051] The control panel 103 has disposed on its anterior face, a temperature control display and setting console 11 , a timer switch 12 , a main power on/off button 13 , a start button 14 , a stop button 15 and a tower light indicator 16 . The temperature control display and setting console 11 provides a means to the operator of the present invention to control the temperature of water inside the ultrasonic bath tank 101 . When the temperature probe 3 registers a temperature inside the ultrasonic bath tank 101 that is at a level above the pre-set set-point, the registered temperature will be electrically fed back to the control panel 103 which then cuts off or reduces the power supplied to the ultrasound/ultrasonic wave generators 104 A, 104 B. The timer switch 12 is presumably a rotary switch with a radial indication of the required duration of operation of the present invention located around the circumference of the switch 12 . The main power on/off button 13 serves to override the start button and stop buttons 14 , 15 . The start button 14 enables the pair of ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B to begin the operation of generating the ultrasonic waves of the required power level to thus render the present invention operational. Conversely the stop button 15 cuts off the power to the pair of ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B to thus render the present invention un-operational. When the temperature probe 3 registers a temperature inside the ultrasonic bath tank 101 that is at a level above the pre-set set-point, the registered temperature will be electrically fed back to the control panel 103 which then cuts off or reduces the power supplied to the ultrasound/ultrasonic wave generators 104 A, 104 B., simultaneously the control panel 103 will actuate the tower light indicator 16 to provide an indication of the over temperature registered to the operator.
[0052] The operation of the entire apparatus of the high intensity ultrasonic bath 301 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 . Initially the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention is placed atop of the moveable upper frame 6 of the mounting frame assembly 102 and is jacked up to a predetermined height level with the aid of a plurality of hydraulic jacks 10 . Once the ultrasonic bath tank 101 has been raised to the predetermined height level, the height of the upper moveable frame 6 with reference to the ground level is adjusted such that the outer bottom surface of the tank 101 rests on the top surface of the upper moveable frame 6 .
[0053] The actions described in the preceding paragraph, correspond to block 201 of FIG. 6 . The subsequent step as embodied in block 202 consist of filing the ultrasonic bath tank 101 of the present invention via the water inlet valve 19 a from an appropriate water source until the water level in the tank 101 is higher than the level at which the ultrasonic transducers 1 are positioned.
[0054] The next step, step 203 consists of positioning a dough or batter mixing apparatus comprising of a mixer 22 with a shaft coupled to a mixing blade 21 and a mixing bowl 20 such that the mixing bowl 20 is immersed in the water filled ultrasonic bath tank 101 as illustrated in FIG. 6 . Subsequently, the dough or batter is loaded into the mixing bowl 20 .
[0055] In step 204 , the power to the mixer is turned on via the mixer on/off 24 switch. Subsequently, power to the control panel is supplied by actuating the mains 23 , the timer switch 12 of the control panel 103 is set to a predetermined duration of time that ultrasonic waves are to be emitted to the dough or batter via the interface of the ultrasonic transducers 1 with the water in the tank 101 and hence to the mixing bowl 20 . The desired power level of the ultrasonic waves to be emitted are preselected with the aid of the High/Low power level switch 18 disposed on the front face of the ultrasonic wave/ ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B.
[0056] The next step 205 , requires, the control panel 103 to be turned on via the main power on/off button 13 and the on/off switch 17 of the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B are turned to the “on” position.
[0057] In step 206 , the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B will proceed to generate electrical signals at ultrasonic frequencies at predetermined power levels to the plurality of ultrasonic piezoelectric transducers 1 that are mounted around and in the ultrasonic bath tank 101 . The transducers 1 will convert these electrical signals to acoustic waves with ultrasonic frequencies, in our case with waves with a frequency of 25 KHz. The ultrasonic waves generated are transmitted to the water contained in the tank 101 and subsequently the energy of the waves are transferred to the walls of the mixing bowl 20 and hence the material i.e., the dough or batter inside the bowl 20 .
[0058] In step 207 , once the preset time for ultrasonic treatment is reached, the control panel 103 cuts off power to the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B and the ultrasonic treatment stops. The control panel 103 also cuts off power to the ultrasound generators 104 A, 104 B in the event of an over-temperature, i.e. a temperature above the preset set point temperature is registered by the temperature probe 3 and feeds this information back to the control panel 103 .
[0059] In step 208 , the mixed batter or dough is removed and sent to the subsequent food processing stage once power to the mixer has been cut off with the aid of mixer on/off switch 24 . In 209 , the mains 23 are switched off and in 210 , the water contained in the tank is drained via the drain valve 19 b.
[0060] The apparatus of the high intensity ultrasonic bath 301 for enhancing the mixing of dough or batter by treatment with high intensity ultrasonic waves, enhances the mixing of baking dough or batter by introducing rheological, aeration and textural changes to the baking dough or batter. More particularly the emission and transmission of high intensity ultrasonic waves to and hence impingement on a dough or predetermined amount of batter that is placed inside a mixing bowl 20 and that is in-turn placed in an ultrasonic bath tank 101 introduces a cavitation effect to the dough or batter. This cavitation effect is the formation, growth and in some cases implosion of micro-bubbles inside liquids. The implosion of bubbles leads to energy accumulations in hot spots where temperatures and pressure are high. The treatment of a particular medium such as baking dough or cake batter and the likes to ultrasonic waves of a predetermined intensity, can lead to the breaking up of molecules due to the cavitation effect, the generation of free radicals by water sonolysis and shear forces created by micro-streaming and shockwaves. These effects in turn lead to a change of viscosity of the liquid medium treated by the ultrasonic waves. Thus the dough or batter placed in the mixing bowl 20 and subsequently placed, in the ultrasonic bath tank 101 and consequently treated with high intensity ultrasonic waves will experience rheological changes, more particularly its viscosity will change.
[0061] In addition to the above, ultrasonically induced bubble activity inside the medium being treated with ultrasound, (i.e. acoustic cavitation) that contains pre-existing gaseous inclusions also provides aeration changes to the treated medium. More particularly, when the ultrasonic wave's amplitude increases and exceeds a certain level as it transits through the treated medium, the magnitude of the negative pressure in the areas of rarefaction will eventually become sufficient to cause the liquid to fracture and this thus leads to the formation of bubbles. During the negative pressure portion of the ultrasonic wave the previously formed bubbles will grow rapidly and thus enlarging the vacuum inside the bubbles. The bubbles will start to shrink under surface tension when the negative pressure is reduced and the atmospheric pressure is reached. Hence during ultrasonic treatment of a particular medium, the implosion and formation of bubbles will introduce and further exaggerate aeration within the medium. Thus the dough or batter placed in the mixing bowl 20 and subsequently placed in the ultrasonic bath tank 101 and consequently treated with high intensity ultrasonic waves will have a greater degree of aeration.
[0062] In addition, the treatment by ultrasonic waves of certain food material like bread dough for instance improves the textural properties of the final baked product. Research suggests that foams present in foamed food products give, a considerable positive taste sensation and mouth-feel.
[0063] More particularly when an aerated food medium is treated with ultrasonic waves, the shrinkage of bubbles occur due to protein denaturation that is in turn the result of acoustic cavitation. The partially unfolded molecules generated from protein surface denaturation associate to form a stabilizing film around the bubbles. The surface of the bubbles present become denser and hence apparently very rigid resulting in the change of aeration and textural properties of the medium treated. Thus the dough or batter placed in the mixing bowl 20 , wherein the combination of the dough or batter and mixing bowl 20 is subsequently placed in the ultrasonic bath tank 101 and consequently treated with high intensity ultrasonic waves will result in said dough or batter having better textural properties.
[0064] Hence, when baking materials such as dough or batter is treated with ultrasonic waves,
1.) Its viscosity can either increase or decrease depending on the intensity of the ultrasonic waves it is treated with, wherein the acoustic cavitation cause localized hot spots, the production of free radicals through water sonolysis and shear forces created by micro-streaming and shock waves, break up molecules in the baking dough and batter. This thus introduces rheological changes to the baking dough or batter that is treated with ultrasonic waves. 2.) The dough or batter will have better aeration through the formation and implosion of bubbles due to the ultrasonic cavitation effect. 3.) The dough or batter will have better textural properties due to protein denaturation resulting from ultrasonic cavitation, wherein the partially unfolded protein molecules will form a stabilizing film around the bubbles present in the baking dough or cake batter ensuring the surface to be denser and more rigid.
[0068] Thus in the high intensity ultrasonic mixing system of the present invention, the rheological, aeration and textural properties of baking materials such as dough or batter placed in a mixing bowl 20 that is in turn placed in the ultrasonic bath tank 101 and treated with high intensity ultrasonic waves, is improved.
EXAMPLE
[0069] By way of example, now will be described a comparative test between a conventional mixing and mixing enhanced by the use high intensity ultrasonic waves as disclosed in the present invention, with two types of aerated products. The formulations used in test samples for baking dough and cake batter are as tabulated in Table 1.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Dough
Batter
Ingredient
Baker %
Mass (g)
Baker %
Mass (g)
Flour
100
1500
100
450
Sugar
6
90
130
585
Salt
1.5
22.5
0.85
3.9
Water
63
945
55
247.4
Yeast
1.5
22.5
162.5
731.2
Shortening
5
75
162.5
731.2
Baking powder
8
36
Emulsifier
9.2
41.4
Whole eggs
162.5
731.2
Corn starch
75
337.4
Total
2655.0
2432.3
[0070] Results for dough-properties were found prominently positive when mixed at 2.5 kW for the entire mixing duration of 40 minutes. Ultrasound exposure produced dough with lower dynamic density and consequently bread with lower density (14%) and firmness (32%). The duration of treatment to high intensity ultrasonic waves affected bread density more significantly while the ultrasonic power affected bread firmness more significantly.
[0071] Results for batter and cake properties were found prominently positive when mixed at 2.5 kW for the entire mixing duration of 9 minutes. Ultrasound exposure produced cake batter of lower density (2%) and flow behavior index, higher viscosity, overrun, and consistency index; resulting in cakes with higher springiness, cohesiveness and resilience in addition to lower hardness (12%).
[0072] The use of high intensity ultrasonic waves to treat the cake batter food specimen, resulted in the marked improvement of the properties of the resulting cake produced by the treated batter. It was observed that the duration of treatment is critical to creating positive changes and effects in the properties of cake batter.
|
The present invention discloses a high intensity ultrasonic treatment method and apparatus that is used in conjunction with an existing commercial dough or batter mixer to enhance the rheological, aeration and textural properties of the dough or batter. This change in properties is a result of the phenomenon of acoustic cavitation induced in the dough or batter by treatment with high intensity ultrasonic waves. The present invention discloses a mixing bowl ( 20 ) of an existing mixer system that is preloaded with dough or batter, the bowl ( 20 ) is located at the center of an ultrasonic bath tank ( 101 ) filled with a working fluid. The effect of ultra-sonic waves with power levels above 1 kW can be observed over the entire or partial mixing period of the dough or batter. The ultra-sonic waves of the present invention are generated by a plurality of ultrasonic wave generators ( 104 A, 104 B) and piezoelectric transducers ( 1 ) mounted on a stainless steel tank ( 101 ). The electrical energy received in each transducer ( 1 ) will be converted into appropriate mechanical expansion and contractions in the piezoelectric ceramics of the transducer ( 1 ) thus leading to pressure waves being transmitted to the dough or batter to be mixed. The generation and transmission of high intensity ultrasonic waves to the dough or batter affects its rheological, aeration and textural properties.
| 0
|
This invention relates to an athletic shoe and more particularly to a golf shoe having spikes carried by a support plate which is pivoted to the shoe sole in such manner as to enable the support plate to rotate relative to the shoe about an axis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional golf shoe has a foot-accommodating upper and a sole and heel secured to the upper. Both the sole and the heel carry spikes which become embedded in the ground when the shoe is worn so as to minimize the shoe's slipping whenever the wearer walks or executes a golf stroke. The restraint against slipping or other movement of the shoe relative to the ground is advantageous when the wearer is walking, but restraining movement of the golfer's foot in the execution of a golf stroke is not believed to be conducive to executing the most efficient and powerful stroke.
Historically movement of a golfer's feet, other than lifting of the heel closer to the target area, during the execution of a golf stroke has been considered undesirable. However, keeping golfer's feet fixed as the arms, torso, and legs rotate imposes strains on the golfer's ankles, knees, hips, back, and shoulders which not only cause discomfort, but also risk injury over prolonged periods of time. In addition, preventing rotation of the golfer's feet relative to the ground during the execution of a golf stroke imposes limitations on the extent to which other parts of the golfer's body may turn or rotate, as well as on the freedom with which such other parts of the body may turn.
A shoe constructed in accordance with the invention provides for non-slip engagement between a golfer's shoe and the ground, but enables the shoe to rotate relatively to the ground, thereby avoiding the imposition of restraining forces on the player's body during the execution of a golf stroke.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A golf shoe constructed in accordance with the invention comprises an upper secured to a sole or bottom having a forward end, a rearward end, and an intermediate portion joining the two ends. Mounted on the forward end of the sole for rotation about a vertical axis is a spike support plate having spikes which are adapted to be embedded in the ground in the conventional manner. Supported at the rearward end of the sole is a heel. Neither the heel nor the intermediate portion of the shoe sole has any spikes. The rockable spike-supporting plate is yieldably biased by one or more springs to a neutral position from which the plate is movable during the execution of a golf stroke and to which the plate is returned by the biasing springs following completion of the golf stroke and walking of the golfer.
THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a golf shoe constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view, with parts broken away, of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a modified embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A shoe constructed in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is designated generally by the reference character 1 and comprises a foot-accommodating upper 2 which is secured in a conventional manner to a shoe sole 3. The sole has a forward portion 4 for supporting the ball of a person's foot and a heel 5 at the rearward end for supporting a person's heel. An intermediate portion 6 extends between the forward end of the sole and the heel for supporting the arch of a person's foot.
Secured in any convenient and suitable manner to the forward portion of the sole 3 is an anchor plate 7 formed of metal or other suitable material. The plate 7 has a plurality of sockets in each of which is accommodated a ball or other appropriate bearing 8.
The anchor plate 7 has secured thereto a downwardly extending coupling or pivot post 9. Journaled on the post 9 for rotation about the axis thereof is a spike-support 10 comprising a plate 11 formed of metal or other suitable material and coupled to the post by means of a washer 12 and a screw 13. The plate 11 bears against the bearings 8 to ensure nonbinding rotation of the plate. The plate is not circular, but instead is parabolic at its forward end to conform substantially to the shape of the corresponding end of the sole.
The plate 11 carries a plurality of conventional golf spikes 14 which extend downwardly from the plate 11. The spikes 14 are spaced circumferentially from one another and radially from the axis of the coupling post 9 so as to provide a secure, non-slip engagement between the spikes and the ground. The arrangement of the spikes on the plate 11 is not symmetrical relative to the axis of the post 9, but rather is substantially parabolic so as to provide adequate resistance to relative rotation between the plate 11 and the ground.
Since the support plate 11 is not circular, rotation of the plate 11 in one direction or the other from the position shown in FIG. 2 will cause the forward and rear edges of the plate to extend beyond the confines of the sole 3. If the forward and rearward ends of the plate were permitted to extend beyond the sides of the sole when the wearer of the shoe is walking, the projecting ends of the plate could create interference. Further, permitting the ends of the support plate 11 to overhang the shoe sole perhaps would preclude the spikes' being located in the preferred position as the golfer addresses a ball in the preparation of executing a stroke.
Accordingly, biasing means 15 is provided for constantly biasing the spike-supporting plate 11 to a selected or neutral position and for returning such plate to that position after the plate has been rotated in either of two opposite directions from such position. The biasing means comprises a pair of parallel, spaced apart tension springs 16 the forward end 17 of each of which is formed as a hook and is accommodated in a loop 18 at one end of a connector 19, the other end 20 of which extends through an opening in the rearward end of the plate 11. The opposite end 21 of each spring 16 is connected to one end of a turnbuckle 22, the opposite end 23 of which is anchored in the heel 5 to a post 23a, although the posts 23 obviously could be secured in the intermediate portion 6 of the sole, if desired. The turnbuckles enable the applicable force of the springs to be adjusted.
To provide protection for the biasing means 15 a cover or shield 24 which overlies the major portions of the springs 16 and their associated parts and is secured to the shoe sole portion 6 by suitable screws 25.
The heel 5 is not provided with spikes, and the forward end of the heel is rounded or sloped to merge smoothly with the sole portion 6, thereby facilitating movement of the shoe and the wearer's foot relative to the ground when the wearer executes a golf stroke.
If desired, a groove 27 may be provided transversely of the sole portion 4 and rearwardly of the plate 11. The groove is open at the bottom of the sole and at each of its ends. The ends of the groove may be covered by an elastic material 28, such as Spandex, of known kind for aesthetic purposes. The presence of the groove 27 facilitates a golfer's walking while wearing the shoe.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 corresponds in most respects to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so corresponding parts are identified by corresponding reference characters. The principal difference between the two embodiments is that, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the biasing means 15 comprises a single spring 16 which is centrally located between the sides of the intermediate sole portion 6. The spike-supporting plate 11 has a centrally located, rearwardly extending tongue 29 to which the forward end 20 of the coupling member 19 of the spring is joined. The single spring 16 of the FIG. 2 embodiment functions in the same manner as the two springs in the earlier described embodiment.
In use, a golfer wearing a pair of shoes like either of those disclosed herein will take his or her stance in the usual manner preparatory to executing a golf swing. In this position of the golfer, the spike-supporting plate 11 will occupy the position shown in FIG. 2 or 3, i.e., the neutral or initial position, in which the plate 11 is wholly within the confines of the sole.
As the golfer commences the execution of a golf stroke, the club will be moved rearwardly of the ball and the arms, shoulders, torso, hips, and legs of the golfer will rock or rotate with respect to the ground. The spike-supporting plate 11 and the spikes supported thereby will remain fixed with respect to the ground throughout the golf stroke while the shoes' uppers, soles, and heels rotate with the player's feet and legs.
Although the position of the spikes and plates 11 relative to the ground will remain unchanged during the execution of the stroke, the entire body of the golfer, including the feet, may take part in the movement of the back swing, as well as in the movement of the down swing and the followthrough. Thus, nothing constrains rotation of the golfer's body relative to the ground during any part of the golf stroke. Consequently, the golfer's body is not subjected to strains caused by restraints on free movement. When the golfer lifts his feet so that the spikes 14 are clear of the ground, the plate 11 will be returned to its neutral position by the spring or springs.
The disclosed embodiments are representative of presently preferred forms of the invention, but are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.
|
A golfer's shoe having a spike-supporting plate pivoted to the shoe sole for rotation about an axis. The plate is biased to a neutral position by yieldable springs which enable relative rotation in each of two opposite directions between the spikes and the shoe sole and return the spikes to the neutral position following completion of the golf stroke.
| 0
|
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/680,937, filed on Aug. 8, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of Invention
[0003] The present arrangement relates to a method for analyzing pressure or temperature indicating films, paper or other media herein after referred to as “indicating materials.” More particularly, the invention provides a system and method for producing an enhanced image of an indicating material and offers interpretation of the results using a handheld portable device with a camera.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Indicating materials are used in various industries in order to measure either temperature or pressure between two contacting surfaces, with the indicating material registering the temperature or pressure results as a color image. Such indicating materials may be difficult to interpret particularly for lesser skilled or experienced workers. As a typical example indicating materials often function by expression of a variety of color densities within a single color, such as magenta, where higher pressures are indicated by darker magenta tones and lighter pressures are indicated by lighter magenta tones. The color density on some indicating materials is correlated to the level of pressure applied and is thus quantifiable by measuring such color density. In such images it is difficult with the naked eye to judge where one color density transitions into another, even with the assistance of a visual color density correlation chart. Thus even experienced users have difficulty in effectively determining what might be minor variations in color intensities exhibited by these indicating materials, and require analysis by optical imaging equipment for better results.
[0006] Currently, there is no handheld or photographic type camera system that exists that can perform on-sight and instant analysis of such indicating materials. In order to do this type of analysis in the prior art, the user had to rely on an expensive computer-based software system and an optical image scanner. Alternatively, the user is often required to send the indicating materials out for analysis by a 3 rd party. Going this route can add days to obtain interpretation of the results revealed by the indicating materials.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY
[0007] The present arrangement offers the user many advantages such as portability, ease of use, benefit from the low cost and ubiquity of handheld devices with built in cameras, and nearly instantaneous analysis for the customer using the indicating materials. For example, the present arrangement relates to a method to analyze the results from using indicating materials that provides an enhanced image and offers interpretation of the results using a handheld portable device with a camera. Such a system enables users of such indicating materials to get interpreted results onsite and nearly instantaneously. The method allows ease of sharing the information with others almost instantaneously. Previously, this type of analysis was performed off-site with specialized equipment or by actually purchasing this specialized equipment. The present arrangement is useful to engineers and scientists and technicians to enable them to quickly and inexpensively reveal contact pressure or temperature distribution and potential magnitude of such between two contacting surfaces as captured by the indicating materials.
[0008] The present arrangement may be implemented in the form of a software product that runs on a handheld device containing a camera, such as those that come with most cell phones and other handheld devices, to focus upon and capture an image of pressure or temperature distribution that is revealed by various types of indicating materials (for example Fujifilm Prescale™ or Pressurex Micro Green™, or Thermex™).
[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, the system enables users of such indicating materials to get interpreted results onsite and nearly instantaneously. The method allows ease of sharing the information with others almost instantaneously as the results may be generated on a communication device in the first place. Previously, as noted above when describing the prior art, this type of analysis was performed offsite with special equipment. The invention is useful to engineers, technicians and scientists to extract information from indicating materials that allows for the quick, inexpensive and easy interpretation and revelation of contact pressure distribution between two surfaces.
[0010] In one embodiment, the system and method may be implemented in the form of software installed onto a handheld device. The software interacts with the device's camera, flash, and accelerometer and gyroscopic or other orientation systems to allow optimal photographing of indicating materials. Use of the accelerometer and/or other gyroscopic and orientation sensors in conjunction with a color calibration target element placed to the side of the scanned image allows the user to take a well aligned (planar to the photographed surface) and well focused image. The better aligned and better focused the captured image, the higher the quality, accuracy, and reliability of the final rendering. The software overrides the device's flash function to ensure it does not fire. Optimal imagery is obtained by virtue of controlling the lighting, image distance, image planarity and image focus. Further, optimal imagery is enhanced by inclusion of a calibration target which contains color swatches in the photo with known parameters encoded in the software that allow the software to adjust and modify the image to achieve quantifiable readings of pressure level.
[0011] Once the image is captured the calibration target that contains dimensional as well as colorimetric data allows for the software to impose dimensional markings, such as a ruler type image, upon the resultant image. The system identifies contrast between a background contrast sheet, which in one preferred embodiment is bright white (brightness above 85), and is able to perform edge detection and crop out the image from the background. Then, the present arrangement generates a pseudo colored image selected by the user's choice of several “false” color spectrums, to the monochromatic image, rendering a fully colored image of pressure or temperature distribution in a wide range of colors that makes it easier to see pressure or temperature variation than the unaided eye. The user has the option to render these pseudo color images or maps with a variety of different close spectrums (rainbow, fire, etc. . . . ) The enhanced colors make it easier for the user of the indicating materials to interpret the pressure or temperature distribution made visible by the film.
[0012] Photographic interpretation varies from device to device depending upon a variety of factors such as age of the device, resolution, CCD quality, clarity and quality of the lens, cleanliness of the lens, etc. Without the techniques applied that are presented in this patent the value of a simple photographed image would he close to worthless for any form of real scientific assessment.
[0013] As such, it is a first object of the invention to provide a method for analyzing pressure or temperature distribution revealed by indicating materials that uses a handheld device containing a camera and provides enhanced images and a technical interpretation report to the user. The present arrangement as described herein, including the calibration target, uses the accelerometer and gyroscope, contrast sheet, color swatches on calibration target etc. . . . , allowing a handheld or portable device to produce useful interpretable images for interpretation by the user of the pressure and/or temperature indicating materials.
[0014] It is another object of the invention to provide the user the ability to capture the image appropriately, provide an enhanced colorized image, and provide useful statistics about the image that aids interpretation of the results revealed by the indicating materials.
[0015] It is another object of the invention to provide instantaneous or near instantaneous image analysis in a handheld device that allows sharing of the results through wireless or connected devices and modes of communication such as entails, text-picture messages, or standard printed reports.
[0016] It is another object of the invention to provide for the use of a high contrast background sheet and a colored calibration target possibly placed on or printed on the background sheet. Such background contrast sheet and calibration target together aid in the determination of the physical dimensions, planarity, focus, pressure or temperature magnitude, precise color level and edge detection of the image photographed.
[0017] is an object of the invention to use this information to provide any necessary corrections for any environmental or light condition interference introduced during the collection of the image of the indicating materials.
[0018] It is another object of the invention to provide edge detection, established for the purpose of cropping the actual indicating materials image from the background sheet.
[0019] It is another object of the invention to provide a colored calibration target element. The characteristics of this element (e.g. color density and color space characteristics and dimensional size and shape and focus bars) are pre-programmed into the software or programmed by the user from a code written on the colored calibration target. By knowing the colored calibration target's color characteristics in advance, the system has the ability to adjust the image's color and therefore allow for magnitude of temperature or pressure determination of the images generated from the indicating materials. By knowing the colored calibration target's dimensions and line widths the software can determine the image's dimensions as well as whether the image is properly focused.
[0020] It is another object of the invention to provide a hand held image analysis and enhancement for onsite analysis of pressure and temperature distribution and instantaneous analysis.
[0021] To this end, the present arrangement provides a system for analyzing pressure and/or temperature indicating material having an input for receiving a monochrome color density image captured from a pressure and/or temperature indicating material, the image being captured alongside a calibration target against a contrast sheet. A processing module is configured to receive the captured image of the indicating material and the calibration target and to generate a pseudo colored spectrum map by converting the monochrome color density image into a corresponding multi color map where the different colors on the map correspond to different color densities on the monochrome color density image. The processing module is configured to compare the captured colored calibration target against a stored reference image and to adjust the output pseudo colored spectrum map to account for environmental factors that are present during the capture of the monochrome color density image.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0023] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary schematic of a hand held device for use in implementing the present system and method;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the salient features of the present method;
[0025] FIGS. 3-5 are images of an exemplary hand held device for use in implementing the present system and method;
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a colored calibration target allowing for dimensional markings; and
[0027] FIG. 7 shows a hand held image analysis for pressure and temperature distribution.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] The present arrangement as shown for example in FIG. 1 includes a portable electronic device 10 . Such device may be any form of portable/handheld electronic device, such a tablet computer, lap top, etc., but is preferably a mobile/smart phone device. Such device 10 has a processor 12 , a display 14 , a memory 16 and a camera 18 as well as other feature such as an accelerometer and gyroscope, for implementing the features of the present invention. For the purpose of illustrating the salient features of the invention, the present arrangement is discussed in terms of a mobile/smart phone hardware device implementing the method of analysis via a software/application loaded on device 10 . However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The present arrangement, implemented in other manners and on other similarly capable devices, is within the contemplation of the present invention.
[0029] In one arrangement an operating application or software is installed in memory 16 and processor 12 of device 10 . Turning to the implementation of the present system and method, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for the process of analyzing pressure and/or temperature sensitive films and FIGS. 3-5 illustrate various accompanying images to accompany the explanation of such process.
[0030] At step 100 , as shown in FIG. 3 , a user begins by generating an image 202 on a pressure and/or temperature indicating film 200 according to the ordinary procedures for such image capture. As noted above, the term “indicating materials” 200 is used generically for pressure and/or temperature indicating films through this specification. Exemplary image 202 on indicating material 200 in FIG. 3 is a pressure image of a gasket head of an engine cylinder head (1/2). The image has several unexposed (zero pressure) areas 203 with the remainder of image 202 being a monochromatic color in varying color densities, representing higher (darker and lower (lighter) pressures. As noted above, such raw images 202 on indicating material 200 , although accurately representing variations in pressure, the monochromatic colors make it difficult to pinpoint pressure changes (pressure change/color change lines) with the naked eye.
[0031] in the next step 102 , also shown in FIG. 3 , the user places indicating material 200 onto a backing or contrast sheet 300 having a calibration target/reference image 302 thereon. This may be done by a hook or other attachment means. Ideally, contrast sheet 300 is pure white in color so that it is possible to get good image delineation against the background. Calibration target 302 is both a size and color scale image that is used by the present arrangement to judge the size of image 202 (by reference) as well as to adjust for background lighting. For the purposes of illustration contrast sheet is an independent white paper with calibration target 302 printed thereon. However, it is understood that other arrangements may be used. For example if available to the user a plain white surface or white wall may be used in lieu of contrast sheet 300 and an independent calibration target 302 can simply be placed on such plain white surface.
[0032] Returning to the function of calibration target 302 , in one embodiment, calibration target 302 is a circle of two inches in diameter. When an indicating material 200 with image 202 is placed next to it, it is easy to determine how large image 202 is by simple comparison. Regarding coloring, calibration target 302 is in the same monochrome color scale as indicating material 200 , so if for example indicating material 200 uses a magenta scale, the calibration target 302 is also in the same magenta scale. Calibration target 302 may scale from white/light at the center to dark magenta at the outer edge to show a color density scale reference image. It is contemplated that contrast sheet 300 and calibration target 302 are provided to the user with indicating material 200 so that the colors match. Thus, if a different color indicating material 200 is used, it will likewise be accompanied by a contrast sheet 300 and calibration target 302 of a corresponding color.
[0033] At the next step 104 , shown in FIG. 3 , the user uses camera 18 of device 10 to collect an electronic copy 400 of image 202 from indicating material 200 . As shown in FIG. 3 , film 200 is hung on contrast sheet 300 next to calibration target 302 , such that both image 202 and calibration target 302 are captured in the electronic image 400 . As an additional feature, once image 202 is captured, the present arrangement may allow for dimensional markings 602 (a ruler type image) to be placed upon image 202 as illustrated in FIG. 6 which may be utilized in further analysis as discussed in more detail below.
[0034] Although the present arrangement, such as the image capture and analysis software stored in memory 16 and processor 12 , includes color analysis material that is capable of reading the different color densities on the monochromatic image 202 , because the image is being captured using camera 18 on device 10 , there are environmental factors such as room lighting which can affect the colors captured in image 400 . By capturing calibration target 302 at the same time and in the same light and conditions as image 202 , image 400 captured on device 10 is not only referenced by color but it is also captured under the same conditions as the calibration target.
[0035] As noted above in the summary, device 10 in the case of being a smart-phone or otherwise being outfitted with an accelerometer, is ideally configured to capture the angle of the device relative to perpendicular so that any variations between the indicating material 200 and contrast sheet 300 /calibration target 302 can be adjusted for if required. This may be done in either a vertical wall mount configuration or alternatively in a horizontal desktop arrangement. To this end, device 10 is preferably provided with a leveling functionality using the accelerometer and gyroscope to make sure that device 10 is parallel to image 202 so as to avoid any skewing of the results during the image capture. An exemplary leveling function image 702 may be displayed on display 14 of device 10 to assist the user in this respect as depicted in FIG. 7 .
[0036] In another embodiment, the present system may indicate to the user whether calibration target 302 and film image 202 are in focus and may allow for detection and correction of shadows and wrinkles. The system may also let the user know when they are too close or too far from calibration target 302 using distance scanning algorithms. The software will automatically disable the flash feature if it exists in camera 18 .
[0037] At step 104 , colored calibration target 202 appears on display 14 of device 10 . Colored calibration target 302 is advantageously affixed onto a contrast sheet 300 of pure white coloration (e.g. brightness of 100 or higher). Contrast sheet 300 easily allows for the cropping of image 202 from background 106 , focus integrity, dimensional determination (determine length and width of the object if it's square) and parallelism of camera 18 to the surface of calibration target 302 . Contrast sheet 300 may additionally contain a hook 306 so as to allow it's fixture to a wall or other vertical surface allowing photos to be taken of the pressure or temperature from a hanging position upon the wall.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4 , once the pressure or temperature film is captured as image 400 by camera 18 , at step 106 , a false color or pseudo-color map 402 is generated by processor 12 . This pseudo color spectrum map 402 , rather than being in the monochrome color of image 202 , converts the monochrome color density image 202 into a multi-color map 402 where different colors are assigned to different color densities from image 202 . For example, in the present example if image 202 is a monochrome color density image using magenta, then pseudo-color map 402 generated by processor 12 will have the same dimensions but instead of using one color will re-represent darker color dense regions of image 202 as purple/violet colors on map 402 with lighter color dense regions of image 202 re-represented on map 402 as red color, with the inbetween color densities of image 202 represented using the various colors of the visible spectrum (red-orange-yellow-green-blue-violet) for the mid range color densities of image 202 .
[0039] It is noted that the user can select which color spectrum is used for map 402 . For example, instead of spreading a single color from image 202 into a wide ranging pseudo-color map 402 , pseudo-color map 402 may instead simply be a two color or three color image, depending on the clarity and desire of the user.
[0040] When the color spectrum for map 402 is chosen, the new color assigned to each optical density level of the original image 202 exaggerates the differences between the highest and lowest pressures or temperatures of image 202 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the present arrangement additionally exhibits a color bar 404 to the right side of the colorized image that explains the range of pressure or temperature exhibited in color map 402 . To the left of color map 402 , a ruler scale 406 shows the physical dimensions of image 202 and so that features within image 202 can be properly referenced using map 402 .
[0041] As noted above, and shown in FIG. 4 , the present arrangement can analyze the size of the object from image 202 using a comparison to the color calibration target 302 , and can provide analytical information about the total area (e.g. in 2 ); % area in regions of maximum pressure or temperature and % white area (not exposed), which are regions of temperature or pressure below a set threshold. Thus the present arrangement is configured to determine pressure magnitude by interpretation of the color intensity of image 202 and to generate a corresponding color spread map 402 that is capable of being more easily interpreted using the naked eye. The present arrangement includes a zoom feature allowing a tap upon display 14 to focus and expand a particular area of map 402 .
[0042] In one arrangement as shown in FIG. 5 , pseudo-colored image map 402 since it is captured in a wireless device 10 can be easily transmitted via Bluetooth, wifi, through the internet/cloud or other wireless means to a portable or stationary printer for easy evaluation as a paper copy would necessarily be larger than map 402 viewable on display 14 of device 10 . The stored map 402 and its associated statistics can additionally be stored as a PDF and sent via email. Alternatively, map 402 can be uploaded from the cell phone to a computer and shared via email or to a connected printer.
[0043] While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore, to be understood that this application is intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.
|
A system for analyzing pressure and/or temperature indicating material has an input for receiving a monochrome color density image captured from a pressure and/or temperature indicating material, the image being captured alongside a calibration target against a contrast sheet. A processing module is configured to receive the captured image of the indicating material and the calibration target and to generate a pseudo colored spectrum map by converting the monochrome color density image into a corresponding multi color map where the different colors on the map correspond to different color densities on the monochrome color density image. The processing module is configured to compare the captured colored calibration target against a stored reference image and to adjust the output pseudo colored spectrum map to account for environmental factors that are present during the capture of the monochrome color density image.
| 6
|
CROSS-REFERENCE
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/081,546, filed Nov. 18, 2014, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Existing articulated toy robots are typically made of solid wood blocks that allow for a limited number of configurations. When standing on both feet, these articulated toy robots cannot change height. Their blocky appendages do not have gripping capability, nor do they offer a variety of tactile experiences. Moreover, these previously described articulated toys do not have elements of surprise or accessories that enhance a child's play.
SUMMARY
Disclosed is an articulatable toy that can be arranged in a multitude of configurations in and outside of a frame. The articulatable toy can be a robot in form factor. The toy can stand on both feet, tall or short. It has joints that twist and pop into place. It has gripping appendages that can interconnect, grip its frame and other accessories. The present toy also has shapes that enhance tactility, a secret cavity that adds an element of surprise and a unique robot identification number.
The articulable toy can be made from a myriad of materials and have component parts of a wide variety of shapes. For example, wood forms and gear-like shapes held in tension with an elastic cable (or cord) passing through slots, apertures, and cavities. It should be noted that the shapes may also be made from plastic, resin, cardboard, stone, metal, fabric, leather or other suitable materials. A large number of shapes can be interconnected by the elastic components to achieve a wide variety of final configurations. Depending on the material used, the shapes may be painted, waxed, stained, dyed, printed or clear coated. The present components can primarily be disks and gears, but may also be a variety of other tactile shapes without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Joints, such as pop-up elbows and knees, allows for the lengthening and shortening of the toy in a standing or sitting position. Gripping hands and feet allow for additional configurations in and outside its frame, on or off the building accessories.
A secret cavity with one or more hidden hearts can be provided which adds an element of discovery. Other shapes, including shapes inspired by anatomy, can be used as well. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there may be more than one secret cavity.
As disclosed, the pop-up joint has a disk shape with two slots or notches an opposing sides and a through-hole or aperture in communication between the two slots. An elastic cable is passed through the aperture to connect the joint to one or more other elements. Thus, for example, a limb having an elastic cable passing through multiple components keeps the elements of the limb in a state of tension. When pulling on the last appendage of a limb, the joint automatically pops-up in a twisting fashion extending the overall length of the limb from the thickness of the joint element to the diameter of the joint element.
The gripping appendage is designed with a slot that allows for lengthening/shortening and a slot that allows for gripping.
This configuration permits all of the elements of the limbs to move in all directions: lateral and circular as well as shortening, lengthening and gripping. The design of the articulated toy is not limited to a robot. It may include other articulated toys such as a dog, companion and other robot family members, robot friends or enemies.
An aspect of the disclosure is directed to a kit for an articulatable toy. Suitable kits comprise: a primary block having a primary block aperture passing therethrough along an axis; a secondary block having a secondary block aperture passing at least partially therethrough along an axis, a primary channel formed through a portion of the secondary block, and at secondary channel formed through a portion of the secondary block in perpendicular communication with the primary channel; four or more spacers having an aperture passing therethrough along an axis; one or more mid-spacer elements having a first mid-spacer element notch and a second mid-spacer element notch formed along an axis and having an aperture therethrough from the first mid-spacer element notch to the second mid-spacer element notch; and a cable. The channels are formed on an exterior surface of the block. Kits can additionally comprise an end component having a first end component notch and a second end component notch formed perpendicularly to the first end component notch and an aperture therethrough from the first end component notch to the second end component notch. The end component can further have a rounded end and a flat end. Additionally, the kit can include one or more ornamental feature elements configurable to engage a surface of the primary block or the secondary block. Ornamental feature elements can have a shape selected from semi-circular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, rectangular, and gear shaped. Other organic shapes, such as amoeba-like or sponge-like, can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the ornamental feature elements can be configurable to engage a detent on a surface of the primary block or the secondary block. One or more secondary spacers can be included in the kit, wherein the secondary spacers have a diameter that is larger or smaller than a diameter of the four or more spacers. In some configurations, the primary block has a shape selected from semi-circular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, and rectangular, and the secondary block can have a shape selected from semi-circular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, and rectangular. Primary and secondary blocks can have similar shapes without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The secondary block can further have two or more additional primary channels formed through a portion of the block which are not in communication with another primary channel, and at two or more secondary channels formed through a portion of the block not in communication with another secondary channel and each in perpendicular communication with one of the additional primary channels. One or more frames and bases can also be included. Additionally, one or more planar shapes can be provided, such as planar shapes in the form of a building, a rocket, or other structure.
Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to an articulatable toy. Suitable articulatable toys comprise: a primary block having an aperture passing therethrough along an axis; a secondary block having a secondary block aperture passing at least partially therethrough along an axis, a primary channel formed through a portion of the secondary block, and at secondary channel formed through a portion of the secondary block in perpendicular communication with the primary channel; four or more spacers having an aperture passing therethrough along an axis; one or more mid-spacer elements having a first mid-spacer element notch and a second mid-spacer element notch formed along an axis and having an aperture therethrough from the first mid-spacer element notch to the second mid-spacer element notch; and a cable passing through an aperture of at least the primary block, the secondary block, the four or more spacers and at least one mid-spacer. Additionally, an end component can be provided which has a first end component notch and a second end component notch formed perpendicularly to the first end component notch and an aperture therethrough from the first end component notch to the second end component notch. The channels can be formed on an exterior surface of the block. The end component can have a rounded end and a flat end. One or more ornamental feature elements can also be provided which are configurable to engage a surface of the primary block or the secondary block. The ornamental feature elements can have a variety of shapes including, semi-circular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, rectangular, and gear shaped. Other organic shapes, such as amoeba-like or sponge-like, can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the ornamental feature elements are configurable to engage a detent on a surface of the primary block or the secondary block. Additionally, one or more secondary spacers, wherein the secondary spacers have a diameter that is larger or smaller than a diameter of the four or more spacers. The primary block can also have a shape selected from semi-circular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, and rectangular, and the secondary block can have a shape selected from semi-circular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, and rectangular. The secondary block can have two or more additional primary channels formed through a portion of the block which are not in communication with another primary channel, and at two or more secondary channels formed through a portion of the block not in communication with another secondary channel and each in perpendicular communication with one of the additional primary channels.
Still another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a method of making an articulatable toy. Suitable methods comprise: tying a knot at a first end of a cable; passing the cable through an aperture of a primary block having an axial aperture therethrough; passing the cable through an aperture of a secondary block having a primary channel formed through a portion of the block, and at secondary channel formed through a portion of the block in perpendicular communication with the primary channel; passing the cable through an aperture of a four or more spacers having an aperture passing therethrough along an axis; passing the cable through an aperture of a one or more mid-spacer elements having a first mid-spacer element notch and a second mid-spacer element notch formed along an axis and having an aperture therethrough from the first mid-spacer element notch to the second mid-spacer element notch; and tying a knot at a second end of the cable.
Yet another aspect of the disclosure is directed to an articulatable toy comprising: a primary block means having an aperture passing therethrough along an axis; a secondary block means having a secondary block aperture passing at least partially therethrough along an axis, a primary channel formed through a portion of the secondary block means, and at secondary channel formed through a portion of the secondary block means in perpendicular communication with the primary channel; four or more spacer means having an aperture passing therethrough along an axis; one or more mid-spacer element means having a first mid-spacer element notch and a second mid-spacer element notch formed along an axis and having an aperture therethrough from the first mid-spacer element notch to the second mid-spacer element notch; and a cable means passing through an aperture of at least the primary block means, the secondary block means, the four or more spacer means and at least one mid-spacer means. The articulatable toy can further include an end component means having a first end component notch and a second end component notch formed perpendicularly to the first end component notch and an aperture therethrough from the first end component notch to the second end component notch. In some configurations, the articulatable toy further comprises one or more ornamental feature element means configurable to engage a surface of the primary block means or the secondary block means. Additionally, one or more secondary spacer means can be provided, wherein the secondary spacer means have a diameter that is larger or smaller than a diameter of the four or more spacers. In some configurations, at least one of the primary block means and the secondary block means has a shape selected from semicircular, round, square, oval, ovoid, triangular, and rectangular. Additionally, the secondary block means can have two or more additional primary channels formed through a portion of the block which are not in communication with another primary channel, and at two or more secondary channels formed through a portion of the block not in communication with another secondary channel and each in perpendicular communication with one of the additional primary channels.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,178 A to Hawkins issued Mar. 4, 1956 for Articulated Toy Set of Building Blocks; US 2012/015690 A1 to Weeks published Jun. 21, 2012 for Transformable Toy Robot; U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,063 B1 to Frigard issued Nov. 19, 2002 for Articulating Blocks Toy; U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,148 A to Heinz issued Apr. 12, 1994 for Rotatable Demountable Blocks of Several Shapes on a Central Elastic; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,089 A to Heinz issued Jun. 11, 1996 for Rotatable Demountable Blocks of Several Shapes on a Central Elastic Anchor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of an articulated toy positioned in a frame having a base;
FIG. 2A illustrates front view of an articulated toy having a plurality of joints, with joints in extended position;
FIG. 2B illustrates a back view of the articulated toy of FIG. 2A ;
FIG. 3 illustrates an articulated toy with the interior apertures visible;
FIGS. 4A-F illustrate components of the articulated toy for hand, elbow/knee joints and foot from top ( FIGS. 4A-C ) and side views ( FIGS. 4D-F ) respectively;
FIGS. 5A-L illustrate the body components from top ( FIGS. 5A-F ) and side views ( FIGS. 5G-L ) respectively;
FIGS. 6A-F illustrate pop-up joint, twisting/lengthening/shortening of the arm;
FIGS. 7A-F illustrate the pop-up joint, twisting/lengthening/shortening of the leg;
FIGS. 8A-E illustrate a torso from front, rear, side, top and bottom views;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through torso along the lines 9 - 9 in FIG. 8C with secret cavity;
FIGS. 10A-E illustrate a head from front, rear, side, top and bottom views;
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional through head along the lines 11 - 11 in FIG. 10C ;
FIGS. 12, 13, 14 illustrate the articulated toy from a front, side, and rear view;
FIGS. 15, 16, 17 illustrate the articulated toy from a front, side, and rear view with joints popped-up;
FIGS. 18, 19, 20 illustrate the articulated toy from a front, side, and rear view with hands and feet extended;
FIGS. 21-29 illustrate one or more articulated toys in various positions, standing, balancing on one leg, sitting, grasping hands, holding foot, crouching, connecting to other toys;
FIGS. 30-34 illustrate an articulated toy positioned within a frame and having a base;
FIGS. 35-37 illustrate an articulated toy interacting with 2D building accessory;
FIGS. 38-45 illustrate exemplar 2D building accessories;
FIG. 46 is an alternative configuration of an articulatable toy; and
FIGS. 47A-C illustrate a process of putting components from a kit together into an exemplar articulable toy from a plurality of components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The articulated toy is comprised of a plurality of elements: Elements include three or more of a head element, an ear element, an eye element, a wrist element, a neck/limb element, a torso element, a fanciful element (such as a heart), an elbow/knee joint element, a hand (paw) element, an ankle element, a foot (paw) element, a frame element and a base element. The articulated toy can be provided in a kit form for later assembly or can be provided formed. Where the articulated toy is provided in a formed configuration, users can disassemble the articulated toy and reassembly in different configurations as desired.
FIG. 1 is a front view of combination 100 of an articulated toy 120 positioned in a frame 110 having a base 104 . As shown in FIG. 2A , the articulated toy 120 has a first block 130 , forming a head, which is configurable to have one or more decorative components affixed to the first block 130 . The decorative elements can be countersunk or applied on the surface. The block can be square, rectangular, semicircular, circular, or any other suitable three dimensional shape with a height, width and depth. Furthermore the first block 130 can be solid with an aperture or through-hole passing through the first block 130 on an axis, or be formed from a hollow body. The aperture can have a diameter at a first end and a second end that is the same, or can be counter-sunk (as shown in FIG. 3 ). The through-hole can be centrally positioned through the block, as illustrated.
A first set of decorative elements are, for example, circular elements 134 having two substantially planar surfaces parallel one another and an aperture therethrough which enables the one or more circular elements 134 to be affixed to an exterior surface of the first block 130 . One or more second decorative elements 132 can be in the form of a cog having two substantially planar surfaces parallel one another and a series of teeth formed on an exterior surface. FIG. 2A illustrates a front view of an articulated toy 120 having a plurality of elements with joints in extended position, thereby optimizing the overall length of the appendage extending from the central block. Additional externally positioned decorative elements can be provided without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, the decorative elements can each have different dimension and level of detail (e.g., the number of teeth on one decorative cog might be different than the number of teeth on another decorative cog). The articulated toy 120 is shown with an x-y-z axis to facilitate understanding the operational ability of the various elements or appendages to roll, pitch and yaw about an x, y and z axis or to move within a plane. Etching 136 can also be provided on any of the components, as illustrated on the first block 130 .
FIG. 2B illustrates a back view of the articulated toy 120 of FIG. 2A . Positionable below the first block 130 is at least one spacer element 122 . A second block 124 is provided. The second block 124 can be the torso or central block from which other elements or appendages radiate. The second block 124 has a central through hole aperture 129 (shown in FIGS. 3, 8 and 9 ) positioned in a first axial direction at least part way through the second block 124 . The central through hole aperture 129 can be countersunk at its opening thus forming a compartment within the second block 124 . The central through hole aperture 129 is further configured to have four or more channels 126 formed in the second block 124 along an exterior surface of the block. A first pair of channels 126 ′ are formed on opposing sides of the second block 124 and can be aligned along an axis. A second set of channels 126 are formed adjacent to each other on the same side of the second block 124 . The second set of channels 126 can be formed so that the channels are in communication with the central through hole aperture 129 but are only partially parallel. A third set of channels is positionable on opposing sides of the second block 124 and in a perpendicular relationship one of a first or second channel of the first pair of channels, or a first or second channel of the second pair of channels. The perpendicular arrangement between channels, allows the appendages formed from primary mid spacer elements, secondary spacer elements, and end elements to be configured to extend from the second block to move in at least three directions from a starting position within an x-y plane of the second block 124 . Thus, for example, each length for a first appendage 188 comprising the primary spacer elements 140 , primary mid-spacers 150 and first end component 180 can be moved through the channels in a range of 180° in the x-z plane; and 90° in the x-y plane. Similarly, each length for a second appendage 198 comprising the primary spacer elements 140 , primary mid-spacers 150 and second end component 190 can be moved through the channels in a range of 180° in the y-z plane; and 90° in the x-y plane. Other channel orientations may be provided to provide a different range of motion for the extensions without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Each of the first appendage 188 and the second appendage 198 can further be bent through a range of 180° at the primary mid-spacers 150 and the components can rotate about the long axis (e.g., x axis for the first appendage 188 ) 360°. Thus, the first appendage 188 and the second appendage 198 have a minimum range of motion of 180° in one plane and 90° in a second plane. Additionally, the first end component 180 and the second end component 190 have a separate minimum range of motion of 180° in one plane and 90° in a second plane.
A plurality of primary spacer elements 140 can be provided. As illustrated, the primary spacer elements 140 can have two substantially parallel sides with an aperture formed therethrough. At least some configurations a continuous exterior surface of the primary spacer elements 140 are smooth, while in other configurations, the continuous exterior surface has teeth. In some configurations, the continuous exterior surface (formed between the two substantially parallel surfaces) can be substantially, square, rectangular, ovoid, triangular or circular. The aperture can be formed centrally or off-center. For purposes of illustration, the primary spacer elements 140 are illustrated as substantially circular with a cog shape in two dimensions and a central aperture. Two or more first end components 180 , and second end components 190 (forming hands and feet) having two notches at an orientation less than 180° (illustrated as 90°) and an aperture between the two notches are provided which can be positioned at the end of a length of a plurality of primary spacer elements 140 . Alternatively, the notches for the first end component 180 and the second end component 190 can be positioned along the same axis. Two or more primary mid-spacers 150 can be provided which have two notches which are aligned along an axis and are also connected via an aperture. Secondary spacer elements 160 , 170 which are larger or smaller in at least one dimension (e.g., radius) than the primary spacer elements 140 can also be provided. The secondary spacer elements 160 , 170 can form the wrist and the ankle of a robot articulatable toy.
FIG. 3 illustrates an articulated toy 120 with the interior apertures visible. A plurality of fanciful shaped elements 128 can be provided which fit within the countersunk hole 129 which forms a cavity of the second block 124 . One or more elastic cables 112 (or cords) can pass through a plurality of elements and be secured through an aperture of a terminal element. The first end components 180 , and second end components 190 can be separated from a second block 124 by a plurality of primary spacer elements 140 . The plurality of primary spacer elements 140 can further be separated by one or more primary mid-spacers 150 . The first end components 180 , and second end components 190 , plurality of primary spacer elements 140 , primary mid-spacers 150 are interconnected via one or more elastic cables 112 . The apertures of the first block 130 and the second block 124 can be axial and configured to pass along an axis, or can be configured to cross planes at an angle from an axis. Other non-linear configurations can be employed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additional blocks can also be provided without departing from the disclosure.
FIGS. 4A-F illustrate components of the articulated toy for elements having notches which are not aligned along a single axis, and aligned along a single axis notched primary mid-spacers 150 from top ( FIGS. 4A-C ) and side views ( FIGS. 4D-F ) respectively. Turning to FIG. 4A and the corresponding side view of FIG. 4D , a first end component 180 is illustrated which has two substantially planar surfaces and a substantially circular shape in at least one plane. A first notch 182 is provided which is perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular to a second notch 184 . In other configurations, the first notch 182 and the second notch 184 can be along the same axis or in the same plane. An aperture 186 communicates between the two notches. An elastic cable (not shown) passed through the aperture 186 from the second notch 184 to the first notch 182 . A knot placed at the end of the elastic cable prevents the cable from freely passing through the aperture 186 . The knot could then sit within one of the notches. The primary mid-spacers 150 shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 4E . The primary mid-spacers 150 has a first notch 152 and a second notch 154 which is in the same axis as the first notch 152 . An primary mid-spacers aperture 156 passes from the first notch 152 to the second notch 154 . An elastic cable (not shown) can pass through the primary mid-spacers 150 when it is positioned between other elements. The primary mid-spacers 150 can rotate about the elastic cable. The primary mid-spacers operate as a pop-up joint during use when positioned between other components or spacers. An additional configuration of a second end component 190 is illustrated in FIG. 4C and FIG. 4F . The second end component 190 is similar to first end component 180 , in that the second end component 190 has a first notch 192 and a second notch 194 which is perpendicular to the first notch 192 . In other configurations, the first notch 192 and the second notch 194 can be along the same axis or in the same plane. An aperture 196 also passes from the first notch 192 to the second notch 194 , and an elastic cable (not shown) can also pass through the aperture 196 and be secured by a knot. However, the second end component 190 , as illustrated, takes a secondary shape from the first end component 180 , as illustrated. The first notch 192 of the second end component 190 can function as a hook allowing the second end component 190 to engage an associated device with another structure. In the secondary shape, the end component is partially circular at one end, and flat at a second end opposing the semicircular end.
FIGS. 5A-L illustrate the body components and spacers from top ( FIGS. 5A-F ) and side views ( FIGS. 5G-L ) respectively. FIGS. 5A-5B (and corresponding side views FIGS. 5G-5H ) illustrate second decorative elements 132 , 132 ′ (left and right eyes) The eyes can also be cog shaped with teeth. An aperture 102 is provided therethrough. FIGS. 5C-5D (and corresponding side views FIGS. 5I-5.1 ) illustrate a primary spacer element 140 and a secondary spacer element 170 . The spacers can be cog shaped with teeth as illustrated. An aperture 102 is provided therethrough. FIG. 5E (and corresponding side view FIG. 5K ), is a circular element with an aperture 102 therethrough. Lastly, FIG. 5F (and corresponding side view FIG. 5L ) is one or more fanciful shaped elements 128 which is illustrated as heart shaped in a first dimension. The one or more fanciful shaped elements 128 also has an aperture 102 therethrough.
FIGS. 6A-F illustrate primary mid-spacers 150 which allows for one or more of twisting, lengthening, shortening of the arm by rotating the one or more first end components 180 and the primary mid-spacers 150 . FIGS. 6A-F illustrate a first end component 180 , a secondary spacer elements 160 (wrist component) a plurality of primary spacer elements 140 , a primary mid-spacers 150 , and an additional set of primary spacer elements 140 , with an elastic cable 112 therethrough. In FIG. 6A , the first end component 180 and the primary mid-spacers 150 are positioned so that the component is sideways with its depth being adjacent to the depth of the primary spacer elements 140 . In FIG. 6B the first end component 180 is turned 90° so that the first notch 182 is perpendicular to the axis formed by the length of the components. As shown in FIG. 6C the end component is turned 90° and the primary mid-spacers 150 is also turned 90°. In turning the joint 90°, the first notch 152 and the second notch 154 are aligned in the same axis as the length of the components. Additionally, the primary mid-spacers 150 and the first end component 180 can rotate 360° about an x axis formed by the length of the components. As shown in FIGS. 6D-E , the first end component 180 can be turned so that it returns to the position shown in FIG. 6A . Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 6E-F the primary mid-spacers 150 can be rotated so that it returns to the configuration of FIG. 6A .
FIGS. 7A-F illustrate primary mid-spacers 150 which allows for one or more of twisting, lengthening, shortening of the leg by rotating the second end component 190 and the primary mid-spacers 150 . FIGS. 7A-F illustrate a second end component 190 , a secondary spacer element 170 , a plurality of primary spacer elements 140 , a primary mid-spacers 150 , and an additional set of primary spacer elements 140 , with an elastic cables 112 therethrough. In FIG. 7A , the second end component 190 and the primary mid-spacers 150 are positioned so that the component is sideways with its depth being adjacent to the depth of the primary spacer elements 140 . In FIG. 7B the second end component 190 is turned 90° so that the first notch 192 is perpendicular to the y axis formed by the length of the components. As shown in FIG. 7C the second end component 190 is turned 90° and the primary mid-spacers 150 is also turned 90°. In turning the joint 90°, the first notch 152 and the second notch 154 are aligned in the same axis as the length of the components. Additionally, the primary mid-spacers 150 and the second end component 190 can rotate 360° about an x axis formed by the length of the components. As shown in FIGS. 7D-E , the second end component 190 can be turned so that it returns to the position shown in FIG. 7A . Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 7E-F the primary mid-spacers 150 can be rotated so that it returns to the configuration of FIG. 7A .
FIGS. 8A-E illustrate a second block 124 from front ( FIG. 8A ), rear ( FIG. 8B ), side ( FIG. 8C ), top ( FIG. 8D ) and bottom ( FIG. 8E ) view. The second block 124 has a pair of planar notches 125 , 125 ′ which are on opposing sides of the block in the same cross-sectional plane of the second block 124 , and a pair of adjacent notches 127 , 127 ′ which are adjacent each other on a single side of the second block 124 which is different than the opposing sides that define the planar notches 125 .
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through the second block 124 along the lines 9 - 9 in FIG. 8C with countersunk hole 129 . Apertures 102 are provided which connect the planar notches 125 , 125 ′, and the adjacent notches 127 , 127 ′ to a countersunk hole 129 that forms a secret cavity.
FIGS. 10A-E illustrate a first block 130 from a front ( FIG. 10A ), rear ( FIG. 10B ), side ( FIG. 10C ), top ( FIG. 10D ) and bottom ( FIG. 10E ) view. The first block 130 has one or more second decorative elements 132 , 132 ′, and circular elements 134 , 134 ′ attached to an exterior surface thereof. Additional etchings can be provided. An aperture 102 passes through the first block 130 . The aperture 102 can have a countersink at one or both ends, which results in a widened opening.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional through head along the lines 11 - 11 in FIG. 10C showing the aperture 102 having a widened opening at one end. An aperture can be provided which allows a spring to be positioned therein.
FIGS. 12, 13, 14 illustrate the articulated toy 120 from a front ( FIG. 12 ), side ( FIG. 13 ), and rear view ( FIG. 14 ). The center axis of the arms and the legs aligns with the notches in the body.
FIGS. 15, 16, 17 illustrate the articulated toy 120 from a front ( FIG. 15 ), side ( FIG. 16 ), and rear view ( FIG. 17 ) with joints popped-up (as shown in FIGS. 6C-D and FIGS. 7C-D ).
FIGS. 18, 19, 20 illustrate the articulated toy from a front ( FIG. 18 ), side ( FIG. 19 ), and rear view ( FIG. 20 ) with both joints and hands and feet extended (as shown in FIGS. 6C-D and FIGS. 7C-D ).
FIGS. 21-29 illustrate one or more articulated toys in various positions, standing, balancing on one leg, sitting, grasping hands, holding foot, crouching, connecting to other toys. The first notch of the second component is shown engaging another first notch of a second component in FIGS. 21, 22, 24, 26 , or a first notch of a second component for another device FIG. 29 .
FIGS. 30-34 illustrate an articulated toy 120 positioned within a frame 110 and having a base. The first notch of the second component can be used to engage the frame as shown in FIG. 30 . Moreover, the frame 110 can have a base 104 that is separatable from the frame 110 .
FIGS. 35-37 illustrate an articulated toy 120 interacting with 2D building accessory 210 where the building accessory 210 can also be separatable from a base 220 .
FIGS. 38-45 illustrate exemplar 2D building accessories 310 , 320 , 330 , 340 , 350 , 360 , 370 with which an articulated toy 120 can be removably engaged, where the 2D building accessories can be, for example, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Transamerica Building, Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Sutro Tower and the Space Needle. Other shapes can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure, including, rockets, bridges, mountains, Ferris wheels, etc.
It should be noted that the buildings may be a variety of structures, vehicles, airborne devices. The design may include three-dimensional forms.
The first block 130 , FIG. 10A through FIG. 11 , can have a countersunk hole 116 connected to a through hole aperture 118 . The one or more circular elements 134 can be sunken and glued into a cavity. Alternatively, the circular elements 134 can be affixed using any suitable method including the use of screws, dowels, etc. The one or more second decorative elements 132 can be glued to an exterior surface of the first block 130 adding to the tactile experience. Other features, such as the mouth and hair, can be laser etched to the exterior surface of the first block 130 . Other appropriate engraving methods may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
The second block 124 , as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 9 , can be formed to provide a cavity 129 that is not visible from the exterior of the second block 124 when the toy is assembled. As shown one or more fanciful shaped elements 128 are one or more hearts which can be provided which fit within the countersunk hole 129 forming a cavity. The cavity is accessed through four apertures or through holes. Additionally, the one or more fanciful shaped elements can light-up or glow by using electronic components, light capturing material, or an external paint treatment.
All shapes are interconnected by one or more elastic cables (or cords) held in tension by end knots that are larger than the diameter of the apertures the cables are passed through. It should be noted that the elastic cables or cords may be secured by other appropriate mechanical fasteners or devices.
The arms are composed of a first end component 180 (forming a hand), a secondary spacer elements 160 (forming a wrist), limb elements in the shape of primary spacer elements 140 (in the shape of a flat cog or gear) and a primary mid-spacers 150 (forming a pop-up elbow or knee joint). All elements have a through hole. The arms are held in tension by an elastic cable terminated by a knot 114 on both the right and left hands.
The pop-up elbow joint is preferably a disk with two slots and a through hole. The joint can be folded onto itself and disappear. It can also pop-up in a twisting rotation when a pulling force is applied to the first end component 180 . This function allows for the configuration of the limb to shorten or lengthen. FIG. 6A through 6F illustrate how the joint, formed by the primary mid-spacers 150 , twists and pops-up.
The first end component 180 has two slots. One slot allows for the hand to rotate around the axis of the elastic cable. The other allows for gripping. The hand in conjunction with the pop-up elbow joint permits all of the elements of the limbs to move in all directions, lateral and circular as well as shortening, lengthening and gripping.
The legs are composed of a second end component 190 (forming a foot), an secondary spacer element 170 (forming an ankle), primary spacer elements 140 which can form the limbs of the articulated toy 120 and a primary mid-spacers 150 . All elements have a through hole. An elastic cable passes through each leg, then through the torso's secret cavity, where the two hearts are inserted. The cables are then fed through the neck and are tied with a knot at a countersunk hole 116 .
When the robot is in its natural state, the hearts are not visible. Only by bending the neck do the hearts appear, adding an element of discovery.
The pop-up knee joint is similar to the elbow joint. It is preferably a disk with two slots and a through hole. The joint can be folded onto itself and disappear. It can also pop-up in a twisting rotation when a pulling force is applied to the second end component 190 . This function allows for the configuration of the limb to become shorter or longer. FIGS. 7A-7F illustrate how the joint twists and pops up.
The second end component 190 has two slots. One slot allows for the foot to rotate around the axis of the elastic cable. The other allows for gripping. The hand, in conjunction with the pop-up elbow joint, permits all of the elements of the limbs to move in all directions, lateral and circular as well as shortening, lengthening and gripping.
The frame 110 can be laser cut. It sits on a removable base 104 . The grip of the robot's hand and feet is slightly larger than the thickness of the frame so it can connect to it by friction. Depending on the material used, the connection may be mechanical, electrical. magnetic.
The first block 130 (e.g., a head), second block 124 (e.g., a torso) and removable base 104 are cut using traditional woodworking tools. All the other elements are laser cut. It should be noted that other manufacturing processes may be used. Depending on the material, the elements may be dye-cut, extruded, 3D printed, or CNC routed.
The building accessories shown in FIGS. 35-45 can be 2D laser cut shapes with removable bases 304 . A grip of the robot's hand and feet can be slightly larger than the thickness of the buildings so it can connect to them by friction. Depending on the material used, the connection may be mechanical, electrical, magnetic. It should be noted that the buildings may be a variety of structures, vehicles, airborne devices. The design may include three-dimensional forms.
FIG. 46 illustrates an alternative articulated toy 420 having a first block 430 and a second block 424 . A third block 424 ′ may also be provided which is adjacent to the second block 424 . Two or more appendages 488 , 498 can be provided which extend from the second block 424 or the third block 424 ′. Additionally, the block and appendages are configurable to include exterior channels, notches, apertures, and countersunk openings as described above with respect to FIGS. 2-11 above.
FIG. 47A illustrates a process of compiling the first block 130 . The first block 130 has an aperture 102 and defines an open space within the interior of the first block 130 that is sized to receive a spring 109 and a circular element 134 which can be a length of a dowel, for example, which is pushed into an opening in communication with the interior through an opening that is sized to snugly receive the circular element 134 . Once positioned, the spring 109 is held in a compressed position within the interior of the first block 130 .
As shown in FIGS. 47B-C , to form a first appendage 188 , or a second appendage 198 , a knot 114 is tied at an end of an elastic cable 112 having a distal end and a proximal end. The unknotted end of the elastic cable 112 is then passed through a plurality of elements selected from a first end component 180 , a second end component 190 , a primary spacer element 140 , a secondary spacer element 160 , 170 a primary mid-spacers 150 . As shown in FIG. 6 , an exemplar configuration can be, for example, a first end component 180 , a secondary spacer element 160 , four primary spacer elements 140 , a primary mid-spacers 150 , and four primary spacer elements 140 . Another exemplar configuration as shown in FIG. 7 , can be, for example, a second end component 190 , a secondary spacer element 170 , four primary spacer elements 140 , a primary mid-spacers 150 , and four primary spacer elements 140 . The proximal end of the elastic cable is then passed through an aperture in the secondary block 124 (shown as arrows 1 for the second appendages 198 and 3 for the primary appendages 188 ), the elastic cables pass through the interior of the second block 124 (shown by 2 ) and then extends out the countersunk hole 129 up through the at least one spacer element 122 . The circular element 134 on either side of the first block 130 are squeezed to compress the spring 109 (as shown by arrows 5 ), and the elastic cable is then passed through the first block (shown by arrow 6 ). The ends of the elastic cables can then be tied to prevent the elastic cable from passing back through the apertures to secure the configured articulatable toy in the desired configuration or untied at a later time to allow the components to be reordered and reconfigured, as desired.
As shown in FIG. 47C one or more of the elastic cables can then be passed through an aperture of one or more fanciful shaped elements 128 . As illustrated, the elastic cables associated with two secondary appendages is passed through one of one or more fanciful shaped element 128 . However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the fanciful element can be associated with one or more appendages without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The one or more elastic cables can then be passed through an aperture in the primary block whereupon a secondary knot can be provided on the proximal end of the elastic cables.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.
|
Disclosed are toy robots having a frame, base and building accessories and kits therefor. The toy has a system of blocks, gripping appendages, gears and pop-up joints threaded together by an elastic cable held in tension. This configuration allows the toy to stand tall or short, be configured in myriad poses In or outside its frame, on or off its accessories, and can allow for the discovery of a secret cavity.
| 0
|
The present invention relates to α 2 -adrenoceptor agonists having analgesic activity. More particularly, the present invention relates to 4- (thien-3-yl)methyl!-imidazoles having improved analgesic activity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Clonidine is a centrally acting α 2 -adrenoceptor agonist with wide clinical utility as an antihypertensive agent. Clonidine is believed to act by inhibiting the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve terminals via a negative feedback mechanism involving α 2 -adrenoceptors located on the presynaptic nerve terminal. This action is believed to occur in both the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous systems. More recently, the role of α 2 -adrenoceptor agonists as analgesic agents in humans and antinociceptive agents in animals has been demonstrated. Clonidine and other α 2 -adrenoceptor agonists have been shown to produce analgesia through a non-opiate mechanism and, thus, without opiate liability. However, other behavioral and physiological effects were also produced, including sedation and cardiovascular effects. ##STR3##
Medetomidine and detomidine are α 2 -adrenoceptor agonists widely used clinically in veterinary medicine as sedatives/hypnotics for pre-anaesthesia. These compounds are hypotensive in animals and in humans, but the magnitude of this cardiovascular effect is relatively insignificant. ##STR4##
U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,844, Gardocki et al., teach 4- 4(or 5)-imidazolylmethyl!-oxazoles as effective analgesics. The disclosed compounds are of the general formula: ##STR5## Compounds of this type are insufficiently active and suffer from unwanted side effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,207, Nagel et al., teach arylthiazolylimidazoles as effective analgesics. The disclosed compounds are of the general formula: ##STR6## Compounds of this type are insufficiently active and suffer from unwanted side effects.
WO92/14453, Campbell et al., teach 4- (aryl or heteroaryl)methyl!imidazoles as effective analgesics. The disclosed compounds are of the general formula: ##STR7## The disclosed compounds are insufficiently active and suffer from unwanted side effects.
Kokai No. 1-242571, Kihara et al., disclose a method to produce imidazole derivatives for use, among other uses, as antihypertensive agents. ##STR8## A single mixture of compounds meeting the above formula was reportedly produced by the inventive method. This was a mixture of 4-(2-thienyl)-methylimidazole and 4-(3-thienyl)-methylimidazole represented by the following formula: ##STR9## The disclosed compounds are insufficiently active and suffer from unwanted side effects.
It is an object of the present invention to produce 4- (thien-3-yl)methyl!-imidazoles having improved analgesic activity.
It is another object of the present invention to produce 4- (thien-3-yl)methyl!-imidazole analgesics having reduced side effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, there is provided by the present invention compounds having improved analgesic activity of the formulae: ##STR10## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, and
X is C 1-4 alkyl, bromine or chlorine; or ##STR11## wherein Y is hydrogen, C 1-4 alkyl, bromine or chlorine, and
Z is C 1-4 alkyl, bromine or chlorine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The compounds of the present invention may be made in basically a two step process. In the first step, an appropriately substituted precursor thiophene is obtained having hydrogen, C 1-4 alkyl, bromine or chlorine substituents as desired and in the required positions. This precursor thiophene will have an electrophilic carbon substituent at the 3-position. In the second step, a precursor imidazole having an anion at the 4-position capable of reacting with the electrophilic carbon of the precursor thiophene to leave a carbon bridge residue, is reacted with the precursor thiophene to produce the target skeleton followed by deoxygenation of the carbon bridge residue. Of course, many variations are possible. It may be desirable to substitute the thiophene initially, as described, or to modify the substitution on the thiophene following the formation of the base structure of the final compound. Also, in compounds where it is desirable to have methyl substitution on the carbon bridge residue, additional steps will be necessary.
Herein, a Grignard reaction is favored for use in the second step to join the thienyl moiety and the imidazolyl moiety. Thus, it is preferred that the precursor imidazole be substituted at the 4-position as a Grignard reagent and that the precursor thiophene is substituted at the 3-position with a carbonyl, such as, formyl or N,O-dimethylcarboxamido group.
The preferred precursor imidazole has the formula: ##STR12## where X 1 is iodo, bromo or chloro. This compound may be made by methods well known to the art, i.e., reaction between alkyl Grignard or magnesium and imidazolyl halide in dry, alcohol-free ether or THF or dichloromethane.
The preferred precursor thiophenes have the formula: ##STR13## where X, Y and Z are defined above. As starting materials to make the preferred precursor thiophenes AA, BB and CC, the preparation of various brominated and methylated thiophenes is well known from the literature.
Precursor thiophenes of type AA may be produced from 3-bromo-4-methylthiophene or 3-bromo-4-(bromo or chloro)thiophene by use of halogen metal exchange. In a first step, the compound is treated with an organo-alkali compound such as n-butyllithium, the product of which is reacted, in a second step, in situ with DMF. The reaction is quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride. The resultant compound is 4-methyl-thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde or 4-(bromo or chloro)-thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde. Precursor thiophenes of type BB, may be produced by much the same method as those of type AA with the use of different starting materials. The method just described to produce precursor thiophenes of type AA may be employed to produce those of type BB where the starting material is not 2-bromo or 5-bromo substituted. Thus, the halogen metal exchange may be employed with 2-(methyl or chloro)-3-bromo-4-(methyl or chloro or bromo) thiophene or 2-(methyl or chloro)-3-bromo-5-(methyl or chloro) thiophene to produce type BB precursor thiophenes which are 2-(methyl or chloro)-4-(methyl or chloro or bromo)-thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde or 2-(methyl or chloro)-5-(methyl or chloro)-thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde. Precursor thiophenes of type CC may be produced from 2-(methyl or chloro or bromo)-4-(methyl or chloro or bromo)-thiophene-3-carboxylate or 2-(methyl or chloro or bromo)-5-(methyl or chloro or bromo)-thiophene-3-carboxylate by two methods. In the first method, the carboxylate starting material is converted to the acid chloride and reacted with N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine to produce the Weinreb amide, thiophene type CC. In the second method, the carboxylate is reacted with N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine and an appropriate coupling agent, such as, DCC or CDI, to produce the Weinreb amide.
The precursor imidazole may be reacted with any of the precursor thiophenes of types AA or BB or CC by use of the Grignard Reaction. Where the precursor thiophene is of type AA or BB, a solution of the thiophene precursor is combined with a solution of the imidazole precursor at room temperature and the reaction is quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride solution to produce an imidazo thienyl methanol. The carbinol is deoxygenated to final product, where R is hydrogen, by use of a reducing agent, such as borane methyl sulfide in combination with TFA. Alternatively, the methanol is catalytically deoxygenated to final product, where R is hydrogen, by heating with Pearlman's catalyst and an equivalent of acid. To produce final product where R is methyl, the methanol is oxidized to the corresponding ketone with an oxidizing agent, such as MnO 2 or Jones Reagent and the resulting ketone is reacted with methyl Grignard to produce a carbinol which is deoxygenated as described immediately above. Where the precursor thiophene is of type CC, a solution of the thiophene precursor is combined with a solution of the imidazole precursor at room temperature and the reaction is quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride solution to produce an imidazo thienyl ketone. To produce final product, the ketone is reduced to the carbinol by use of a reducing agent, such as, sodium borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride and thereafter the carbinol is deoxygenated as described immediately above.
The protecting group on the precursor imidazole is exemplified herein as trityl, which is preferred. However, a person skilled in the art will readily recognize that other protecting groups are suitable. Suitable protecting groups include dimethylsulfamoyl or methoxymethyl. The trityl group is removed in the deoxygenation to final product or upon heating in a dilute acid and alcoholic solvent.
The most preferred compounds of the present invention are shown in Table I:
TABLE I______________________________________ ##STR14## Cp-1 ##STR15## Cp-2 ##STR16## Cp-3 ##STR17## Cp-4 ##STR18## Cp-5 ##STR19## Cp-6 ##STR20## Cp-7 ##STR21## Cp-8 ##STR22## Cp-9 ##STR23## Cp-10 ##STR24## ##STR25##______________________________________
The activity of compounds of the invention as analgesics may be demonstrated by the in vivo and in vitro assays as described below:
Alpha 2D adrenergic receptor binding assay
Male, Wistar rats (150-250 g, VAF, Charles River, Kingston, N.Y.) are sacrificed by cervical dislocation and their brains removed and placed immediately in ice cold HEPES buffered sucrose. The cortex is dissected out and homogenized in 20 volumes of HEPES sucrose in a Teflon®-glass homogenizer. The homogenate is centrifuged at 1000 g for 10 min, and the resulting supernatant centrifuged at 42,000 g for 10 min. The resulting pellet is resuspended in 30 volumes of 3 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, preincubated at 25° C. for 30 min and recentrifuged. The resulting pellet is resuspended as described above and used for the receptor binding assay. Incubation is performed in test tubes containing phosphate buffer, 2.5 mM MgCl 2 , aliquots of the synaptic membrane fraction, the ligand 3 H-paraaminoclonidine and test drug at 25°0 C. for 20 min. The incubation is terminated by filtration of the tube contents through glass fiber filter sheets. Following washing of the sheets with 10 mM HEPES buffer, the adhering radioactivity is quantified by liquid scintillation spectrometry.
Binding of the test drug to the receptor is determined by comparing the amount of radiolabeled ligand bound in control tubes without drug to the amount of radiolabeled ligand bound in the presence of the drug. Dose-response data are analyzed with LIGAND, a nonlinear curve fitting program designed specifically for the analysis of ligand binding data. This assay is described by Simmons, R. M. A., and Jones, D. J., Binding of 3 H-!prazosin and 3 H-!p-aminoclonidine to α-Adrenoceptors in Rat Spinal Cord, Brain Research 445:338-349, 1988.
Mouse Acetylcholine Bromide-Induced Abdominal Constriction Assay
The mouse acetylcholine bromide-induced abdominal constriction assay, as described by Collier et al. in Brit. J. Pharmacol. Chem. Ther., 32:295-310, 1968, with minor modifications was used to assess analgesic potency of the compounds herein. The test drugs or appropriate vehicle were administered orally (p.o.) and 30 minutes later the animal received an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 5.5 mg/kg acetylcholine bromide (Matheson, Coleman and Bell, East Rutherford, N.J.). The mice were then placed in groups of three into glass bell jars and observed for a ten minute observation period for the occurrence of an abdominal constriction response (defined as a wave of constriction and elongation passing caudally along the abdominal wall, accompanied by a twisting of the trunk and followed by extension of the hind limbs). The percent inhibition of this response to a nociceptive stimulus (equated to % analgesia) was calculated as follows: The % Inhibition of response, i.e., % analgesia is equal to the difference between the number of control animals response and the number of drug-treated animals response times 100 divided by the number of control animals responding.
At least 15 animals were used for control and in each of the drug treated groups. At least three doses were used to determine each dose response curve and ED 50 (that dose which would produce 50% analgesia). The ED 50 values and their 95% fiducial limits were determined by a computer assisted probit analysis.
TABLE II______________________________________ Mouse Abdominal ConstrictionCompound Ki(nm) % Inhibition ED.sub.50______________________________________Cp-1 0.44 100% @30 mpkCp-2 0.47 0.4 mpkCp-3 0.39 0.4 mpkCp-4 0.97 100% @30 mpkCp-5 0.69 1.3 mpkCp-6 0.4 3.7 mpkCp-7 0.07 0.4 mpkCp-8 0.10 100% @30 mpkCp-9 0.29 100% @30 mpkCp-10 0.28 100% @30 mpk ##STR26## 6.1 100% @30 mpk ##STR27## 3.1 6.4 mpk ##STR28## 2.3 1.6 mpk ##STR29## 2.5 100% @30 mpk ##STR30## 33.5 7.8 mpk ##STR31## 11.4 67% @30 mpk ##STR32## 1.1 100% @30 mpk ##STR33## 0.98 27% @30 mpk______________________________________
Based on the above results, invention compounds of the present invention may be used to treat mild to moderately severe pain in warm-blooded animals, such as, humans by administration of an analgesically effective dose. The dosage range would be from about 10 to 3000 mg, in particular about 25 to 1000 mg or about 100 to 500 mg, of active ingredient 1 to 4 times per day for an average (70 kg) human although it is apparent that activity of individual compounds of the invention will vary as will the pain being treated. Pharmaceutical compositions of the invention comprise the formula (I) compounds as defined above, particularly in admixture with a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.
To prepare the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention, one or more compounds of the invention or salt thereof as the active ingredient, is intimately admixed with a pharmaceutical carrier according to conventional pharmaceutical compounding techniques, which carrier may take a wide variety of forms depending of the form of preparation desired for administration, e.g., oral or parenteral such as intramuscular. In preparing the compositions in oral dosage form, any of the usual pharmaceutical media may be employed. Thus, for liquid oral preparations, such as for example, suspensions, elixirs and solutions, suitable carriers and additives include water, glycols, oils, alcohols, flavoring agents, preservatives, coloring agents and the like; for solid oral preparations such as, for example, powders, capsules and tablets, suitable carriers and additives include starches, sugars, diluents, granulating agents, lubricants, binders, disintegrating agents and the like. Because of their ease in administration, tablets and capsules represent the most advantageous oral dosage unit form, in which case solid pharmaceutical carriers are obviously employed. If desired, tablets may be sugar coated or enteric coated by standard techniques. For parenterals, the carrier will usually comprise sterile water, through other ingredients, for example, for purposes such as aiding solubility or for preservation, may be included. Injectable suspensions may also be prepared, in which case appropriate liquid carriers, suspending agents and the like may be employed. The pharmaceutical compositions herein will contain, per dosage unit, e.g., tablet, capsule, powder, injection, teaspoonful and the like, an amount of the active ingredient necessary to deliver an effective dose as described above.
The pharmaceutically acceptable salts referred to above generally take a form in which the imidazolyl ring is protonated with an inorganic or organic acid. Representative organic or inorganic acids include hydrochloric, hydrobromic, hydroiodic, perchloric, sulfuric, nitric, phosphoric, acetic, propionic, glycolic, lactic, succinic, maleic, fumaric, malic, tartaric, citric, benzoic, mandelic, methanesulfonic, hydroxyethanesulfonic, benezenesulfonic, oxalic, pamoic, 2-naphthalenesulfonic, p-toluenesulfonic, cyclohexanesulfamic, salicylic or saccharic.
The following Examples illustrate the invention:
EXAMPLE 1
4- (2-Methylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR34##
To a solution of 3-bromo-2-methyl thiophene (4.2 g, 24 mmol) in 50 mL of dry Et 2 O cooled to -78° C. was added n-BuLi (15.0 mL, 24 mmol) dropwise. The bath temperature was allowed to rise to -20° C. and DMF (2.3 mL, 30 mmol) was added. The reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched with NH 4 Cl (aq) and extracted with Et 2 O. The organic layer washed twice with water and brine and then dried (MgSO 4 ). After evaporation of solvent, the crude product was purified on flash silica gel (95:5 hexane/Et 2 O) to afford 2-methylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, A1, as a light yellow oil (1.5 g, 50%). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR35##
To a solution of N-trityl-4-iodo-imidazole (11.8 g, 27 mmol) in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (75 mL) was added EtMgBr (10.0 mL, 3.0M in Et 2 O) and the solution was stirred for 3 hrs. Then a solution of 2-methylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde (3.3 g, 27 mmol) in CH 2 Cl 2 (20 mL) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched with NH 4 Cl (aq) and the mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel. The aqueous layer was extracted with a second portion of CH 2 Cl 2 . The extracts were combined and washed with a small portion of water, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give a thick syrup which was triturated with Et 2 O to give a solid which was recrystallized with charcoal treatment from EtOAc to give (2-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, B1. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR36##
A solution of (2-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol (1.5 g, 3.5 mmol) was combined with HCl (3.4 mmol) and Pd(OH) 2 (1.5 g) in EtOH and hydrogenated (55 psi) at 55° C. for 48 hrs. The catalyst was removed by filtration through Dicalite and the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water, washed twice with Et 2 O, and then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The combined extracts were dried (K 2 CO 3 ), filtered and solvent evaporated. The residue was chromatographed on flash silica gel (99:0.75:0.25 EtOAc/MeOH/NH 4 OH) to give a thick syrup which was dissolved in 2-PrOH and combined with fumaric acid (116 mg). The solvent was evaporated and the residue recrystallized from acetone to give the target compound, m.p. 140°-141° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ) supported the assigned structure: δ6 2.3 (s, 3H), 3.75 (s, 2H), 6.6 (s, 2H), 6.75 (s, 1H), 6.85 (d, J=5.3 Hz, 1H), 7.15 (d, 1H), 7.65 (s, 1H). Elemental Analysis: Calc. for C 9 H 10 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 53.05; H, 4.79; N, 9.52. Found C, 53.22; H, 4.87; N, 9.50.
EXAMPLE 2
4- (4-Methylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR37##
To a solution of 3-bromo-4-methylthiophene (5.3 g, 30 mmol) in 100 mL of dry Et 2 O cooled to -78° C. was added n-BuLi (20.0 mL, 32 mmol) dropwise. The reaction mixture was allowed to slowly warm to -20° C. and was maintained at this temperature for 30 min. DMF (4.6 mL, 60 mmol) was added and, the reaction mixture was allowed to come to ambient temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride, and the mixture was extracted twice with Et 2 O. The organic layers were combined and washed twice with water and then brine and dried (MgSO 4 ). After filtration, the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. The residue was chromatographed on flash silica gel (98/2 hexane:Et 2 O) to give 4-methylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, A2, (1.9 g, 50%) as a light yellow oil. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR38##
To a solution of N-trityl-4-iodo-imidazole (11.8 g, 27 mmol) in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (75 mL) was added EtMgBr (10.0 mL, 3.0M in Et 2 O), and the solution was stirred for 3 hrs. Then a solution of 4-methylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde (3.3 g, 27 mmol) in CH 2 Cl 2 (25 mL) was added. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight and then was quenched with aqueous NH 4 Cl. The mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel, and the aqueous layer was extracted with a second portion of CH 2 Cl 2 . The combined extracts were washed with a small portion of water, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give a thick syrup which was triturated with Et 2 O to give a solid which was recrystallized with charcoal treatment from EtOAc to give (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, B2. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR39##
A solution of (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol (2.5 g, 5.7 mmol) was combined with 1N HCl (6 mL) and Pd(OH) 2 (1.25 g) in EtOH and hydrogenated (55 psi) at 50° C. for 48 hrs. The catalyst was removed by filtration through Dicalite, and the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water, washed twice with Et 2 O, and then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The combined extracts were dried (K 2 CO 3 ), filtered, and the solvent was evaporated. The residue was dissolved in 2-PrOH and combined with fumaric acid (0.57 g, 1 eq.). After standing overnight a white solid was collected and recrystallized from acetone to give the title compound m.p. 142°-144° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ) supported the assigned structure: δ2.15 (s, 3H), 3.75 (s, 2H), 6.6 (s, 2H), 6.75 (s, 1H), 7.05 (m, 1H), 7.15 (m, 1H), 7.65 (s, 1H). Elemental analysis: Calc. for C 9 H 10 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 53.05; H, 4.79; N, 9.52. Found C, 53.03; H, 4.73; N, 9.38.
EXAMPLE 3
4- 1-(4-Methylthien-3-yl)ethyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR40##
To a solution of (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, B2, (6.5 g, 14.9 mmol) in 100 mL of CH 2 Cl 2 was added MnO 2 (13 g). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hr and then filtered through Dicalite and the solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanone, A3. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR41##
To a solution of (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanone, A3, (6.5 g, 14.9 mmol) in 75 mL of THF was added MeMgBr (3.0M in Et 2 O) until TLC indicated complete reaction of starting material. The reaction was quenched with aqueous NH 4 Cl and extracted twice with EtOAc. The organic extracts were combined, washed with water, then dried (Na 2 SO 4 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was triturated with Et 2 O to give 1- (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl!-ethanol, B3. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR42##
A solution of 1- (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl!-ethanol, B3. (3.1 g, 6.9 mmol), 1N HCl (7.1 mL) and Pd(OH) 2 (1.75 g) in 50 mL of EtOH was hydrogenated (60 psi) at 50° C., for 60 hrs. After cooling, the catalyst was removed by filtration and solvent evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water, and was washed twice with Et 2 O, then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The organic extracts were combined, dried (K 2 CO 3 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was combined with fumaric acid (0.73 g, 1 eq) in 2-PrOH. A white solid was collected and recrystallized from acetone to give the target compound (1.8 g, 51%) as a white crystalline solid, m.p. 132°-134° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ) supported the assigned structure. δ1.5 (d, J=7.1 Hz, 3H), 2.1 (s, 3H), 4.05 (q, 1H), 6.6 (s, 2H), 6.65 (s, 1H), 7.1 (s, 2H), 7.65 (s, 1H)
Elemental analysis: Calc. for C 10 H 12 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 54.53; H, 5.23; N, 9.08. Found C, 54.44; H, 5.37; N, 9.00.
EXAMPLE 4
4- 1-(4-Methylthien-3-yl)propyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR43##
To a solution of (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanone, A3, (2.1 g, 4.8 mmol) in 35 mL of THF was added 4.0 mL of EtMgBr (3.0M in Et 2 O). The reaction was quenched with aqueous NH 4 Cl and extracted twice with Et 2 O. The organic extracts were combined, washed with water and brine and then dried (Na 2 SO 4 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo, and the residue (1- (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl!-propanol), A, was used directly in the next step. ##STR44##
A solution of 1- (4-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl!-propanol, A4, 1N HCl (5.0 mL) and Pd(OH) 2 (1.5 g) in 40 mL of EtOH was hydrogenated (60 psi) at 50° C. overnight. An additional 0.5 g of catalyst was added and hydrogenation was resumed overnight once again. After cooling, the catalyst was removed by filtration and solvent evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water, and was washed twice with Et 2 O, then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The organic extracts were combined, dried (K 2 CO 3 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo, and the residue was chromatographed on flash silica gel (99:0.75:0.25 EtOAc/MeOH/NH 4 OH) to yield the title compound as a free base (0.38 g, 38% for 2 steps). This was combined with fumaric acid (0.21 g) in 2-PrOH and the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. The residue was recrystallized from acetone to give the target compound (0.30 g) as a white crystalline solid, m.p. 101°-105° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ) supported the assigned structure. δ0.85 (t, 3H), 1.95 (m, 2H), 2.15 (s, 3H), 3.85 (t, 1H), 6.6 (s, 2H), 6.75 (s, 1H), 7.05 (m, 1H), 7.15 (m, 1H), 7.65 (s, 1H). Elemental analysis: Calc. for C 11 H 14 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 55.89; H, 5.63; N, 8.69. Found C, 55.87; H, 5.69; N, 8.56
EXAMPLE 5
4- (2,5-dimethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR45##
To a solution of N-trityl-4-iodo-imidazole (11.8 g, 27 mmol) in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (200 mL) was added EtMgBr (11.0 mL, 3.0M in Et 2 O). After complete halogen-metal exchange this solution was cannulated into a solution of 2,5-dimethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde (3.5 g, 25 mmol) in 50 mL of CH 2 Cl 2 . The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hr and then quenched with aqueous NH 4 Cl. The mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel and the aqueous layer was extracted with a second portion of CH 2 Cl 2 . The combined extracts were dried (MgSO 4 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give a thick syrup which was triturated with Et 2 O to give a solid which was recrystallized from acetone to give (2,5-dimethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, A5. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR46##
A solution of (2,5-dimethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl!-methanol, A5, (3.4 g, 6.9 mmol), concentrated HCl (0.31 g) and Pd(OH) 2 (1.75 g) in 40 mL of 95% EtOH was hydrogenated (60 psi) at 50° C., for 60 hrs. After cooling, the catalyst was removed by filtration and solvent evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water, and was washed twice with Et 2 O, then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The organic extracts were combined, dried (K 2 CO 3 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was combined with fumaric acid in 2-PrOH. A white solid was collected and recrystallized from acetone to give the target compound (0.63 g, 27%) as a white crystalline solid m.p. 148°-149° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ) supported the assigned structure. δ2.37 (s, 3H), 2.39 (s, 3H), 3.65 (s, 2H), 6.6 (s, 2H), 6.7 (s, 1H), 7.65 (s, 1H).
Elemental analysis: Calc. for C 10 H 12 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 54.53; H, 5.23; N, 9.08. Found C, 54.74; H, 5.10; N, 9.00.
EXAMPLE 6
4- (2,5-diethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR47##
To a mixture of 2-ethylthiophene (56.1 g, 0.5 mol) and acetic anhydride (59 mL) cooled in an ice bath was added 1 mL of HClO 4 . The reaction mixture became quite dark and there was a vigorous exothermic reaction. After 1 hr, the mixture was diluted with CH 2 Cl 2 and poured onto ice/NaHCO 3 . This mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel, and the organic layer was washed with an additional portion of dilute NaHCO 3 , water, dried (MgSO 4 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give a brown oil which was distilled in vacuo (6-8 mm Hg). The product, A6, was collected at 120°-121° C. as a colorless liquid. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR48##
5-Ethyl-2-acetythiophene, A6, (18.5 g, 0.12 mol) was added to hydrazine hydrate (30.0 mL) in 75 mL of ethylene glycol, and the mixture was heated in an oil bath to 170° C. The excess hydrazine and water were distilled out of the reaction mixture. After cooling to room temperature, KOH (24.9 g, 0.44 mol) was added and again the mixture was heated in an oil bath to 120° C., at which point a vigorous reaction and gas evolution began. Heating at 120°-130° C. was continued as the product was distilled from the reaction mixture. The distillate was extracted twice with Et 2 O. The extracts were then combined and washed with 3N HCl, water and finally brine and then dried (MgSO 4 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was distilled at ambient pressure (175°-177° C.) to give 2,5-diethylthiophene, B6, (10.3 g, 61%) as a colorless liquid. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR49##
A solution of Br 2 (6.4 g, 40.0 mmol) in CHCl 3 (25 mL) was added dropwise to a solution of 2,5-diethylthiophene, B6, (5.6 g, 40 mmol) in CHCl 3 (75 mL). The reaction was stirred for 2 hrs at room temperature and then poured onto ice/NaHSO 3 . The organic layer was then washed with saturated NaHCO 3 , and then water and then dried (MgSO 4 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was distilled at reduced pressure (1 mm Hg) and 3-bromo-2,5-diethylthiophene, C6, was collected as 5.0 g (57%) of a clear liquid b.p. 79°-81° C. @ 1 mm Hg. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR50##
To a solution of 3-bromo-2,5-diethyl thiophene, C6, (9.1 g, 41 mmol) in 100 mL of dry Et 2 O cooled to -78° C. was added n-BuLi (26.2 mL, 42 mmol) dropwise. The bath temperature was allowed to rise to -20° C. and DMF (6.3 mL, 82 mmol) was added. The reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched with NH 4 Cl (aq) and extracted with Et 2 O. The organic layer washed twice with water and brine and then dried (MgSO 4 ). After evaporation of solvent, the crude product was purified on flash silica gel (98:2 hexane/Et 2 O) to afford 2,5-diethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, D6, as a light yellow oil (5.0 g, 72%). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR51##
To a solution of N-trityl-4-iodo-imidazole (13.5 g, 31 mmol) in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (75 mL) was added EtMgBr (10.0 mL, 3.0M in Et 2 O) and the solution was stirred for 3 hrs. Then a solution of 2,5-diethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, D6, (5.0 g, 30 mmol) in CH 2 Cl 2 (20 mL) was added, and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched with NH 4 Cl (aq) and the mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel. The aqueous layer was extracted with a second portion of CH 2 Cl 2 . The extracts were combined and washed with a small portion of water, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give a thick syrup which was triturated with Et 2 O to give a solid which was recrystallized from EtOAc to give (2,5-diethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, E6. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) supported the assigned structure. ##STR52##
To a solution of TFA (9.2 mL, 120 mmol) in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (50 mL) cooled in an ice bath, was added BH 3 .Me 2 S (90.0 mL, 1.0M in CH 2 Cl 2 ) dropwise. This was stirred at 0° C. for an additional 90 min and then (2,5-diethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl!-methanol, E6, (1.4 g, 3 mmol) in CH 2 Cl 2 (25 mL) was added in one portion and reaction mixture was allowed to come to room temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched by the addition of 100 mL of 3:1 MeOH/3N HCl followed by refluxing for 2 hrs. Most of the solvent was then evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water and washed twice with Et 2 O, then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The organic extracts were combined, dried (K 2 CO 3 ) and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo to give a syrup (0.69 g), which was combined with fumaric acid (0.36 g) in MeOH. The solvent was evaporated and the residue was recrystallized from acetone to give the title compound (0.70 g, 70%) as a white solid, m.p. 115°-116.5° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ) supported the assigned structure: 1.2 (m, 6H), 2.7 (m, 4H), 3.7 (s, 2H), 6.55 (s, 1H), 6.6 (s, 2H), 6.75 (s, 1H), 7.6 (s, 1H). Elemental Analysis: Calc for C 12 H 16 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 57.13; H, 5.99; N, 8.33. Found C, 57.06; H, 6.06; N 8.27.
EXAMPLE 7
4- (2-Ethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR53##
To a mixture of 2-ethylthiophene (11.2 g, 0.100 mol) and sodium acetate (16.4 g, 0.200 mol) in 75 mL of water was added bromine (32.0 g, 0.200 mol). The reaction mixture was stirred for 2 days. GC analysis indicated that some monobrominated material was left so additional bromine (7.75 g) and sodium acetate (5.00 g) were added. After a few hours of stirring, GC analysis indicated that the monobromo material was gone so zinc (19.6 g, 0.30 mol) was added in portions. The reaction mixture was then refluxed for 25 h. The product was distilled out of the reaction mixture. The distillate was extracted with ether twice. The ether extracts were combined, washed with aqueous sodium bicarbonate, water, and brine, and then dried (MgSO 4 ). The solution was concentrated in vacuo, and then distilled under reduced pressure to provide 10.1 g (53%) of 3-bromo-2-ethylthiophene, A7, b.p. 49°-50° C. @ 4mmHg. The 1 H NMR in CDCl 3 supported the desired product structure. ##STR54##
A solution of 3-bromo-2-ethylthiophene, A7, (8.9 g, 0.0465 mol) in 50 mL of diethyl ether was cooled to -78° C., and a solution of n-BuLi (29.0 mL, 1.6M) in hexanes was added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the reaction was stirred at -78° C. for 5 min. Then DMF (5.1 g, 0.070 mol) was cannulated into the reaction mixture which was allowed to warm to ambient temperature and was stirred overnight. The reaction was quenched with water and extracted twice with diethyl ether. The organic extracts were combined, washed with twice with water and then brine and dried (MgSO 4 ). The solution was filtered and concentrated to provide an oil which was purified on flash silica gel with 97.5:2.5 hexanes:diethyl ether to give 1.66 g (25%) of 2-ethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, B7. The 1 H NMR in CDCl 3 supported the desired product structure. ##STR55##
To a solution of N-trityl-4-iodo-imidazole (4.1 g, 0.0095 mol) in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (75 mL) was added a solution of MeMgBr (4.0 mL, 3.0M) in diethyl ether and the solution was stirred for 3 hrs. Then a solution of 2-ethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, B7, (1.66 g, 0.0087 mol) in CH 2 Cl 2 (20 mL) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction was quenched with aqueous NH 4 Cl and the mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel. The aqueous layer was extracted with a second portion of CH 2 Cl 2 . The extracts were combined and washed with a small portion of water, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and filtered. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo, and the residue was triturated with Et 2 O to give (2-ethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, C7, as a beige solid which was taken on to the next step directly. ##STR56##
A solution of (2-methylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, C7, (0.9 g, 0.00199 mol) was combined with 1N HCl (2.0 mL) and Pd(OH) 2 (1.5 g) in EtOH and hydrogenated (55 psi) at 50° C. for 48 hrs. The catalyst was removed by filtration through Dicalite, and the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in water, washed twice with Et 2 O, and then basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted twice with EtOAc. The combined extracts were dried (K 2 CO 3 ), filtered and solvent evaporated. The residue was dissolved in 2-PrOH and combined with fumaric acid. The solvent was evaporated and the residue recrystallized from acetone to provide 4- (2-ethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole fumarate, Cp-7, as a white solid, m.p. 132°-134° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d6) supported the assigned structure: δ1.20 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 3H), 2.8 (q, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 3.80 (s, 2H), 6.65 (s, 2H), 6.70 (s, 1H), 6.80 (d, 1H), 7.20 (d, 2H), 7.60 (s, 1H). Elemental Analysis: Calc. for C 10 H 12 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 C, 54.33; H, 5.23; N, 9.09. Found C, 54.42; H, 5.17; N, 9.02.
EXAMPLE 8
4- (2,4-Dimethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR57##
A solution of 2,4,5-tribromo-3-methylthiophene (50.2 g, 0.15 mol; Gronowitz, S.; Moses, P. Hakansson Arkiv. f. Kemi. 1960, 14, 267) in 400 mL of diethyl ether was cooled to -78° C., and a solution of nBuLi (100 mL, 1.6M) was added dropwise. The starting material precipitated out of solution, but when n-BuLi added, the reaction mixture became stirrable again. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was stirred for 20 min, and then a solution of dimethyl sulfate (75.7 g, 0.600 mol) in 200 mL of diethyl ether which was cooled to -50° C. was added by cannulation. When addition was complete, the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to ambient temperature and was stirred overnight. The reaction was quenched with 100 mL of 6N NaOH solution and stirred for 2h. The mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel, and the aqueous layer was separated and extracted with additional ether. The organic layers were combined, washed with water and brine and dried (MgSO 4 ). The suspension was filtered and concentrated to give an oil. Vacuum distillation provided 22.1 g (55%) of 2,4-dibromo-3,5-dimethylthiophene, A8, b.p. 71°-72° C. @ 0.4 mmHg. The 1 H NMR in CDCl 3 supported the assigned structure. ##STR58##
A solution of 2,4-dibromo-3,5-dimethylthiophene, A8, (22.0 g, 0.081 mol) in 250 mL of THF was cooled to -78° C. Then a solution of n-BuLi (53 mL, 1.6M) in hexanes was cooled to -78° C. and added via cannulation. The reaction was stirred for 3 h, and then was quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride. The mixture was extracted twice with diethyl ether. The organic layers were combined, washed with water and brine and dried (MgSO 4 ). The suspension was filtered and concentrated to give an oil. Vacuum distillation provided 7.6 g (49%) of 3-dibromo-2,4-dimethyl thiophene, B8, b.p. 77°-79° C. @ 5 mmHg, as a nearly colorless liquid. The 1 H NMR in CDCl 3 supported the assigned structure. ##STR59##
A solution of 3-bromo-2,4-dimethylthiophene, B8, (5.9 g, 0.031 mol) in 200 mL of diethyl ether was cooled to -78° C., and a solution of n-BuLi (25.0 mL, 1.6M) in hexanes was added dropwise. When the addition was complete, the reaction was stirred at -78° C. for 4 h. TLC analysis indicated very little conversion so reaction mixture was warmed slowly to -25° C. Then a solution of DMF (4.5 g, 0.062 mol) in 25 mL of ether was cannulated into the reaction mixture which was allowed to warm to ambient temperature and was stirred overnight. The reaction was quenched with water and extracted twice with diethyl ether. The organic extracts were combined, washed with twice with water and then brine and dried (MgSO 4 ). The solution was filtered and concentrated to provide an amber oil which was dissolved in hexane. The solution was treated with charcoal, filtered through Dicalite, and concentrated to give 2,4-dimethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, C,8, which was used directly in the next step. ##STR60##
To a solution of 4-iodo-1-trityl imidazole (11.8 g, 0.027 mol) in 75 mL of dry dichloromethane under nitrogen was added dropwise a solution of methyl magnesium bromide in diethyl ether (9.0 mL, 3.0M). When addition was complete, the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 h at 25° C. Then, 2,4-dimethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, C8, (3.8 g, 0.027 mol) was added as a solution in 20 mL of dichloromethane. After overnight stirring at ambient temperature, the reaction was quenched with saturated ammonium chloride solution. The layers were separated, and the aqueous layer was extracted again with dichloromethane. The organic layers were combined, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was triturated with ethyl acetate to provide (2,4-dimethylthieno-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4yl-methanol, D8, as an off-white solid which was taken on directly in the next step. ##STR61##
A solution of BH 3 .Me 2 S (120 mL, 1.0M) in dichloromethane was added dropwise to a solution of TFA (18.2 g, 0.16 mol) in 50 mL of dry dichloromethane at 0° C. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 h. Then the carbinol, D8, (1.8 g, 0.040 mol) was added, and the reaction mixture was warmed to ambient temperature and stirred overnight. The reaction was quenched with 100 mL of 1.5N HCl, and then the mixture was refluxed on a steam bath for 2 h. The solution was cooled and then concentrated in vacuo to provide a brown oil. The residue was dissolved in water. This solution was washed twice with ether, basified with Na 2 CO 3 and extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extracts were combined, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified on flash silica gel using 97.5:2.5 chloroform: 10% ammonium hydroxide in methanol. The isolated material was dissolved in isopropanol, and fumaric acid was added. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the residue was recrystallized from acetone to provide 0.274 g of 4- -(2,4-dimethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole fumarate, Cp-8, as a white solid, m.p. 160°-162° C. The 1 H NMR in DMSO-d 6 supported the assigned structure: δ2.10 (s, 3H, Me), 2.40 (s, 3H, Me), 3.70 (s, 2H, CH 2 ), 6.55 (s, 1H), 6.65 (s, 2H), 6.85 (s, 1H), 7.60 (s, 1H). Elemental analysis: Calculated for C 10 H 12 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 : C, 54.54; H, 5.23; N, 9.08. Found C, 54.45; H, 5.26; N, 9.06.
EXAMPLE 9
4- (4-Ethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR62##
To an ice-cooled solution of 3-ethylthiophene (25.75 g, 0.23 mol) in 75 mL of chloroform was added bromine (111.87 g, 0.7 mol). The reaction mixture was allowed to warm to ambient temperature and was left to stir overnight. Analysis by GC indicated that >90% of a single product was present so the reaction mixture was poured onto ice. The mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel and diluted with additional chloroform. The layers were separated and the organic layer was washed with 200 mL of 10% NaHSO 3 solution, water, and brine, and dried (MgSO 4 ). After filtration, concentration in vacuo provided a dark oil which was distilled under reduced pressure to provide 2,3,5-tribromo-4-ethylthiophene, A9. GC analysis indicated that the product was reasonably pure and it was taken on directly. ##STR63##
A suspension of zinc (24.5 g, 0.375 mol) in 250 mL of 10% aqueous acetic acid was placed in a round bottom flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer. The suspension was heated at reflux, and 2,3,5-tribromo-4-ethylthiophene, A9, (26.1 g, 0.0750 mol) was added in portions. Reflux was continued overnight, and then the product was removed by steam distillation. The distillate was transferred to a separatory funnel and extracted twice with ether. The ether layers were combined, washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, and dried (MgSO4). After filtration, the solution was concentrated to give 7 g of a clear oil. The original reaction pot was resubjected to steam distillation to provide a second batch of product. Both batches contained a mixture of desired product and dibromo compound. These were purified on flash silica gel with pentane as eluant to provide 3.4 g of 3-bromo-4-ethylthiophene, B9, as a clear liquid. This material was taken on directly in the next step. ##STR64##
A solution of 3-bromo-4-ethylthiophene, B9, (3.4 g, 0.018 mol) in 40 mL of diethyl ether was cooled to -78° C., and a solution of n-BuLi (12.0 mL, 1.6M) in hexanes was added dropwise. The solution was allowed to warm to -20° C., and DMF (1.46 g, 0.020 mol) was added. The reaction mixture was allowed to warm to ambient temperature and was stirred overnight. The reaction was quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride solution and extracted twice with diethyl ether. The organic extracts were combined, washed with twice with water and then brine and dried (MgSO 4 ). The solution was filtered and concentrated to provide 4-ethylthiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, C9, which was used directly in the next step. ##STR65##
To a solution of 4-iodo-1-trityl imidazole (3.9 g, 0.0090 mol) in 40 mL of dry dichloromethane under nitrogen was added dropwise a solution of ethyl magnesium bromide in diethyl ether (3.0 mL, 3.0M). When addition was complete, the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 h at 25° C. Then, 4-ethyl-thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, C9, (1.2 g, 0.0086 mol) was added as a solution in 20 mL of dichloromethane. After overnight stirring at ambient temperature, the reaction was quenched with saturated ammonium chloride solution. The layers were separated, and the aqueous layer was extracted again with dichloromethane. The organic layers were combined, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and concentrated to provide an orange-yellow solid. This material was recrystallized from ethyl acetate to provide (4-ethylthiophen-3-yl)1-trityl-imidazo-4-yl-methanol, D9, which was taken on directly in the next step. ##STR66##
A solution of (4-ethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl-methanol, D9, in 40 mL of ethanol containing 1N hydrochloric acid (1.7 mL) and palladium hydroxide (0.75 g) was shaken with hydrogen at 60 psi at 50° C. on a Parr hydrogenator for 3 days. The solution was cooled and filtered to remove the catalyst. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was dissolved in water and extracted twice with Et 2 O then basified with sodium carbonate and extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layers were combined, dried (K 2 CO 3 ), and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in 2-propanol and fumaric acid was added. The solution was concentrated in vacuo, and the residue was recrystallized from acetone to provide 0.245 g of 4- (4-ethylthien-3-yl)methyl!-1H-imidazole fumarate, C-9, as a white solid, m.p. 142°-144° C. The 1 H NMR in DMSO-d 6 supported the assigned structure: δ1.20 (t, 3H, Me), 3.8 (s, 2H), 6.65 (s, 2H), 6.67 (s, 1H), 7.05 (m, 1H), 7.10 (m, 1H), 7.60 (s, 1H), 7.55 (s, 1H). Elemental analysis: Calculated for C 10 H 12 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 : C, 54.53; H, 5.23; N, 9.08. Found C, 54.58; H, 5.33; N, 9.03.
EXAMPLE 10
4- (4-Ethylthien-3-yl)ethyl!-1H-imidazole Fumarate ##STR67##
To a solution of the carbinol, D9, (1.17 g, 2.6 mmol) in 50 mL of dichloromethane was added MnO 2 (5.0 g). The reaction mixture was stirred overnight and then was filtered. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo to provide 4-(4-ethylthien-3yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4yl methanone, A10, which was used directly in the next step. ##STR68##
A solution of methylmagnesium bromide (1.0 mL, 3.0M) in diethyl ether was added to an ice-cooled solution of 4-(4-ethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4yl methanone, A10, (1.17 g, 0.0026 mol) in 25 mL of THF. After 30 min of stirring, TLC analysis indicated that some starting material was left so an additional 1.0 mL of methylmagnesium bromide was added, and the reaction mixture was stirred over the weekend. The reaction was quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride solution, and the resulting mixture was extracted twice with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extracts were combined, washed with water and brine, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ), and filtered. Concentration provided 1-(4-ethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidazol-4-yl ethanol, B10, as an oil which crystallized on standing. This material was taken on directly in the next step. ##STR69##
A solution of 1- (4-ethylthien-3-yl)-1-trityl-imidaz-4-yl!-ethanol, B10, in 40 mL of ethanol containing 1N hydrochloric acid (2.5 mL) and palladium hydroxide (1.0 g) was shaken with hydrogen at 60 psi at 50° C. on a Parr hydrogenator for 3 days. The solution was cooled and filtered to remove the catalyst. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was dissolved in water and extracted twice with Et 2 O, then basified with sodium carbonate and extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layers were combined, dried (K 2 CO 3 ), and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified on a silica gel column on a Foxy apparatus using 99:0.75:0.25 ethyl acetate:methanol:ammonium hydroxide as eluant to provide a glass. This material was dissolved in 2-propanol and fumaric acid was added. The solution was concentrated in vacuo, and the residue was recrystallized from acetone to provide 0.323 g of 4- 1-(4-ethylthien-3-yl)ethyl!-1H-imidazole fumarate, Cp-10, as a white solid, m.p. 145°-147° C. The 1 H NMR in DMSO-d 6 supported the assigned structure: δ1.50 (t, 3H, Me), 1.50 (d, 2H, Me), 4.05 (q, 1H, CH), 6.60 (s, 3H), 7.05 (d, 1H), 7.15 (d, 1H), 7.55 (s, 1H). Elemental analysis: Calculated for C 11 H 14 N 2 S.C 4 H 4 O 4 : C, 55.89; H, 5.63; N, 8.69. Found C, 55.79; H, 5.47; N, 8.59.
|
Described herein are 4- (thien-3-yl)methyl!-imidazoles of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, and
X is C 1-4 alkyl, bromine or chlorine; or ##STR2## wherein Y is hydrogen, C 1-4 alkyl, bromine or chlorine, and
Z is C 1-4 4alkyl, bromine or chlorine which have exceptional analgesic activity.
| 2
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2006/308646, filed Apr. 25, 2006, which was published under PCT Article 21(2) in Japanese.
[0002] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-129548, filed Apr. 27, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to a flat fuel cell effective for operation of an electronic appliance showing a stable and favorable characteristic, and a fuel cell and a catalyst layer electrode for fuel cell for replenishing the fuel cell with liquid fuel and water.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] A fuel cell has been attracting attention as a clean power generation system producing only water, in principle, as battery reaction product, and practically free from adverse effects on global environment. In particular, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) having a solid electrolyte membrane and using liquid fuel is expected to be used as a fuel cell appropriate in a portable information appliance.
[0007] For example, the DMFC disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3413111 is composed of a solid electrolyte membrane of proton conductivity, a catalyst layer electrode having catalyst-carrying carbon fine particles coated with ion exchange resin, and a gas diffusion layer for supplying reaction fuel to the catalyst layer electrode and collecting an electric charge. The DMFC has a single cell in a configuration of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) formed of an anode for producing charge and proton from fuel and water, and a cathode formed of a catalyst layer electrode having catalyst-carrying carbon fine particles coated with the ion exchange resin, and a gas diffusion layer for supplying oxygen to the catalyst layer electrode and transferring charge, and producing water from proton and oxygen. The DMFC is further provided with a liquid fuel tank in a peripheral area, and has single or plural single cells covered with a protective cover. The catalyst layer electrode has a cavity of small pores formed among secondary particles or tertiary particles of carbon fine particles, and functions as a diffusion route of reaction gas.
[0008] The DMFC is substantially enhanced in the power generation performance because the solid electrolyte membrane having a high ion conductivity is developed, and the reaction site in the catalyst layer is formed in three dimensions by using catalyst-carrying carbon fine particles coated with ion exchange resin of same type or different type as the solid electrolyte membrane as constituent material of the electrode catalyst layer.
[0009] In an MEA 10 of the conventional DMFC, however, as shown in FIG. 10 , a fillet 13 of a catalyst layer electrode 12 is likely to be peeled off from a solid electrolyte membrane 11 , the area contributing to power generation reaction decreases, and sufficient power generation performance is hardly obtained. The catalyst layer electrode 12 is made of a base material such as carbon paper, carbon fiber, or felt material, and is compressed to the solid electrolyte membrane 11 by laminating process using a hot press or the like. However, since the adhesion strength thereof is weak, the catalyst layer electrode 12 may be peeled off from the fillet 13 when assembled into the battery main body. Accordingly, the expected reaction may not take place between the catalyst layer electrode 12 and solid electrode membrane 11 , the battery characteristic may be partly impeded, and the output may not be obtained according to the design specification.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art, and it is hence an object thereof to provide a fuel cell in which the compressed catalyst layer electrode is hardly peeled off from the solid electrolyte membrane, and which has a stable and excellent battery performance, and a catalyst layer electrode for fuel cell.
[0011] To solve the problems, the present inventors intensively studied the compression of the catalyst layer electrode and solid electrolyte membrane by paying attention to the shape of the fillet of the catalyst layer electrode, and succeeded in development of the catalyst layer electrode of the invention which is hardly peeled off from the solid electrolyte membrane.
[0012] The fuel cell of the invention includes a solid electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode disposed oppositely across the solid electrolyte membrane as a single cell, and one or a plurality of the single cells are disposed along a plane to compose a fuel cell for a portable appliance. The catalyst layer electrode of at least one of the anode and cathode does not include a corner of an angle of 90° or less, and is integrated on each surface of the solid electrolyte membrane.
[0013] Each catalyst layer electrode of the anode and cathode has a substantially rectangular shape in a two-dimensional projection plane, having a cut-off fillet portion cutting off part of a fillet so that terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides of at least one corner do not meet at an angle of 90° or less, and is compressed to each side of the solid electrolyte membrane.
[0014] The catalyst layer electrode for fuel cell of the invention includes a solid electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode disposed oppositely across the solid electrolyte membrane as a single cell, and one or a plurality of the single cells are disposed in a plane direction to compose a fuel cell. The catalyst layer electrode of at least one of the anode and cathode does not have an angle of 90° or less, and is integrated on each surface of the solid electrolyte membrane.
[0015] The catalyst layer electrode for fuel cell of the invention is a catalyst layer electrode used in the fuel cell, and is formed in a two-dimensional projection plane in a substantially rectangular shape, and has a cut-off fillet portion cutting off part of the fillet so that terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides at a corner may not meet at an angle of 90° or less.
[0016] Preferably, the two-dimensional projection plane shape of the catalyst layer electrode is pentagonal or further polygonal, or the two-dimensional projection plane shape of the cut-off fillet portion of the catalyst layer electrode is an arc. In the former case, the cut-off fillet portion has an angle of more than 90° (an obtuse angle), and on the two-dimensional projection plane, an area of the catalyst layer electrode is desirably 90% or more of the area of true square shape without the cut-off fillet portion. In the latter case, the radius of curvature R of the arc at the cut-off fillet portion is 1 mm or more, and on the two-dimensional projection plane, an area of the catalyst layer electrode is desirably 90% or more of the area of true square shape without the cut-off fillet portion. This is because, if chamfered excessively or the radius of curvature of the arc is too large, the area of the catalyst layer electrode becomes too small, and the reaction area responsible for power generation may be insufficient. Substantially, such problem does not occur as long as the area is 90% or more of the original rectangular shape.
[0017] The cut-off fillet portion may be formed by cutting off a triangular portion consisting of the vertex at the intersection of meeting place of terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides on the two-dimensional projection plane, and the bottom of a straight line obliquely crossing the adjacent sides remote by a specified distance from the intersection ( FIG. 2 ), or by cutting off an outside portion of an arc at a circumscribing place of mutually adjacent sides remote by a specified distance from the intersection of meeting place of terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides on the two-dimensional projection plane ( FIG. 3 ). In this manner, the cut-off fillet portion is formed by chamfering or cutting off the fillet of the catalyst layer electrode of true square shape shown in FIG. 9 .
[0018] The invention also includes a catalyst layer electrode having a shape without the cut-off fillet portion. For example, on the two-dimensional projection plane, when each side of the catalyst layer electrode is formed in an outwardly warped (extended) curved shape, terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides always meet at an angle of more than 90° ( FIG. 4 ). The curved shape of the side includes an arc of true circle, an arc of ellipse, a catenary, a cycloid, a cardioid, and other two-dimensional curves. In the catalyst layer electrode having sides of such curved shapes, by further cutting off the fillet, the effect may be further enhanced ( FIG. 5 ). Moreover, by forming a plurality of catalyst layer electrodes having the same size and shape in parallel arrangement, and adhering them to one solid electrolyte membrane, a multitype membrane electrode assembly may be formed ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ).
[0019] “Each catalyst layer electrode having a two-dimensional projection plane in a substantially rectangular shape” means that the shape includes square, rectangle, and pseudo rectangle in which at least one of four sides is outwardly warped (extended).
[0020] The catalyst layer electrode can be obtained by integrally forming, by compressing, a sheet of carbon containing base material after applying or impregnating a catalyst-containing substance thereto. Specifically, by hot pressing at temperature of 100 to 160° C., the catalyst layer electrode can be compressed to the solid electrolyte membrane. The carbon-containing base material includes a felt sheet of carbon fiber or carbon paper. In such sheet, catalyst-containing paste of specified component and amount is applied or impregnated, and the paste applied sheets are adhered together with the interposed solid electrolyte membrane, and compressed integrally by hot press.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0021] FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing the structure of a fuel cell.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in Example 1.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in Example 2.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in Example 3.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in a modified example.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a multitype membrane electrode assembly having multiple catalyst layer electrodes.
[0027] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in Example 4.
[0028] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in Comparative Example 2.
[0029] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a catalyst layer electrode in Comparative Example 1.
[0030] FIG. 10 is a side view of a catalyst layer electrode compressed by hot press to a solid electrolyte membrane of a conventional fuel cell.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Various modes for carrying out the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0032] A general structure of a fuel cell for a portable appliance in an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . A fuel cell 1 is entirely covered with a protective cover 20 , and has a single cell inside. The fuel cell 1 is formed integrally by tightening the internal single cell with a bolt 28 and a nut 29 by way of seal members 17 , 18 from the protective cover 20 side. By the seal members 17 , 18 and a plurality of spacers 25 as pressing members, various spaces and gaps are formed in the fuel cell 1 . Of these spaces and gaps, for example, the cathode side space is used as a water storage chamber 26 , and the anode side space is used as a fuel storage chamber 27 . The cathode side protective cover 20 is provided with plural fine ventilation pores 24 , which communicate with the space 26 .
[0033] The single cell of the fuel cell includes a solid electrolyte membrane 11 , an anode, and a cathode. The anode and cathode are disposed oppositely across the solid electrolyte membrane 11 . The anode includes anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) and an anode gas diffusion layer 14 . The anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) are intended to oxidize the fuel supplied through the gas diffusion layer 14 to take out electrons and protons from the fuel, and the anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) and gas diffusion layer 14 are stacked up to form a laminated structure. The anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) are composed of, for example, carbon powder containing catalyst. Examples of the catalyst include fine particles of transition metals such as platinum (Pt), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), oxides thereof, or fine particles of their alloys. When the catalyst is formed of an alloy of ruthenium and platinum, it is preferred because inactivation of catalyst by adsorption of carbon monoxide (CO) can be prevented.
[0034] Preferably, the anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) contain fine particles of resin used in the solid electrolyte membrane 11 described below. This is because moving of generated protons is facilitated. The gas diffusion layer 14 is formed of a thin film made of, for example, porous carbon material, and specifically, it is formed of carbon paper or carbon fiber. A negative electrode lead 16 b communicating with the end of the gas diffusion layer 14 is extending outward.
[0035] The cathode includes cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) and a cathode gas diffusion layer 15 . The cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) are intended to reduce oxygen, and produce water by reaction between electrons and protons generated in the cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D), and they are formed in the same way as, for example, the anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) and gas diffusion layer 14 . That is, the cathode has a laminated structure formed by stacking up the cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) formed of carbon powder including catalyst and the cathode gas diffusion layer 15 (gas permeation layer) formed of porous carbon material, sequentially from the solid electrolyte membrane 11 side. The catalyst used in the cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) is the same as that of the anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D), and the cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) may contain fine particles of resin used in the solid electrolyte membrane 11 in the same way as the anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D). A positive electrode lead 16 a communicating with the end of the gas diffusion layer 15 is extending outward.
[0036] Various shapes of the catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) will be explained below.
[0037] The shape of the catalyst layer electrode is a two-dimensional projection plane shape of the catalyst layer electrode 12 A in pentagonal or further polygonal shape as shown in FIG. 2 , or a two-dimensional projection plane shape of a cut-off fillet portion 13 B of the catalyst layer electrode 12 B in an arc as shown in FIG. 3 . In the former case 12 A, the cut-off fillet portion has an angle of more than 90°, and on the two-dimensional projection plane, an area of the catalyst layer electrode is desirably 90% or more of the area of true square shape without a cut-off fillet portion. In the latter case 12 B, the radius of curvature R of the arc at the cut-off fillet portion is 1 mm or more, and on the two-dimensional projection plane, an area of the catalyst layer electrode is desirably 90% or more of the area of true square shape without a cut-off fillet portion. This is because, if chamfered excessively or the radius of curvature of the arc is too large, the area of the catalyst layer electrode becomes too small, and the reaction area responsible for power generation may be insufficient. Substantially, such problem does not occur as long as the area is 90% or more of the original rectangular shape.
[0038] The cut-off fillet portion 13 A may be formed, as shown in FIG. 2 , by cutting off a triangular portion consisting of the vertex at the orthogonal intersection of meeting place of terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides on the two-dimensional projection plane, and the bottom of a straight line obliquely crossing the adjacent sides remote by a specified distance from the orthogonal intersection. Alternatively, the cut-off fillet portion 13 B may be formed, as shown in FIG. 3 , by cutting off an outside portion of an arc at a circumscribing place of mutually adjacent sides remote by a specified distance from the orthogonal intersection of meeting place of terminal ends of mutually adjacent sides on the two-dimensional projection plane. In this manner, the cut-off fillet portion is formed by chamfering or cutting off the fillet of the catalyst layer electrode of true square shape shown in FIG. 7 .
[0039] The invention also includes a catalyst layer electrode having a shape without a cut-off fillet portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , on the two-dimensional projection plane, when the sides 12 a , 12 b of the catalyst layer electrode 12 C is formed in an outwardly warped (extended) curved shape, terminal ends 13 C of mutually adjacent sides always meet at an angle of more than 90°. The curved shape of the side includes an arc of true circle, an arc of ellipse, a catenary, a cycloid, a cardioid, and other two-dimensional curves. In the catalyst layer electrode 12 D having sides 12 a , 12 b of such curved shapes, as shown in FIG. 5 , by further cutting off the fillet to form a cut-off fillet portion 13 D, the effect may be further enhanced.
[0040] The solid electrolyte membrane 11 is intended to transfer the protons generated in the anode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D) to the cathode catalyst layer electrodes 12 A ( 12 B to 12 D), and is composed of a material not having electron transfer property and capable of transferring protons. For example, the solid electrolyte membrane 11 is made of a resin film of polyperfluorosulfonic acid system, and specific examples thereof include Nafion film of Du Pont, Flemion film of Asahi Glass, and Aciplex film of Asahi Kasei Chemicals. Aside from the resin film of polyperfluorosulfonic acid system, the solid electrolyte membrane 11 may be also made of other proton transferring materials such as copolymer film of trifluorostyrene derivative, polybenzimidazole film impregnated with phosphoric acid, aromatic polyether ketone sulfonic aid film, or aliphatic hydrocarbon resin film.
[0041] Further, on one solid electrolyte membrane 11 , plural catalyst layer electrodes may be arranged and adhered in parallel, and a multitype membrane electrode assembly may be formed. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , four catalyst layer electrodes E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , and E 4 are arranged in parallel at equal pitch intervals in the width direction (X-direction). The catalyst layer electrodes E 1 to E 4 are the catalyst layer electrodes 12 B having an R chamfered fillet 13 B as shown in FIG. 3 and an aspect ratio of 3 to 8.
[0042] At the opposite side of the solid electrolyte membrane 11 of the anode gas diffusion layer 14 , for example, a fuel storage chamber 27 having a liquid fuel storage space formed inside is provided adjacently to the anode gas diffusion layer 14 . By using a liquid fuel of high concentration, the fuel cell volume efficiency is enhanced, and the size and weight of a fuel cartridge carried together with the fuel cell can be reduced. A fuel feed port (not shown) penetrating through the seal member 18 communicates with the fuel storage chamber 27 , into which liquid fuel is supplied. The fuel feed port is provided with a detachable lid (not shown) for closing the fuel feed port 21 . The fuel storage chamber 27 and lid are made of rigid plastics not swollen by liquid fuel, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, or polycarbonate. The fuel storage chamber 27 and lid may be also made of a metal material excellent in corrosion resistance, such as stainless steel or nickel metal. When the fuel storage chamber 27 is formed of a metal material, the fuel storage chamber 27 is disposed properly so as not to allow short circuit of the anode catalyst layer electrode 12 A and cathode catalyst layer electrode 12 A, or an insulating member (not shown) must be inserted in order to prevent short circuit. To take out electrons to the negative electrode lead 16 b from the gas diffusion layer 14 , a plurality of spacers 25 (protruding structure) are provided so as to project from the protective cover 20 toward the gas diffusion layer 14 , and as a result the power generation energy may be utilized efficiently. The negative electrode lead 16 b has multiple openings and gaps, and is formed in a shape not to impede the gas diffusion.
[0043] The inside of the fuel storage chamber 27 may be filled with a liquid fuel impregnating material for impregnating and holding the liquid fuel. The liquid fuel impregnating material is formed of, for example, porous polyester fiber, specifically Univex manufactured by Unitika, Ltd. The liquid fuel impregnating material is disposed between the anode gas diffusion layer 14 and fuel opening (not shown), and has a function of supplying a proper amount of fuel to the anode. Aside from polyester fiber, the liquid fuel impregnating material may be also formed of various water absorbing polymers such as acrylic acid resin, or sponge or fiber assembly which is a liquid holding material having liquid permeable property. The liquid fuel impregnating material is effective for supplying a proper amount of fuel regardless of the position of the main body. Examples of the liquid fuel include methanol aqueous solution, ethanol aqueous solution, propanol fuel such as propanol aqueous solution and pure propanol, glycol fuel such as glycol aqueous solution and pure glycol, dimethyl ether, formic acid aqueous solution, sodium formate aqueous solution, acetic acid aqueous solution, ethylene glycol aqueous solution, and other organic aqueous solution containing hydrogen. In particular, methanol aqueous solution is preferred because the number of carbon atoms is one, carbon dioxide is generated by reaction, power generation at low temperature is possible, and it can be easily manufactured from industrial waste. Anyway, a liquid fuel suited to a fuel cell is used. The cathode side protective cover 20 is provided with, for example, multiple ventilation holes 24 opened for supplying outside air to the cathode gas diffusion layer 15 through gaps by spontaneous diffusion. These ventilation holes 24 are opened to pass outside air, and are formed in a proper shape not impeding passing of outside air, and preventing invasion or contact of fine or needle-like foreign matter from outside into the cathode gas diffusion layer 15 .
[0044] The invention has been described herein by showing various embodiments, but the invention is not limited to these embodiments alone, but may be modified and combined in various manners.
EXAMPLES 1, 2, 3 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
[0045] Carbon paper was used as the base material, paste containing catalyst was applied thereon, and the resultant material was adhered to both sides of a solid electrolyte membrane, and integrally formed and compressed by hot press, to obtain power generation element structures of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1 in specified shape.
[0046] A catalyst layer electrode 12 A having a shape shown in FIG. 2 was used in Example 1, a catalyst layer electrode 12 B having a shape shown in FIG. 3 in Example 2, a catalyst layer electrode 12 C having a shape shown in FIG. 4 in Example 3, and a catalyst layer electrode 12 having a shape shown in FIG. 9 in Comparative Example 1. Length L 1 of a longer side 12 b was 40 mm, length L 2 of a shorter side 12 a was 30 mm, chamfering size L 3 of the cut-off fillet portion 13 A in Example 1 was 1 mm, radius of curvature R 3 of an arc of the cut-off fillet portion 13 B in Example 2 was 1 mm, and radius of curvature R 2 of the shorter side 12 a was 100 mm and radius of curvature R 1 of the longer side 12 b was 200 mm in Example 3. In Examples 1, 2, 3 and Comparative Example 1, the electrodes were hot pressed in the condition of temperature of 120° C., and pressure of 300 MPa/cm 2 . After hot pressing, the total thickness of solid electrode membrane, anode catalyst layer electrode, and cathode catalyst layer electrode was about 1.5 mm.
[0047] In the following condition, the fuel cells of Examples 1, 2, 3 and Comparative Example 1 were operated to generate power, and the battery performance was compared before and after the long-term power generation operation.
[0048] The battery was assembled and filled with fuel, and the internal resistance was measured, which was set as an initial internal resistance. The battery was tested by long-term power generation operation for 500 hours at a constant voltage load of 0.3V. Based on the value of power immediately after start of the test, the value of power after 500 hours was determined as retention rate. The internal resistance after the test was measured, and the change of the internal resistance compared before and after the long-term power generation operation was determined. Test results are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Battery performance test Initial Internal Power internal resistance retention resistance after test rate (mΩ) (mΩ) (%) Example 1 80 95 85 Example 2 76 90 83 Example 3 79 92 82 Comparative 78 160 51 Example 1
[0049] In Table 1, comparing the internal resistance before and after the long-term power generation operation, the internal resistance (160 mΩ) of Comparative Example 1 was higher than those of Examples 1, 2, 3 (95 mΩ, 90 mΩ, 92 mΩ). This is thought to be because the internal resistance was increased due to drop of electrode adhesion strength by aging effects of the long-term power generation test. The power retention rate in Comparative Example 1 was only 51%, while high rates were shown in others, that is, 85% in Example 1, 83% in Example 2, and 82% in Example 3. Hence, Examples 1, 2, 3 were proved to maintain sufficient battery performance even after the long-term power generation operation.
EXAMPLE 4 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2
[0050] Carbon paper was used as the base material, paste containing catalyst was applied thereon, and the resultant material was adhered to both sides of a solid electrolyte membrane, and integrally formed and compressed by hot press, to obtain membrane electrode assemblies in a specified shape as shown in FIG. 7 as Example 4, and as shown in FIG. 8 as Comparative Example 2.
[0051] Example 4 is a multitype membrane electrode assembly having catalyst layer electrodes 12 A in a shape shown in FIG. 2 arranged in parallel in three rows, and Comparative Example 2 is a multitype membrane electrode assembly having catalyst layer electrodes 12 in a shape shown in FIG. 9 arranged in series in three rows. Length L 1 of a longer side 12 b was 40 mm, length L 2 of a shorter side 12 a was 9 mm, chamfering size L 3 of the cut-off fillet portion in Example 4 was 1 mm, mutual interval L 5 between electrodes was 1.5 mm, and total width L 6 was 30 mm. In both Example 4 and Comparative Example 2, the electrodes were hot pressed in the condition of temperature of 125° C., and pressure of 300 MPa/cm 2 . After hot pressing, the total thickness of solid electrode membrane, anode catalyst layer electrode, and cathode catalyst layer electrode was about 1.5 mm.
[0052] The fuel cells were tested by power generation operation in the same condition as in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1. Test results are shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2 Battery performance test Initial Internal Power internal resistance retention resistance after test rate (mΩ) (mΩ) (%) Example 4 256 300 79 Comparative 260 380 50 Example 2
[0053] In Table 2, comparing the internal resistance before and after the long-term power generation operation, the internal resistance (380 mΩ) of Comparative Example 2 was higher than that (300 mΩ) of Example 4. This is thought to be because the internal resistance was increased due to drop of electrode adhesion strength by aging effects of the long-term power generation test. The power retention rate in Comparative Example 2 was only 50%, while a high rate of 79% was obtained in Example 4. Hence, Example 4 was proved to maintain sufficient battery performance even after the long-term power generation operation.
[0054] According to the invention, since the compressed catalyst layer electrode is hardly peeled off from the solid electrolyte membrane, a favorable battery performance is obtained stably, and an output characteristic free from fluctuation can be obtained as a power source for mobile appliances such as portable telephone, notebook personal computer, and portable game machine.
[0055] The fuel cell of the invention can maintain and recover the battery performance by a simple operation, and is very useful as a power source to be assembled in mobile appliances such as portable telephone, notebook personal computer, and portable game machine.
|
Catalyst layer electrodes have its two-dimensional projection plane shape formed in a rectangular shape, having cut-off fillet portions cutting off part of the fillet so that terminal ends of mutually adjacent short side and long side of at least one corner do not meet orthogonally, and are compressed to a solid electrolyte membrane.
| 8
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of computer security, especially relating to electronic records.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Modern technology has profoundly changed the way business transactions are conducted today. The use of computers and other data processing devices are now commonplace in both large and small businesses. The connectivity provided by intranets and the Internet have reduced information transfer times from days down to seconds. For a reasonable investment, small businesses and even non-profit organizations can acquire communications benefits similar to those of large high-technology corporations.
[0005] Governments, too, have taken advantage of the cost and time savings benefits offered by electronic communications. Electronic filing of U.S. income tax returns is now the preferred method of filing a return by the U.S. government. Transferring documents electronically eliminates postage and shipping charges and allows documents to be received at their destination almost instantaneously.
[0006] In recognition of the general acceptance of using electronic communications in the business place, laws regulating electronic communications have begun to be developed and adopted. More laws are likely to come about, or existing laws revised, as acceptance of electronic communications continues to grow and become more highly developed in the future.
[0007] The purpose of laws, such as the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) and the e-Sign Act, is to validate the authority of electronic transactions to legally bind one party to another party, and to provide a legal framework for enforcement.
[0008] The system described in this patent application is a system for secure, enforceable electronic communications.
[0009] An understanding of several industry-standard definitions is necessary to be able to evaluate the importance of this system and compare it with other solutions currently available or that may become available as the use of electronic business transactions continues to increase.
[0010] An electronic transaction is any type of business that is conducted by electronic means, such as by computer, Personal Device Assistants (PDAs), and other devices not yet invented. For example, the transaction may consist of ordering a book or other product from a Web site and making payment by electronic means, such as providing credit card information or debiting the payment from a checking account.
[0011] An electronic record, according to the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign), is “a contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.” 1 The E-Sign Act further states that a record must be retrievable in perceivable form. 2
[0012] A repository is the secure environment in which electronic records are maintained. The repository must encompass sufficient security methods to ensure safe storage and integrity of the electronic record.
[0013] An electronic signature is “an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.” 3
[0014] A message digest is a compressed representation of an electronic record. Message digests are produced using standard, published, one-way hashing algorithms. Message digests produced by the same algorithm generally are the same length in bits. The message digest will be considered a unique valid representation of the electronic record because it is computationally infeasible for two different electronic records to produce the same message digest while using the same message digest function.
[0015] Message digest algorithms currently on the market, such as MD-2, MD-4, MD-5, SHA-1, and SHA-256, take specific portions of the record (512 bits or 1024 bits) and create a message digest of that portion. This hash of the set length of bits produces a set of hex chain values. The chain values are summed bitwise along with a seed value to produce the final message digest. For SHA-1, as an example, five 32-bit chain values are produced for each 512 bits of data. A full history of Public Key Cryptography (PKC) systems is described in W. Diffie's, “The First Ten Years of Public-Key Cryptography,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0016] A digital signature is a form of electronic signature, generated by computer hardware or software and represented in a computer as a string of binary digits. The methods of producing a digital signature involve a set of rules and a set of parameters such that the digital signature produced is unique and verifiable. Both the identity of the signatory (person represented by the digital signature) and the integrity of the data (binary bits making up the digital signature) can be verified. Today, the first step in generating a digital signature is typically the generation of a message digest, usually much smaller than the electronic record on which it is based. The message digest will be unique because it is computationally infeasible for two different electronic methods to produce the same message digest on the same electronic record; therefore, the use of a message digest as a representation of the electronic record is considered valid. The second step in generating a digital signature is to cryptographically combine the message digest and an asymmetric private key. Standards for generation of digital signatures will be known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0017] A Public Key Cryptography (PKC) system is an asymmetric encryption system, meaning that it employs two keys, one for encryption and one for decryption or validation of what is encrypted. Asymmetric systems adhere to the principle that knowledge of one key (the public key) does not permit derivation of the second key (the private key). Thus, PKC permits the user's public key to be posted, in a directory or on a bulletin board for example, without compromising the user's private key. This public key concept simplifies the key distribution process. Popular PKC systems make use of the fact that finding large prime numbers is computationally easy but factoring the products of two large prime numbers is computationally infeasible. Example PKC algorithms are the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) 4 , the Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman (RSA) algorithm, as specified in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC) 2347 and its successors.
[0018] A private key is the half of a Public Key Cryptography (PKC) pair that is kept private and secret, and is used to generate a digital signature.
[0019] A public key is the half of a PKC pair that is published, and is used to verify a digital signature. Each person involved in an electronic transaction based on the private and public key method of digital signature generation and verification will possess a private and public key pair. A public key may be known to the public in general, but a private key is never shared. Anyone can verify a person's digital signature by using that person's public key, but only the possessor of a person's private key may generate a digital signature. More information about how public keys and private keys work is contained later in this section.
[0020] Typically, public and private keys are used as the means of allowing for the generation and verification of digital signatures. Public-key encryption schemes, commonly called PKC, are well known and utilize a public key and a private key that are mathematically related. Based on a public-key/private-key pair, digital messages can be encrypted by either of the keys and decrypted by the other, with the public keys recorded in a public directory, which is publicly accessible, and the private key privately retained. Typically, the signer of the message accesses the public-key directory and retrieves the receiver's public key. Then the signer encrypts the message with the receiver's public key, and conveys the encrypted message to the receiver. The receiver, upon receiving the encrypted message, decrypts the message with his private key.
[0021] PKC can also be used to generate a digital signature to authenticate the signer. Typically, the signer creates a message digest of the electronic record. After generating the message digest, the signer creates a digital signature from the message digest with his private key. The receiver, upon receiving the digital signature and the message, uses the signer's public key to verify the signature. This process is performed iteratively until the entire electronic record has been hashed. This operation ensures the identity of the signer because he is the only person who can encrypt the message with his private key.
[0022] Besides the PKC method, another encryption method is the symmetric algorithm. An example of this is the Data Encryption Standard (DES), which is described in Data Encryption Standard, Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 46 (1977) (“FIPS PUB 46,” and its successors) that are available from the U.S. Department of Commerce. In general, a symmetric cryptographic system is a set of instructions, implemented in either hardware, software, or both, that can convert plain text into ciphertext, and vice versa. In a symmetric cryptographic system, a specific key is used that is known to the users but is kept secret from others.
[0023] A blue ink signature is a physically-produced signature made by a person using an ink pen, regardless of the color of the ink or the legibility of the signature. An “X” or a scribble can suffice as a legally-binding signature provided that both parties involved in the transaction have agreed upon the existence of an ink mark in a particular area or areas of the physical record constitutes agreement by the signer to the terms contained within the physical record. When the agreement states that a witness or notary public must observe and verify that the signer did intend to demonstrate agreement to the terms of the physical record by placing an ink signature, or mark, in the appropriate areas, then the signature and/or stamp of a witness or notary public must be present on the physical record in order for the transaction to be legal and enforceable.
[0024] A person is defined as “an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, governmental agency, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity.” 5
[0025] An authoritative copy is the best available copy of a document. The best available document may indeed be the original, but when an exact original cannot be found, then the best available copy of a document becomes the authoritative copy. The authoritative copy must be clearly identifiable as an authoritative copy. Thus, the authoritative copy must be associated with a means of establishing, identifying, maintaining, and enforcing control of the authoritative copy.
[0026] Current law has established that senders and receivers of transferable electronic records have rights equal to those of senders and receivers of equivalent paper records.
[0027] The significance of current acts such as the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) is that electronic records, exchanged between two parties who have agreed to conduct a transaction by electronic means, and with the ability for the electronic records to be retrieved by both parties, shall be valid, legal transactions enforceable just as if they contained “blue ink” signatures. “Retrieved,” as used in the preceding sentence, means the document must be able to be stored and printed by the receiver.
[0028] Computers and other electronic devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and cellular telephones, provide the interface terminals from which parties to a business transaction may take advantage of the many benefits of electronic communications. One of the most important benefits of electronic communications is the ability to communicate and transact business with a person, or groups of people, almost anywhere in the world. Electronic communications can take place over telephone lines, the Internet, and through the air via cellular and satellite communication systems.
[0029] Computers, and other electronic devices, receive digital information into their memory and present the information to a user. The information can be present in different ways, such as visual displays, voice and other audio output through a speaker, and by printing the information. A combination of the output methods, commonly referred to as multimedia, is intended to enhance the user's understanding of the communicated information. Computers and other electronic devices can display information in the form of text, graphs, pictures, and video.
[0030] It should be understood that for purposes of this patent application, we are defining an electronic transaction environment as any technology that allows two computers to communicate with each other. Thus, the words electronic and digital are essentially interchangeable. A network, intranet, or The Internet is not necessary; for example, a PDA could communicate with a standalone computer using infrared signalling. The process of retrieving files from one computer or interface terminal device (such as a PDA) to another is called downloading. The process of sending files to another computer or interface terminal is called uploading.
[0031] Computers and hardware alone are not sufficient to complete electronic transactions. Software is also needed to provide for security between the transacting parties and to allow the parties to digitally sign electronic records.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The invention sets forth a secure method of processing and/or handling of electronic records. In the Background of the Invention section, we presented an overview and definitions related to electronic records. In this section, we address currently known problems associated with electronic transactions, and describe how our invention resolves these problems.
[0033] A key problem associated with electronic records is the potential to have many duplicates. The invention allows and guarantees a unique copy of an electronic record.
[0034] A secure and legally enforceable electronic transaction must allow for the secure maintenance of control of the resulting electronic record. For the purposes of this patent application, repository is the term used to describe the secure environment in which the electronic record is maintained.
[0035] The electronic record in the repository is referred to as the authoritative electronic record. Control is maintained in the repository by software and at least one secure computer. The authoritative electronic record may represent a legally enforceable writing. A copy of the authoritative electronic record can be electronically transmitted over a network to a computer. This copy of the authoritative electronic record can be used to digitally sign the authoritative electronic record, which remains at the repository.
[0036] The copy of the authoritative record can be viewed, printed, and saved at, as well as retransmitted from, the remote location without compromising the integrity of the authoritative record at the repository. The method comprises receiving an electronic record in the repository, creating an authoritative electronic record of the received record by appending information to the end of the electronic record, digitally signing the electronic record and appended information to form a receipt, prepending this receipt information to the beginning of the electronic record, appending additional information to the end of the electronic record, and storing this whole as the authoritative electronic record in the repository. The authoritative electronic record is unique since no other representation of it exists anywhere else. The concatenated whole of all information prepended to the beginning of the record is referred to as the beginning information. The concatenated whole of all information appended to the end of the electronic record is referred to as the ending information.
[0037] When a copy of the authoritative electronic record is requested by a person at a remote location, a copy is made by making a copy of the electronic record and the appended ending information only. The system then provides for transmitting a version of the copy to the person at the remote location, wherein transmission may be over the un-trusted network, and the copy of the authoritative electronic record may be printed and stored at the remote location. Software at the remote location provides for receiving the version of the copy of the authoritative electronic record and digitally signing the authoritative electronic record. A message digest is created by combining a partial message digest from the repository with the remaining message digest information from the copy of the authoritative electronic record and identifying information of the new digital signature, at the remote location. The digital signature on the authoritative electronic record at the repository is then created at the remote location using this message digest just created at the remote location and the private key. The person then transmits the new digital signature and identifying information of the new digital signature back to the secure environment where the repository provides for validating the digital signature of the authoritative electronic record signed at the remote location against the existing authoritative electronic record stored at the repository through standard digital signature validation techniques.
[0038] Upon affirmative validation of the digital signature, a revised authoritative electronic record is generated. The revised authoritative electronic record is created by prepending the digital signature to the existing beginning information of the authoritative electronic record, appending additional information to the ending information of the authoritative electronic record, and storing the revised authoritative electronic record in the repository. The additional information appended to the ending information can include information indicating authorization for generating the revised authoritative electronic record, signatory information, and other information.
[0039] A key point of the present invention is that it leaves only one copy of a unique authoritative electronic record. The present invention does not prevent the ability to make copies of the record, but it does ensure that copies made are easily distinguished as copies.
[0040] Another key point of the present invention to that it allows a person to electronically sign an electronic record at a remote location without compromising the uniqueness of a corresponding authoritative electronic record.
[0041] Another key point of the present invention is to provide a method for revising authoritative electronic records that is secure, verifiable, and includes clear identification of involved parties.
[0042] The method our system uses meets all of the above requirements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] The invention of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, given only by way of example, in which:
[0044] [0044]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of communication links between the present apparatus and remote locations;
[0045] [0045]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing receipt of a record at a repository, generation of an authoritative record in the repository, and the transmission of a copy of the authoritative record to a remote location;
[0046] [0046]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the generation of a digital signature at a remote location and the transmission of that digital signature to the repository;
[0047] [0047]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing generation of a revised authoritative record, copying of the revised authoritative record, and transmission of the copy to a remote location;
[0048] [0048]FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the overall operation of the present system;
[0049] [0049]FIG. 6A is a flow chart illustrating the receipt of a record in the secure environment;
[0050] [0050]FIG. 6B is a flow chart illustrating the steps involved in making a copy of an authoritative record;
[0051] [0051]FIG. 6C is a flow chart showing the generation of a digital signature by a person at a remote location and its validation at the repository;
[0052] [0052]FIG. 6D is a flow chart showing the steps of generating a revised authoritative record at the repository.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0053] [0053]FIG. 1 shows remotely located computers 1 - 3 connected to the present repository 5 via a network 4 . Computers 1 - 3 represent all electronic devices that can transmit and display a record, such as other servers, personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular telephones. Network 4 includes the Internet and other networks, such as private local area networks (LANs), over which the electronic record may be transmitted. Repository 5 comprises one or more secure servers and record maintenance software for ensuring the integrity of electronic records therein. Of course a computer or other electronic device may also be directly connected to repository 5 .
[0054] [0054]FIG. 2 shows the initial operation of the present system. Record 6 is sent from a remote location to the repository 5 . Record 6 is receipted within repository 5 by prepending receipt 7 to the beginning of record 6 and appending receipt 8 to the end of record 6 . In an exemplary embodiment, receipt 7 is the repository's digital signature of record 6 and identifying information. Receipt 8 is an un-encrypted message digest of record 6 and the identifying information. Identifying information can include a time-stamp and the originator of the record. All information that has been encrypted, including actual digital signatures in FIGS. 2 - 4 , is shown in double-framed format.
[0055] In operation, a time-stamp is attached to every record received in the present repository. The time-stamp includes time and date of receipt in the repository. The receipted record 6 - 8 is now the authoritative record or authoritative copy of the record and is stored in a secure location within the repository 5 . The concatenated whole of all information prepended to the beginning of the record 6 is referred to as the beginning information. The concatenated whole of all information appended to the end of the record 6 is referred to as the ending information.
[0056] When a person at a remote location requests the authoritative record, to review or to sign, record maintenance software stored and executed in repository 5 produces a distinct copy of the authoritative record. All copies that are made of an authoritative record, in this system, comprise the record and the record's ending information. Receipt 7 , the only beginning information in our example so far, is notably missing from the copy 6 and 8 that is sent to the requesting person. In this embodiment, the copy 6 and 8 is encrypted 9 with a shared secret symmetric key while being transmitted to the remote location. At the remote location, the person decrypts the encrypted copy 9 using the shared secret symmetric key. The person is then able to view, store, and print the copy.
[0057] [0057]FIG. 3 begins with the process of signing the authoritative record at the remote location. The person at the remote location has in their possession the copy of the authoritative record 6 and 8 . In order to sign the authoritative record 6 - 8 , the person first needs to compute a message digest of the authoritative record 6 - 8 . However, since the remote location does not have receipt 7 , the person cannot immediately compute the required message digest. Sending an exact copy of receipt 7 to the remote location would destroy the uniqueness of the authoritative record 6 - 8 stored in the repository 5 . In order to maintain the uniqueness of authoritative records in the repository 5 , only a representation of the beginning information, receipt 7 in this case, is sent to the remote location. A partial message digest 10 is computed at the repository 5 that is based on all of the beginning information. In this case, the partial message digest 10 is only based on receipt 7 . The partial message digest 10 is composed of at least two pieces of information, the interim chaining values (defined below) and the digital length in bits of the prepended beginning information.
[0058] The interim chaining values are computed in two steps. The first step involves padding to a known bit value the existing beginning information with the necessary bits to make the bit length of the beginning information an integer multiple of the bit length in each message digest algorithm. The same message digest algorithm will also be employed to complete the message digest used in the desired digital signature at the remote location. The second step involves inputting the now padded bit stream of the beginning information into the message digest algorithm to produce the interim chaining values. This process of creating the chaining values is called “interim” because the final hashing of the entire message is not completed at the repository 5 . Rather, this final hashing will be completed at the remote location.
[0059] Once the partial message digest 10 is computed in repository 5 , the resulting partial message digest 10 must be transmitted to the remote location. The person at the remote location receives partial message digest 10 and uses the partial message digest 10 to reseed the same message digest algorithm mentioned above and finishes generating a complete message digest by inputting his copy 6 and 8 . The complete message digest represents copy 6 and 8 and receipt 7 . Optionally, additional identifying information from the remote location may be included with identifying information 8 when the message digest is computed.
[0060] The person then uses his private key to create a digital signature with the complete message digest, thereby signing the receipted record 6 - 8 and producing digital signature 11 . The digital signature 11 may include encoding information. In this embodiment, a small hardware token or smart card provides the private key used by the person for encryption. Alternatively, in some circumstances, a software-based private key may be used. Digital signature 11 along with any identifying information is then transmitted to repository 5 where it is validated with the public key and a recomputed message digest of receipted record 6 - 8 . A positive match validates the digital signature 11 and establishes that:
[0061] (1) the record 6 and ending information in the repository 5 are the same as the record 6 and ending information communicated to the remote location;
[0062] (2) the signer had the private key necessary to digitally sign the authoritative record;
[0063] (3) a digital signature has been obtained for the authoritative record and any additional identifying information provided for digital signature 11 ;
[0064] (4) the process of transmitting the record 6 , ending information 8 , and partial message digest 10 from the repository 5 to the remote location where the message digest was completed was successful;
[0065] (5) the process used to compute the digital signature was performed correctly by the electronic device at the remote location; and,
[0066] (6) the process of transmitting the digital signature 11 and any identifying information from the remote location to the repository 5 was successful.
[0067] Continuing in FIG. 3, after validation of the digital signature 11 , the process of revising the authoritative record begins by prepending digital signature 11 to the beginning of the authoritative record 6 - 8 , and appending signature information 12 to the end of authoritative record 6 - 8 . In this embodiment, signature information 12 comprises any identifying information included in the message digest for the digital signature, the message digest used to produce the digital signature, and a timestamp. Of course, more or less information can be included or excluded from the signature information 12 . The operation of revising the authoritative record is continued in FIG. 4.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 4, digital signature 11 has been prepended to, and signature information 12 has been appended to, the authoritative record 6 - 8 , thus increasing the amount of beginning and ending information, respectively. The repository 5 can then receipt the signed record 6 - 8 and 11 - 12 , by prepending a repository-created digitally signed receipt 13 to, and appending identifying receipt information 14 to, the signed record. The receipted signed record 6 - 8 and 11 - 14 is now the “revised authoritative record” replacing the earlier authoritative record 6 - 8 . When further requests are received for a copy of the record, the revised authoritative record 6 - 8 and 11 - 14 will be used to generate the copies following the procedure outlined in the discussion of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the copy of the revised authoritative record will consist of record 6 and all ending information; appended information 8 , 12 , and 14 , in this case. The process of transmitting a copy of the authoritative record over the partially un-trusted network 4 is then repeated, wherein the transmission is normally encrypted with a symmetric key to produce encrypted copy 15 which the requestor decrypts using the symmetric key at a remote location.
[0069] [0069]FIG. 5 is a flow chart for the overall operation of the present system. In step S 500 , an electronic record is sent to the repository 5 from a remote location. In step S 502 , a unique authoritative record is created and stored within repository 5 . When a person at a remote location wants to sign the authoritative record, a copy of the authoritative record is made that is distinctly different from, but perceptively the same as, the authoritative record. The distinctly different copy and a partial message digest for the beginning information are sent to the person, at step S 504 . The copy of the authoritative record and the partial message digest can, of course, be sent in two separate steps. In step S 506 , the message digest is completed at the remote location using the copy of the authoritative record as input, and the remote location uses a private key and the completed message digest to create the digital signature. The digital signature is then transmitted to the repository 5 where it is validated and upon affirmative validation, the authoritative record is revised with the digital signature, step S 508 .
[0070] FIGS. 6 A- 6 D provide a detailed flow chart of exemplary embodiments for carrying out the method discussed in association with FIG. 5. In FIG. 6A, an exemplary embodiment for receipting a record in repository 5 and generating the initial authoritative record is illustrated. In step S 600 the record is received in the present repository, which may also be referred to as a trusted repository. In step S 602 a time stamp, which may include other identifying information, is completed for and appended to the record. The phrase “receipted record” refers to any record received by the secure environment that has been time-stamped. Step S 604 is the first step in generating the initial authoritative record.
[0071] The authoritative record is important because the authoritative record is the record that must remain unique, to ensure legal enforceability under current electronic transaction laws. In step S 604 , a message digest is generated of the record and time stamp. In step S 606 the message digest is digitally signed to create a receipt, and the receipt is then prepended to the beginning of the record. The prepended receipt and any later prepended information is referred to as “beginning information”. In step S 608 identifying information related to the receipt is appended to the end of the record. The appended identifying information identifies the receipt as the repository's signature and includes other information. The appended information and any later appended information is referred to as “ending information”. The record together with beginning information and ending information make up the “authoritative record” and at step S 610 the authoritative record is stored in the repository 5 .
[0072] [0072]FIG. 6B is a flow chart detailing an exemplary method of transmitting a distinct copy of the authoritative record. In step S 612 , a request is received from a remote location for a copy of an authoritative record in the repository 5 . In step S 614 , the copy is made by copying only the record and ending information of the requested authoritative record. The copy of the authoritative record is then transmitted, in an industry-standard encrypted manner, over a network that may be partially un-trusted, in step S 616 . It may be noted at this point that a copy of an authoritative record is now in the hands of a person at a remote location, but the authoritative record in the repository is still unique. At step S 618 , the requestor is free to store and print the copy of the authoritative record at the remote location for thorough review prior to signing.
[0073] [0073]FIG. 6C details the signing operation by a person at a remote location. Prior to signing the authoritative record, portions of the record maintenance software have been loaded on the signatory's computer or workstation. At step S 620 the person decides to sign the authoritative record. In order to sign the record the person must first create a message digest of the authoritative record. Since the person at the remote location does not have the beginning information, which was retained in the repository 5 , the software requests additional information from the repository 5 . At step S 622 , the repository 5 in response generates a partial message digest using the beginning information as input and transmits the partial message digest to the remote location. The partial message digest comprises interim chaining values of the beginning information and the length of the beginning information. If by chance a second person has signed the same authoritative record, between the time the first person requested the record at step S 612 and decided to sign the record at step S 620 , then the system takes appropriate steps to make sure the first person receives and signs a revised authoritative record. Primarily, the first person is notified of the new signature and is sent a revised copy and a revised partial message digest. The person then continues with the normal signing process described below.
[0074] At step S 624 the person receives the partial message digest. At step S 626 , the remote location uses the interim chaining values of the partial message digest to reseed the message digest algorithm and complete a message digest for the authoritative record that was begun in the repository 5 . In step S 628 the resulting message digest, and any user added information, is then digitally signed with the person's private key, thereby generating a digital signature. In step S 630 the digital signature is transmitted to the repository 5 . And in step S 632 the signature is validated in the repository 5 . The first step in validation is computing a message digest of the authoritative record stored in the repository 5 and any additional identifying information added by the signer on his copy of the message digest.
[0075] Using this authoritative record message digest, the uploaded digital signature, and the corresponding public key, the digital signature is validated by either using a validating algorithm in the case of a DSA-type digital signature or message digest comparison in the case of a RSA-type digital signature. A validation or perfect match indicates a valid digital signature.
[0076] [0076]FIG. 6D illustrates the steps for revising the authoritative record once a digital signature has been validated. A decision is made in step S 634 . If the digital signature was not validated in step S 632 then the process must restart at step S 614 where a new copy will be made and sent to the remote location. If, at step S 634 , the signature was determined to be valid, then we proceed to step S 638 where authorization is given to create a revised authoritative record. Generating a revised authoritative record, in a preferred embodiment, involves prepending the digital signature to the beginning of the current authoritative record and appending signature information to the end of the current authoritative record. In step S 640 the digital signature is prepended to the beginning of the authoritative record. It should be understood that the digital signature may have additional information attached thereto prior to prepending. In step S 642 signature information, which includes the message digest used to create the digital signature at the remote location, is appended to the end of the authoritative record. In step S 644 a receipt of the partially revised authoritative record is prepended to the beginning of the partially revised authoritative record, i.e., the beginning of the prepended digital signature. And in step S 646 identifying information for the receipt of the partially revised authoritative record is appended to the end of the partially revised authoritative record, i.e., to the end of the signature information. This combination of the digital signature and repository receipt prepended to the “old” authoritative record and the signatory information and identifying information appended to the “old” authoritative record is the “revised authoritative record”. At step S 648 the revised authoritative record is stored in a repository 5 . It should also be understood that previous artifact records, receipts, digital signatures, and identifying information may also be maintained separately in the repository 5 .
[0077] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept. For example, a revised authoritative record could be created with only one beginning information and one ending information appended to the prior authoritative record. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology of terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
|
A method and apparatus for maintaining control of a record which may have transferable value wherein the system provides for digitally signing a record in a partially-trusted distributed environment and allows a single unique authoritative copy to be held at a repository. The system meets the uniqueness and retainability requirements of current legislation relating to electronic transactions and allows electronic records to receive the same legal enforceability as paper documents. One or more secure servers along with maintenance control software provide the secure environment for parties wishing to complete electronic transactions to form legally enforceable agreements.
| 7
|
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 390,732, filed June 21, 1982, now abandoned, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 296,656, filed Aug. 27, 1981, now abandoned, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 273,713, filed June 15, 1981, now abandoned, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 223,056, filed Jan. 7, 1981, now abandoned. This disclosures of each of these patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.
This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. 364,045, filed Mar. 31, 1982, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 128,062, filed Mar. 7, 1980.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the treatment of polymer fibers to permanently and substantially improve their hygroscopic, antistatic, dye receptive and soil release properties, as well as altering the hand of such fibers. More particularly, the invention relates to the treatment of polyester and acrylic fibers to improve thier surface properties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the advent of technology to produce synthetic fibers that serve mankind not only by being more economical and stronger than natural fibers, but also by freeing up much needed agricultural land that heretofore had been needed to grow vast quantities of natural fibers, came a quest for a process that would impart to these synthetic fibers the same beneficial qualities possessed by natural fibers. The major quality that synthetic fibers lack, the one attribute that would make them cool and comfortable like the natural fibers, is the ability to substantially absorb moisture.
Throughout this application the terms "absorb" and "absorption" will be used to refer generally to the hygroscopic properties of the fibers and fabrics made therefrom. However, it will be understood that these terms refer to related hygroscopic properties such as adsorption, moisture transport, wicking, wettability, etc. Thus, although the term "adsorption" may be more appropriate for referring to the attraction of water to the outer surfaces of fibers per se, and the term "absorption" may be more appropriate for referring to the dispersal of moisture in the interstices between the fibers of a fabric, the term "absorption" will be used for convenience to refer to both phenomena.
The present invention satisfies this much sought after quest and provides to synthetic fibers qualities once attributable only to natural fibers such as significant water absorbency, superior dye receptivity and anti-static qualities. At the same time, the present invention allows for the production of synthetic fibers that have superior soil release qualities.
It has been known in the prior art to attempt to graft-polymerize water-soluble monomers such as acrylic acid, acrylamide and N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (NBA) onto fibers to impart antistatic and water absorption properties to the fibers. However, such attempts at graft polymerization have been problematic due to the inability to obtain substantial or even any graft polymerization, difficulties in controlling the process conditions and the tendency to form large amounts of homopolymers. Excess homopolymers adhere to the inner walls of the processing equipment thus causing both a time and labor-consuming clean-up job. Also, disposal of the residue solution containing a large amount of homopolymers is a source of industrial pollution. Fabrics thus treated in an environment of excessive homopolymers have their surfaces coated with a thick homopolymer layer which imparts moisture-absorption and antistatic properties to the fibers. Unfortunately, these properties are not permanent and are lost within about ten washings. Furthermore, excessive homopolymers tend to cause blotching on treated fabrics which interferes with acceptable commercial dyeing and results in inferior treated fabrics.
In an alternative polymerization process that comprises impregnating fibers with a solution containing a monomer and a polymerization initiator, such as peroxide or persulfate, and heating them, it takes a long period of time to start and advance the polymerization reaction; moreover, the polymers that adhere to fibers are removed quite easily by washing so that their antistatic and moisture-absorption properties can no longer be retained.
Still another process involves applying a water-soluble vinyl monomer together with a polymerization initiator to fibrous structures and heating them in a non-solvent of the monomer, such as hydrocarbons or the like. Such process has problems of industrial hygiene and workability including solvent recovery.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,591 describes a process of graft polymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers to polycarbonamides to improve various properties of the polymer structure. According to that process, polymerization initiators are eliminated and heat is used as the sole graft initiator for producing the free radicals necessary for graft polymerization.
A more recent attempt to cure the deficiency in the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,877 to Aikawa et al. This patent discloses a process of graft polymerizing certain selected vinyl monomers to polyamides or fiber structures. According to the process described in that patent, polymerization initiators are eliminated and heat is used as in the Tanner method of U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,591, but the aqueous treating solution also contains an acid.
Other patents disclosing the graft polymerization of monomers to polyamides and other polymer structures include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,097,185; 3,099,631; 3,252,880 and 3,278,639. However, the methods of these patents involve the use of ionizing radiation in the formation of a polymer melt in order to effect graft polymerization.
While many of these processes of the prior art result in improved antistatic, hygroscopic and dye receptive properties in the polymer, they have not been entirely successful commercially due to the difficulties in obtaining permanent and substantial results and other processing difficulties due to excessive formation of homopolymers which are difficult to remove from the final product and process equipment. Furthermore, some prior art methods require high concentrations of monomer, rather than low concentrations of monomer; and other prior art methods require long periods of time.
The possibility of improving such properties of synthetic fabrics in general, including but not limited to polyamides, polyesters and acrylics, is important since many of these fabrics exhibit characteristically undesirable properties such as static cling, poor water absorbency and poor dye receptivity. Hence, the commercial acceptance of many synthetic fabrics has been severely limited. Heretofore, I am aware of no commercially successful process which has resulted in a treated fiber having substantially improved antistatic, hygroscopic and dye receptive properties which are permanent and can withstand repeated washings.
My application Ser. No. 390,732, now abandoned, discloses a method of treating polymer fibers containing active hydrogen atoms, particularly nylon, which are not naturally absorbent and are subject to static electricity problems. The method of that invention is also beneficial to enhance the properties of absorbent fibers such as cotton. Treating a blend consisting of cotton and synthetic fibers in accordance with that method may allow the use of less cotton in the blend to achieve a comparable fabric. However, that method was not previously thought to be applicable to polyester or acrylic fibers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, polymer fibers or fibrous structures made thereof (hereinafter simply referred to as "polymer fibers") comprising polyester or acrylic polymers are treated with a heated acidic solution of at least one unsaturated monomer, followed by polymerization of the monomer with a polymerization initiator in order to modify the surface characteristics of the polymer fibers. The treatment process comprises essentially three steps: (1) contacting the fibers with an aqueous solution having a pH below 7 and a temperature between about 60° C. and about 100° C. and containing at least one unsaturated monomer. The solution is preferably agitated or forced to flow among the fibers for a sufficient time to allow uniform dispersal and intimate contact of the monomer with the fiber surfaces; (2) thereafter initiating polymerization of the monomer on the fiber surfaces using a polymerization initiator, such as a persulfate or peroxide compound; and (3) continuing the polymerization for a sufficient time to allow substantial graft polymerization of the monomer on the fiber surfaces to modify the surface characteristics of the polymer fibers.
The fibers are preferably immersed in the treating solution, usually in the form of a knitted, woven or nonwoven fabric, and many variations are possible in the order of addition of the various components to the treating solution. A preferred monomer for use in the invention is N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide. The pH of the solution may be adjusted by addition of an acid or by use of an acid monomer. The treatment is preferably carried out at low concentrations of monomer and polymerization initiator and for short periods of time so as to avoid as much as possible substantial homopolymerization of the monomer.
The fibers are preferably scoured prior to the treatment process to clean the fibers and remove surface chemicals which may interfere with the graft polymerization of the monomer on the fiber surfaces. Dyeing of the fibers is preferably carried out after the treatment process and after rinsing the fibers to remove acid and excess homopolymers which would otherwise interfere with the dyeing.
The fibers resulting from the process of the present invention have substantially improved water absorbency, dye receptivity, antistatic, soil release and inter-fiber adhesion and bonding properties and fabric hand. The fibers so treated by the present invention will retain their enhanced properties even when subject to many vigorous washings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Polymer fibers to which the present invention is directed include conventional polyester, and acrylic polymers, and combinations of these polymer fibers with other synthetic and/or natural fibers. Nonlimiting examples of natural fibers which may be combined with the polyester, and acrylic polymer fibers include wool, cotton and silk. Non-limiting examples of synthetic polymer fibers which may be combined with the polyester, and/or acrylic fibers include nylon, acetate and cellulosic fibers, e.g., rayon.
The subject invention concerns the treating of polymer fibers per se and fibrous structures made thereof. The term "fibrous structures" includes continuous filaments, multifilament threads, batts, staple fibers, woven or knitted fabrics and non-woven fabrics, and the like composed of at least one kind of the fibers mentioned above. As used herein, the term "polymer fibers" will be understood to include fibrous structures such as the above and others. Wherever the present disclosure refers to fiber surfaces or intimate contact of the monomer with fiber surfaces or like expressions, it will be understood that the individual fibers or filaments are being referred to, such that contact and attachment of the monomer and graft polymer is with the surfaces of individual filaments of a multifilament thread or bundle, for example.
Polyester is the generic name for a fiber manufactured either as a staple fiber or continuous filament in which the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of an ester of a dihydric alcohol and terephthalic acid. The most common polyester fibers available in the United States are made of polyethylene terephthalate, and are available for example under the trademarks "DACRON" of E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. and "FORTREL" of ICI United States, Inc. and Celanese Chemical Co. Polyester fibers are available as filament yarn, staple fibers and fiber tows and are often combined with other fibers such as cotton and wool. For example, much clothing is made from yarns which are a blend of polyester and cotton staple fibers. Fabrics made from such polyester fibers and fiber combinations are commonly used for making many types of outerwear, including dresses, suits, shirts, etc.
Polyesters form excellent fabrics and can be produced very cheaply on a mass production basis, but polyesters suffer from many drawbacks. Polyesters lack the ability to significantly absorb water and are subject to static electricity problems. By treating polyester fibers according to the process of the present invention, a most useful fabric is formed which has very good water absorbing, dye receptive and antistatic properties which are retained after many washings.
Acrylic is the generic name for fibers in which the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of acrylonitrile units (--CH 2 CH(CN)--). Such fibers are available in various types of staple fibers and tow, and are commercially available under the trademarks "ORLON" of E. I. duPont de Nemours, & Co. and "CRESLAN" of American Cyanamid Co, for example. Acrylic fibers for wearing apparel are usually blended with other fibers such as wool, or formed into yarns which are then knitted with other stronger synthetic fibers or filaments, such as nylon.
As with polyesters and other synthetic fibers, acrylics lack the ability to significantly absorb water and are subject to static. By treating acrylic fibers according to the process of the present invention, fabrics are obtained which have excellent water-absorbing, dye receptive and anti-static properties which are retained after many washings. As indicated in my application Ser. No. 390,732, now abandoned such surface characteristics are also improved in the other synthetic and natural fibers which may be combined with acrylics and/or polyesters.
The process of the present invention differs from those of the prior art in that polymerization of the monomer to be graft polymerized onto the polymer fibers is delayed until there has been intimate contact of the monomer with the surface of the polymer fiber. Thus, while applicant does not wish to be bound by any particular theory or mechanism of reaction, it is believed that the unsaturated monomer first attaches to the polymer chain on a molecule by molecule basis in the presence of acid and heat. Thereafter, when the polymerization is initiated by addition or activation of a polymerization initiator, the monomer begins to polymerize so that there is chain addition of monomer to the single monomer additions initially grafted onto the polymer fibers. If significant homopolymerization of the monomer takes place prior to attachment of the monomer to the fibers, most of it will simply be washed off the fibers so that there will be no significant permanent improvement in the surface properties of the fibers.
Accordingly, the first step of the method according to the present invention comprises the formation of an aqueous treating solution with dissolved monomer having an acidic pH (i.e. below about 7) and heated to a temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C. and preferably in the range of about 70° C. to 90° C. While temperatures above 100° C. are possible, they make processing more difficult and may make subsequent polymerization difficult to control. Similarly, temperatures below about 60° C. may be possible but would usually result in a processing taking too long a time to be feasible commercially.
It is not necessary that the temperature be constant throughout the first step or throughout the process. For example, the treating solution could be formed at about 70° C., or such temperature as will allow ready dissolving of the monomer and/or acid in the solution, and then the temperature could be raised to the desired level for polymerization just prior to initiation of polymerization. The temperature would then be maintained at whatever level is necessary to obtain the optimum speed and degree of polymerization. For example, the temperature could be raised to about 85° C. or 90° C. at the end of the first step and maintained at that temperature for the remainder of the treatment process.
The acid, monomer, fabric and heat may be combined in the first step of the treatment process in virtually any desired order, so long as all four of these elements are present prior to initiating polymerization for a sufficient time to allow uniform dispersal and intimate contact of the monomer with the fiber surfaces. For example, the order of combination in the first step may be any of the following: (1) addition of acid and monomer to water, addition of a delayed initiator (to be activated in the second step), and heating to the desired temperature; (2) addition of monomer and a delayed initiator to water, addition of acid and heating to the desired temperature; (3) addition of monomer to water, heating to desired temperature and addition of acid and delayed initiator; or (4) addition of acid monomer to water, addition of delayed initiator and heating to desired temperature. Other possible orders of carrying out the first step will be evident to those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure.
Such uniform dispersal and intimate contact may be assisted by various forms of agitation of flow of the aqueous treating solution around and between the fiber surfaces. For example, in the case of the treatment of fibers in the form of fabric piece goods, agitation may be accomplished by the paddles in a conventional paddle tub. Alternatively, for fibers in the form of fabrics which are processed in the form of rolls on a beam, the aqueous treating solution may be circulated around and through the beam by conventional pressure means.
The time necessary for attaining uniform dispersal and intimate contact will vary with the particular method of contacting the fibers with the aqueous solution. Although it is possible that the aqueous solution could be contacted with the fibers by spraying, padding, dipping or other means, it is most preferable to immerse the fibers in a bath formed by the aqueous solution. Using such immersion techniques, relatively short periods of time are necessary before polymerization may begin. For example, about 10 minutes is usually sufficient with adequate agitation or circulation of the aqueous solution.
After uniform dispersal and intimate contact has been achieved, polymerization of the monomer on the fibers may be commenced with the use of a suitable polymerization initiator such as peroxide or persulfate compounds which are known in the art. The particular initiator selected will depend upon the particular polymer fiber, the particular monomer used and the speed or other conditions of the polymerization desired. If desired, the initiator may be added during the first step so long as it is not activated until uniform dispersal and intimate contact of the monomer with the fiber surfaces are acheived. The initiation of polymerization may then be carried out, such as by raising the temperature, changing the pH or changing some other condition which will activate the initiator.
Finally, the polymerization is allowed to continue until there has been substantial graft polymerization of the monomer on the polymer fibers to modify the surface properties of the fibers. Generally, a rather low degree of polymerization is desireable, since excessive polymerization will result in large amounts of homopolymer in the fibers and in the process equipment, which must be cleaned and washed out after completion of the process. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid polymerization which significantly clouds the treating solution, and such small polymers as will remain in solution are preferred.
To this end, it is preferable to carry out the process of the present invention using very low concentrations of monomer, such as in the range of about 0.01 to about 1.0 weight percent of the total solution and preferably about 0.02 to 0.5 weight percent of the solution. Such low concentrations allow easy control of the polymerization reaction so that a relatively clear solution is maintained throughout the process, and the processing equipment and fibers treated may be easily cleaned and washed out.
Although applicant has not been able to accurately measure the exact amount of graft polymerization added onto the polymer fibers, it appears that optimum processing according to the present invention results in the permanent add-on of about 0.1 weight percent or less of graft polymer based upon the weight of the polymer fiber.
While the process of the present invention may be used at any of a number of stages during the usual processing of polymer fibers or fabrics or other structures made from such fibers, it has been found preferable to use the process before the dyeing of the fibers or before there is any treatment of the fibers which would result in encapsulation or coating of the fiber surface. Thus, it is usual practice to encapsulate or "lock on" the dye or other fiber treatment chemicals, and such coatings will often interfere with the addition of the monomer to the polymer fiber. To the extent that there would still be addition, this would be gradually washed off through many washings.
Therefore, it is preferable that the fibers be scoured (e.g. washed with detergent) and rinsed prior to carrying out the treatment process of the present invention in order to remove dirt and other chemicals which may be present on the fibers. The process may then be carried out before dyeing or even in the dye bath but before the after treatment to set the dye. However, it is preferable to drain the treating solution and rinse the fibers before dyeing, in order to remove acid and excess homopolymer, which may interfere with reaction of the dye with the dye sites on the surface of the polymer fibers.
Whereas many of the teachings of the prior art such as Aikawa and Tanner involved the treating of fibers in the absence of polymerization initiators to avoid homopolymerization, the present invention employs polymerization initiators. Polymerization initiators are generally of four basic types, namely, peroxides, persulfides, acids and ceric compounds.
Non-limiting examples of polymerization initiators that may possibly be utilized in this invention include inorganic peroxides, e.g., hydrogen peroxide, barium peroxide, magnesium peroxide, etc., and the various organic peroxy compounds illustrative examples of which are the dialkyl peroxides, e.g., diethyl peroxide, dipropyl peroxide, dilauryl peroxide, dioleyl peroxide, distearyl peroxide, di-(tert.-butyl peroxide and di-(tert.-amyl) peroxide, such peroxides often being designated as ethyl, propyl, lauryl, oleyl, stearyl, tert.-butyl and tert.-amyl peroxides; the alkyl hydrogen peroxides, e.g., tert.-butyl hydrogen peroxide (tert.-butyl hydroperoxide), tert.-amyl hydrogen peroxide (tert.-amyl hydroperoxide), etc.; symmetrical diacyl peroxides, for instance peroxides which commonly are known under such names as acetyl peroxide, propionyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, stearoyl peroxide, malonyl peroxide, succinyl peroxide, phthaloyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, etc.; fatty oil acid peroxides, e.g., coconut oil acid peroxides, etc.; unsymmetrical or mixed diacyl peroxides, e.g., acetyl benzoyl peroxide, propionyl benzoyl peroxide, etc.; terpene oxides, e.g., ascaridole, etc.; and salts of inorganic peracids, e.g., ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate.
When fibers are treated according to this invention, the reaction may also be initiated by ceric ions, for example, in the form of ceric salts such as ceric nitrate, ceric sulfate, ceric ammonium nitrate, ceric ammonium sulfate, ceric ammonium pyrophosphate, ceric iodate, and the like.
Non-limiting examples of suitable acids for use in the present invention include hydrochloric, phosphoric, sulfuric, nitric, acetic, formic, oxalic, tartaric, monochloroacetic, dichloroacetic, trichloroacetic and similar acids. Formic and hydrochloric acid have been found to be particularly suitable in carrying out the present invention. It is possible that an acid can function as both a catalyst and initiator, e.g., formic acid.
Non-limiting examples of unsaturated types of monomers that may possibly be utilized in this invention include N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (CH 2 (NHCOCH:CH 2 ) 2 ), N,N'-(1,2 dihyroxyethylene)-bis-acrylamide, acrylamide, acrylic acid, 2-propyn-1-ol, crotonic acid, tetraethylene glycol, styrene, alpha-methyl styrene, 1,1-diphenyl ethylene, alpha-vinyl naphthalene, vinylpyridine, 2-chloro-2,3-butadiene, methacrylic acid, methacrylamide, N-methylolacrylamide, N-methyl-N-vinyl formamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, 3-, 4- or 5-methyl-N-vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl oxyethylformamide, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, octyl methyl methacrylate, vinylacrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acrylyl chloride, vinyl methyl ketone, methallylalcohol, acrolein, methacrolein, vinyl acetate, p-vinyl phenyl acetate, methylmethacrylate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, p-chlorostyrene, 2,5-dichlorostyrene, 1,1,7-trihydro-perfluoroheptyl acrylate, methyl alphachloroacrylate, acrylyl cyanide, styrene sulfonic acid, salts and esters of styrene sulfonic acid and glycidyl methacrylate. The preferred monomers are N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide (NBA) and N,N'(1,2 dihydroxyethylene)-bisacrylamide.
A monomer may function as an acid. NBA, for example, is slightly acidic in aqueous solution. It is also possible to use specially modified monomer which can provide special characteristics to the fibers, or fabrics made therefrom, such as crease softness, lubricity (e.g. by including silicon groups on the monomer), adhesion, optical brightness, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal or anti-mildew properties, etc.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention with the monomer utilized selected from the group consisting of NBA and N,N'(1,2 dihyroxyethylene)-bis-acrylamide, the polymerization step of the process is conducted for a period of time between about 0.5 minutes and about 2 hours, preferably between about 1.0 minute and about 30 minutes. The amount of initiator in the treating solution is between about 1×10 -4 weight percent and 5.0 weight percent.
The particular concentrations of the monomer, acid and the initiator in the treating solution will vary widely depending upon such factors as the nature of the particular monomer, acid and initiator, the time and temperature of the treatment, and the nature and form of the fiber being treated. While certain concentrations may be fairly essential for a particular monomer, acid and initiator under a given set of treatment conditions, applicant cannot give general ranges which would apply to all monomers, acids and initiators under all conditions, but those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to optimize the concentrations by routine experimentation on the basis of the present disclosure.
Attaining the desired degree of treatment according to this invention would depend on the strength of the initiator and the concentration of the monomer and acid. Thus, for example, a strong initiator, one that is inherently strong and/or having a high concentration of initiator, would require a lower monomer concentration. Conversely, a weak initiator, one that is inherently weak and/or having a low concentration of initiator, would require a higher monomer concentration. In the latter case, the treatment according to this invention can be controlled by draining the initiator containing solution from the fabric once the desired extent of polymerization has been achieved.
After polymerization begins, such polymerization being a function of the concentration and type of the acid, the unsatured monomer, fabric, initiator and the speed and type of the equipment being used, the fibers are allowed to remain in solution at the required temperature long enough to assure that uniform graft polymerization ("substantial polymerization") has occurred, such time usually not exceeding 30 minutes. The fibers can then be rinsed to neutralize the pH and remove excess homopolymers, if any.
The invention will now be described in greater detail by reference to the following specific, non-limiting examples:
EXAMPLES I
Athletic socks made of 75% acrylic (ORLON) yarns and 25% nylon filaments were treated in a paddle-type dye tub containing 150 liters of water. Fifty ml of 33% HCl and 50 ml of about 88% formic acid were added to water heated to 160° F. (71° C.), and 56 grains of NBA were then dissolved in the water. Less than one pound of acrylic athletic socks was immersed in the solution, and the temperature was rapidly raised to 185° F. (85° C.) and held there for 10 minutes. Twenty-five grans of potassium persulfate was added, and three minutes after the addition a milky precipitate appeared. Ten minutes after the addition of persulfate, the tub was drained and the socks were rinsed with fresh water.
EXAMPLE II
The process of Example I was repeated with less than a pound of single knit fabric made of textured DACRON polyester (150 denier, 34 filament).
Testing Of Samples I and II
Polyester and acrylic samples processed according to Examples I and II were put through fifty home launderings with household detergent. Each set of ten wash cycles consisted of seven normal cycles with 30 grams of "Fab" home laundry detergent in a 10 pound capacity "Kenmore" home washer set on warm water wash, followed by three normal cycles set on warm water with no detergent.
Vertical wicking of samples was tested after drying after each set of ten wash cycles as follows: Samples were cut at different times and vertical wicking was tested by cutting a strip of fabric, suspending one end in water, and measuring distance wicked above the surface. Polyester readings were made at two minutes, and acrylic readings were made at five minutes. Controls were untreated acrylic and polyester. The results are tabulated in Tables I and II below.
TABLE 1______________________________________POLYESTER VERTICAL WICKINGWASHING CYCLES CONTROL (cm) TREATED (cm)______________________________________ 0 0 710 0 4.520 0 4.230 0 4.540 0 550 0 5.5______________________________________
TABLE II______________________________________ACRYLIC VERTICAL WICKINGWASHING CYCLES CONTROL (cm) TREATED (cm)______________________________________ 0 3.5 10.210 3.2 10.520 3.6 10.230 3.4 10.040 3.5 9.050 3.5 9.1______________________________________
In addition to the above-demonstrated hygroscopic properties, the fabrics treated in Examples I and II had excellent hand and feel characteristics, improved dyeability, good antistatic properties and generally improved surface properties.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
|
A method is provided for treating polyester, and acrylic polymer fibers or fibrous structures made thereof to permanently improve the antistatic, hygroscopic, dye receptive, soil release, inter-fiber adhesion and bonding properties of the fibers and structures. The method involves contacting the fibers with an aqueous solution containing at least one unsaturated monomer and having an acid pH and a temperature between about 60° C. and about 100° C. After allowing the solution to uniformly disperse among the fibers, so that the monomer intimately contacts the fiber surfaces, polymerization of the monomer on the fiber surfaces is initiated by a polymerization initiator for the monomer, and the polymerization is continued for a sufficient time to allow substantial graft polymerization of the monomer on the fibers to modify the surface properties of the fibers. The fibers are preferably scoured prior to the treatment process, and after polymerization the fibers are rinsed to remove acid and excess homopolymer prior to dyeing and/or further processing of the fibers. The fibers may be in the form of knitted, woven or nonwoven fabrics, and may include mixtures of fibers such as acrylic yarns and nylon filaments or polyester and cotton staple fiber blends.
| 3
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the development of embedded systems, specifically, to the process of building an embedded software package.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
[0002] An embedded system is a computer system that is embedded in various devices and application products for controlling these devices and application products. Generally, the development of an embedded system will involve a cross-compiling approach. So-called cross-compiling means that codes are generated on a platform but executed on another platform. The reason for adopting a cross-compiling approach may be that the target platform (the system where the generated program will be executed) does not allow or is not able to have the required compiler installed on it, yet some features of the compiler are needed in developing software for the target platform. Another reason may be that the target platform is lacking in the necessary resources, so there is no way to run the required compiler. Yet another reason may be that the target platform has not been built up (e.g., no operating system on it) to run the required compiler. With regard to an embedded system, usually there are not sufficient resources for compiling and optimizing application softwares, and there is also not enough space for the whole development or debug effort. Accordingly during the development of embedded software, the cross-compiling approach is usually applied.
[0003] However, for the software developers of embedded systems, the cross-compiling is not a simple process. On one hand, the cross-compiling-based building process is usually faster than the native building process. On the other hand, it is much more difficult and complex than the native building process. Taking the transporting of a third-party software as an example, in the case of the native building process, there is rarely a need for the developer to modify the building process, he simply needs to enter a building command. However, in cross-compiling, the developer usually needs to take several hours or days to debug the building process itself before he/she can see the building process running to the end successfully. The troubles in cross-compiling result from the fact that the compile-time platform on which the building process runs is not the same as the target platform, (i.e. the run-time platform on which the built-out program will run). More specifically, this divergence between the compile-time platform and the run-time platform will cause problems in the following two situations:
[0004] 1) It is common that some steps in the building process will try to run interim programs built out by previous steps. The interim programs may be used to probe characteristics in some aspects of the target platform and, based on the execution results of the interim programs, the building process can adjust the compiling options of some programs accordingly. An example of such an interim program is the one used to test the bit field ordering of the target platform. Another possible use of an interim program is for generating a source code segment to be compiled in later steps.
[0005] Obviously, in the cross-compiling setting, these steps will result in errors because the generated target binary code usually is not executable on the building platform, (i.e. compile-time platform).
[0006] 2) Before compiling a source file, the building process generally will try to probe whether libraries, on which the software package to be built will depend, exist on the target system and where they are located. If the building process could not find some of the libraries, the corresponding invoking codes might not be included in the further compiling results. If the building process could find necessary libraries, the correct paths of the object files and header files of these libraries should be informed to the compiler.
[0007] However, in a cross-compiling situation, such library probing is not an easy task. Such a task often incorrectly ends up with “fake” libraries which are installed on the building platform and have the same names but are not the required libraries. This will definitely cause compiling errors in later steps.
[0008] An article entitled “Cross-compilation” disclosed a method for solving the problem in the first situation mentioned above for cross-compiling. The article is available on the internet at research.att.com/˜gsf/download/crosscomp.html. The main idea of the method disclosed in the article is that, when the building process needs to run an interim program, the interim program will be remotely executed on the target system instead of on the compiling platform. However, this solution does not address the issue in the second situation mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In order to solve the problem of being prone to errors when cross-compiling is used in software development for embedded systems, and at the same time to take advantage of the ease of the native building process of software fully, the present invention proposes a solution for building software packages for embedded systems that is highly efficient (like cross-compiling) and is also user friendly (like the native building).
[0010] Similar to the cross-compiling situation, in addition to the target system, the software package building solution of the present invention involves another computer system, which has much higher performance than the target system, but may have different architecture from the target system. In the present invention, the computer system with higher performance is referred to as a compiling server. Differing from cross-compiling, the software package building process of the invention is started on the target system like that in the native compiling. Preferably, the root file system of the target system resides on the compiling server and the target system will mount the root file system from the compiling server through a network.
[0011] The main idea of the invention is to realize a mechanism in which, whenever the building process on a target system tries to invoke a native compiler for compiling a source file in a source file package into an executable file, the invocation will be intercepted and redirected to the corresponding cross-compiling tool running on a remote compiling server. Because the compiling server has higher performance, it will take less time for using the cross-compiling tool running on the compiling server to compile the source file than using the corresponding native compiling tool on the target system (if one is available). Moreover, since the file system of the target system is actually stored in the compiling server, when the cross-compiling tool in the compiling server reads an input file and writes an output file, no network IO operations will be involved. Thus, in the present invention, the speed of compiling source files is as fast as that in the pure cross-compiling situation.
[0012] Thus, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for building a software package, comprising: creating a cross-compiling stub in a target system for building a software package, wherein the cross-compiling stub is for accessing a cross-compiling tool in a remote compiling server; starting a software package building process on the target system; and during the building process, intercepting a compiling command coming from the software package building process and forwarding the compiling command to the remote compiling server using the cross-compiling tool stub so that a source file will be compiled by a corresponding cross-compiling tool in said remote compiling server.
[0013] Preferably, the method for building a software package according to the present invention further comprises: storing an image of the file system in the target system into said compiling server. The step of forwarding the compiling command to the remote compiling server further comprises forwarding the compiling command and a command line parameter in the building process on the target system to a building daemon in the remote compiling server by the cross-compiling tool stub, invoking a corresponding cross-compiling tool in the remote compiling server by the building daemon with the received command line parameter, reading out the source file to be compiled in a source file package from the file system image of the target system in the compiling server according to the command line parameter, and compiling the source file to generate binary codes executable on the target system by the invoked corresponding cross-compiling tool.
[0014] Preferably, the method for building a software package according to the present invention further comprises: writing the compiling result of said source file into the file system image of the target system in the compiling server by the invoked cross-compiling tool; and reading the software compiling result from the file system image of the target system in the compiling server and continuing the subsequent software package building jobs by the building process on the target system.
[0015] Preferably, the method for building a software package according to the present invention further comprises: translating an absolute path present in said command line parameter as well as the “#include” line in the source file to be compiled into a corresponding path valid in the file name space of said compiling server; or changing the root directory of the invoked cross-compiling tool in the compiling server to the path corresponding to the root directory for the file system of the target system and copying the executable files and libraries related to the invoked cross-compiling tool into the changed root directory and setting the current working directory of the invoked cross-compiling tool in the compiling server to a path matching the current directory where the building process on the target system is located when invoking the corresponding cross-compiling tool stub.
[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for building a software package, comprising: a compiling server that includes a building daemon for receiving a compiling tool invoking request from a target system and invoking a corresponding cross-compiling tool based on the invoking request; and at least one cross-compiling tool for compiling the specified source file into binary codes executable on the target system; and at least one cross-compiling tool stub deployed in the target system, each of which corresponds to a corresponding cross-compiling tool in the compiling server, for intercepting a compiling command coming from a software package building process and forwarding it to the compiling server, where the corresponding cross-compiling tool will compile the corresponding source file in the target system.
[0017] Preferably, the compiling server further comprises: a file system image of the target system, wherein said cross-compiling tool reads a source file to be compiled and related files from a specified source file package in the file system image of the target system and writes the compiling result into the file system image that can be accessed by the target system immediately.
[0018] Preferably, the compiling server further comprises a network file system, through which said target system can access files in the file system image of the target system that resides on the compiling server.
[0019] Preferably, the target system comprises a cross-compiling tool stub creating module, for interacting with the remote compiling server so as to create, on the target system, cross-compiling tool stubs for respective cross-compiling tools in the remote compiling server.
[0020] compared to the native compiling, the software package building method and system provided by the present invention has the advantage of faster compile speed as compared to using cross-compiling during the software building; at the same time, compared to the cross-compiling, the method and system is further able to maintain the ease of the native building approach. That is to say, since the main building process of the invention is executed on the target system actually, the developers of embedded software will not encounter those problems found in the cross-compiling situation. More specifically,
[0021] 1) If a step in the building process needs to execute an interim program compiled in previous steps, the invention ensures the program is executable on the target system as usual;
[0022] 2) The probe of libraries or other dependency files in the building process of the invention would not end up with a “fake” library or file as in the prior art cross-compiling situation.
[0023] By combining the speed of the cross-compiling and the ease of the native-compiling, the present invention can bring the best compiling efficiency to those developers of embedded software in most cases.
[0024] These and other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for building a software package for an embedded system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the compiling server in the system of FIG. 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a part of the system in FIG. 1 deployed in the target system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
[0028] FIG. 4 a flowchart of a method for building a software package for an embedded system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0029] Next, a detailed description will be given to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for building a software package for an embedded system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 1 , the software package building system consists of a compiling server 10 and the part deployed in an embedded target system 11 . The compiling server 10 is used to compile the source files in a software source file package on the target system into binary codes executable on the target system. The part deployed in the embedded target system 11 is used to execute the whole process for building the embedded software package and requesting the compiling server 10 to compile a source file in the source file package on demand. The compiling server 10 and the target system 11 may be connected through a wire or wireless network (not shown). Those skilled in the art will easily understand that the target system 10 may also be a virtual target system.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the compiling server 10 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the compiling server 10 includes a building daemon 101 , one or more cross-compiling tools 102 , a network file system (NFS) 103 , a target file system image 104 and a file system adapter 105 .
[0033] The building daemon 101 is used to receive a request for a compiling tool from the cross-compiling tool stubs in the target system 11 and is used to invoke the corresponding cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server 10 with the command line parameters attached in the request. In addition, the building daemon 101 also bridges the standard input and output of the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server 10 to the corresponding cross-compiling tool stub.
[0034] One or more cross-compiling tools 102 are used to compile specified source files into binary codes executable on the target system. The cross-compiling tools 102 include various programs in a compiling toolkit used for compiling a source file in a high-level language into an executable file step by step, such as the cross-preprocessor, cross-compiler, cross-linker, cross-assembler, and other necessary tools that a normal cross-compiling toolkit will provide. In one embodiment, the cross-compiling tools 102 are those compiling tools provided in a GNU compiling toolkit, including preprocessor, C/C++ compiler, assembler, linker, and binary utilities and so on. The output files from the cross-compiling tools 102 will be in the file format of the target system 11 . For instance, when the compiling server 10 is a PC running Windows, and the target system 11 is a Linux on PowerPC, then the cross-compiling tools 102 should generate codes that are valid on PowerPC Linux.
[0035] In order to make the cross-compiling tools 102 be able to compile source files in the target system 11 , it is essential that the cross-compiling tools 102 should be able to access files in the target system 11 . More specifically, the cross-compiling tools 102 should be able to read input files to be compiled in the target system 11 as directed by the building daemon 101 and write the compiled output files back to the file system of the target system 11 , and the target system 11 should be able to immediately read the compiled output files. However, since the speed of file I/O is also an important factor impacting overall compiling speed, in the present embodiment, the file system of the target system 11 is stored in the compiling server 10 so that the cross-compiling tools 102 can read and write their working files with the least overhead. The target system 11 will mount its file system from the compiling server 10 through a network.
[0036] Thus, in the present embodiment, there is included a network file system (NFS) 103 in the compiling server 10 . The network file system (NFS), such as one offered by Sun Microsystems Co., is used for sharing files among different operating systems, different network architectures and different transmission protocols. The target system can access the files in its file system image 104 , residing on the compiling server 10 through the network file system (NFS) 103 . Each cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server 10 reads source files to be compiled and dependency files (dependency libraries, dependency header files and others) in a specified source file package from the target file system image 104 and writes the compiling result into the file system image so that the target system 11 can immediately access the compiled output files.
[0037] Besides, the file system adapter 105 in the compiling server 10 is used to provide translation between the file types of the compiling server 10 and the target file system image 104 in the case that the compile sever 10 does not natively support the file system type of the target system 11 so that the cross-compiling tools 102 can access the files in the file system image 104 of the target system 11 , that resides on the compiling server 10 .
[0038] The target file system image residing on the compiling server may be output through the network file system (NFS) service in the compiling server, and the target system may load it as a root file system through a client-side program of the network file system. Thus, the cross-compiling tools 102 in the compiling server 10 and the building process on the target system 11 can work under the same file system environment effectively. However, the compiling server and the target system usually have different file system name spaces. For instance, the root directory of the target system may need to be accessed on the compiling server with a path name like “/opt/target_root”. When the building process on the target system names a file path, the path is only valid in the file system name space on the target system. Thus, before a cross-compiling tool in the compiling server tries to access a file or directory in the target file system image in the compiling server according to a path named by the building process on the target system, it is necessary to translate the path according to the file system name space on the compiling server. Thus, in the present embodiment, the building daemon 101 further includes a path translation module 1011 , and each cross-compiling tool 102 also includes a corresponding path translation module 1021 , for performing translation from a named path in the target system to a valid path in the compiling server. There may be three types of file paths used in the building process of a software, including absolute path, standard system directory path and current working directory relative path. A description of the translation for these paths, respectively, follows.
[0039] 1) Absolute Path
[0040] An absolute path is one preceded with “/” on unix or “å” on Windows.
[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the path translation module 1101 in the daemon 101 scans the command line parameters received from the building process of the target system 11 and the path translation module 1021 in each cross-compiling tool 102 scans the “#include” line in the source files to be compiled in the target system so as to find out all the absolute paths and translate them into corresponding valid ones in the file name space of the compiling server. For instance, if the building process of the target system 11 invokes a compiler with parameters “-L/usr/local/xine/lib-I/usr/local/xine/include/home/xwk/src/xine/xine.c . . . ”, then the path translation module 1011 should translate the path into the path “-L/opt/target_root/usr/local/xine/lib-I/opt/target_root/usr/local/xine/include/opt/target_root/home/xwk/src/xine/xine.c . . . ” in the compiling server.
[0042] In another embodiment of the present invention, the absolute path translation approach is different from the above embodiment. In the present embodiment, instead of translating the file's absolute path, the daemon 101 will set the root directory of the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 to the same location as the root directory of the target file system. This is usually done by the command “chroot” on unix. Thus, in such a situation, the root directory of the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 in the previous example will be set to “/opt/target_root”. Thus, the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server will actually see the same file name space as that in the target system 11 . However, in such a situation, when the root directory of the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 is changed, all executable files and libraries that may be invoked in the executing process of the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 should be copied to a corresponding location under the new root directory, and the environment variables PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH also should be updated accordingly. Otherwise, the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 will not be able to find these files during running.
[0043] 2) Standard System Directory Path
[0044] The “standard system directory path” is a conventional C language and C compiler notion. When a software developer specifies a “#include<header>” directive or specifies a “-include header” or “-library lib” compiler option in a source file, the compiling tool will search for specified header files or libraries in the predefined standard system directories. For instance, in the case that the cross-compiling tools 102 are GNU compiling tools, these directories are “/include”, “/usr/include”, “/usr/lib” and so on.
[0045] In order to deal with the translation, the standard system directory paths of the cross-compiling tools 102 should be correctly set to the standard system directories of the target system. Still taking the above-mentioned file system name space configuration as the example, the standard system directory paths of the cross-compiling tools 102 should be set to “/opt/target_root/include”, “/opt/target_root/usr/include”, “/opt/target_root/usr/lib” and so on. The standard system directory paths of the cross-compiling tools 102 are statically specified when these cross-compiling tools are generated.
[0046] 3) Current Working Directory Relative Path
[0047] All other paths fall within the scope of “current working directory relative path” except the above-described two types of paths. For these paths, the path translation module 1011 in the daemon 101 sets the current working directory of the invoked cross-compiling tool 102 to a path matching the current directory where the building process on the target system is located when it invokes the corresponding cross-compiling tool stub.
[0048] FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of a part of the system in FIG. 1 deployed in the target system. As shown in FIG. 3 , in the present embodiment, the part deployed in the target system 11 includes a software package building process script 111 , a cross-compiling tool stub creating module 112 , one or more cross-compiling tool stubs 113 , and dependency libraries 114 , dependency header files 115 , a software package under building 116 , interim executable programs 117 and others.
[0049] The software package building process script 111 is used to invoke the dependency libraries 114 , the dependency header files 115 , the interim executable programs 117 and others, to perform the whole building process for the software packages in the target system 11 , including compiling, linking and optimizing and so on, so as to finally build up a software package executable on the target system. When a source file in the source file package is compiled, the software package building process script 111 invokes a corresponding cross-compiling tool stub 113 in the target system 11 , and further invokes the corresponding cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server 10 to compile the source file.
[0050] Creating a stub, on the target system, of a cross-compiling tool in the compiling server means copying a cross-compiling tool stub that has the same file name as the native compiling tool to be replaced to the target system so as to replace the corresponding native compiling tool. The creating process of a cross-compiling tool stub may be a manual process by a system administrator, wherein, when the target system is established, the system administrator copies a cross-compiling tool stub that has the same file name as the native compiling tool to be replaced to the target system so as to replace the corresponding native compiling tool. Alternatively, the creating process may be an automatic process by the cross-compiling tool stub creating module 112 , such that, when the target system is established, the cross-compiling tool stub creating module 112 automatically creates, on the target system 11 , stubs for respective cross-compiling tools 102 in the remote compiling server 10 through interaction with the remote compiling server 10 .
[0051] For each cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server 10 , there exists a corresponding cross-compiling tool stub 113 in the target system. These stubs do not perform a real compile job, but forward the compiling commands and command line parameters from the software package building process script 111 to the building daemon 101 in the compiling server 10 and the daemon 101 invokes a corresponding cross-compiling tool 102 in the compiling server to do the compile job. Moreover, these cross-compiling tool stubs 113 further redirect their standard inputs and outputs to the remote building daemon 101 , since sometimes the building process script 111 in the target system 11 may use these standard inputs to feed information other than the command line parameters to the cross-compiling tools 102 in the compiling server 10 , or may use the standard outputs to get execution status reports and other information from the cross-compiling tools 102 .
[0052] Above, in conjunction with the drawings, a detailed description has been given to a software package building system for an embedded system according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
[0053] Under the same inventive concept, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a software package building method for an embedded system. Next, a detailed description will be given to the method in conjunction with the drawings.
[0054] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for building a software package for an embedded system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 4 , the method comprises the following steps:
[0056] At Step 401 , in the target system, creates stubs for cross-compiling tools in the compiling server. Specifically, the creating process of the cross-compiling tool stub may be either a manual process by a system administrator, that is, when the target system is established, the system administrator copies a cross-compiling tool stub that has the same file name as the native compiling tool to be replaced to the target system so as to replace the corresponding native compiling tool, or an automatic process by a cross-compiling tool stub creating module, that is, when the target system is established, the cross-compiling tool stub creating module automatically creates, on the target system, stubs for respective cross-compiling tools in the remote compiling server through interaction with the remote compiling server.
[0057] At Step 402 , a network file system service is configured to allow the compiling server and the target system to be able to share an image of the target file system residing on the compiling server.
[0058] Then, at Step 403 , the software developer of an embedded system starts an executable software package building process on the target system for a source file package.
[0059] At Step 404 , during the building process, a cross-compiling tool stub in the target system intercepts a compiling tool invocation request sent by the building process.
[0060] At Step 405 , the cross-compiling tool stub in the target system forwards the compiling tool invocation request to a building daemon in the compiling server through a network. The building daemon, after match translation of the file paths in the invocation request and the related working directories of the cross-compiling tool to be invoked, natively invokes a cross-compiling tool corresponding to the cross-compiling tool stub in the target system that has sent the invocation request with command line parameters.
[0061] At Step 406 , the invoked cross-compiling tool in the compiling server, compiles the specified source files in the target file system image so as to generate binary codes executable on the target system and writes the compiled output files into the image, then the compiling status is reported to the building process on the target system through the building daemon. It may be based on the target file system image and in conjunction with the related header files and related libraries
[0062] Then, at Step 407 , after completion of source file compile, the building process on the target system will continue the subsequent building steps
[0063] It should be noted that, in the software package building process on the target system, there may be a need to execute some compiled interim executable programs, in such a case, the building process can directly execute these interim programs based on the specified paths without encountering the problem that a generated interim program cannot be executed on the software building platform as in the conventional cross-compiling approach.
[0064] It should be noted that, the step order in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is only exemplary and the present invention may be implemented in different step orders in specific implementations. For instance, when it is needed to execute the software building process for several times on the same target system, the steps 401 and 402 need to be executed only once at the time of system establishment, there is no need to execute them repeatedly. That is, only when the target system is established are stubs for the cross-compiling tools created in the target system and a network file system service configured in the compiling server.
[0065] Using the software package building method and system for an embedded system as described above in conjunction with the drawings, a software developer only needs to copy the software source file package into the target file system and enter a building command on the target system as in the native compiling approach, whereupon the whole building process of a software package would be automatically accomplished.
[0066] Above, the software package building method and system of the present invention for an embedded system have been described in conjunction with the drawings. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is suitable for all systems that need cross-compiling. It should be further noted that these embodiments are just exemplary and those skilled in the art may make various changes on the basis of them.
|
A method and system for building an embedded software package for a target system including creating a cross-compiling stub in the target system, wherein the stub accesses a compiling tool at a remote location, starting a software package building process at the target system, and intercepting a compiling command coming from said software package building process and forwarding the compiling commands to said remote compiling server using the cross-compiling tool stub so that a source file will be compiled by a corresponding cross-compiling tool in the remote compiling server. The method and system allow a developer of software for an embedded system be able to start a software package building process on the target system as in the native compilation situation, and have the actual compiling of the source file in the software package be performed by cross-compiling tools in another computer with high performance.
| 6
|
FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates to first row transition metal catalysts and the synthesis of these catalysts. More particularly, the phosphoranimide-transition metal catalysts can catalyze a range of organic transformations including hydrodesulfurization and hydrogenation.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Catalytic reduction of organic substrates remains a key enabling industrial process that sustains several major chemical industries. There is a wide range of commercially-important reductive transformations catalyzed by transition metals catalysts. For example, the transition-metal catalyzed cleavage of polar bonds such as C—S and C—N bonds, and hydrogenation of unsaturated functional groups such as alkenes (to alkanes) are reductive transformations pertinent to fine chemicals synthesis and to the production of environmentally safe fuel from crude petroleum feedstock.
[0003] Current industrial processes employing catalytic reduction are commonly mediated by relatively expensive, rare and in some cases, toxic second- and third-row transition metals. The use of these rare transition metals raises barriers to the sustainability of these industrial processes. As an example, current technologies for the upgrading of petroleum feedstocks which include hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) are energy intensive. This is due in part to the reaction conditions required for the metal catalysts currently used for these processes. Molybdenum and tungsten catalysts, promoted by cobalt and nickel ions such as CoMoS 2 and NiWS 2 , generally function under high temperature (e.g. about 300 to 650° C.) and high pressure (e.g. about 90 to 120 atm). These conditions contribute to refining costs of petroleum and crude oil, hence, there is a demand for cost-effective and environmentally benign catalytic processes for industrial scale production of commodity chemicals and fuels.
[0004] First row transition metals are relatively inexpensive and abundant. This makes them attractive candidates [inter alia] for catalytic hydrogenation and the processing of petroleum feedstocks. Generally, however, first-row transition metal catalysts are believed to possess intrinsically low activity.
[0005] Discrete ligand-supported metal clusters have been used to model the active sites of heterogeneous catalysts and, in some cases, catalyze organic reactions. Polymetallic catalysts typically display reactivity different from monomeric catalysts. Ligand-supported metal clusters can be classified according to the relative saturation of the metal centers: coordinatively saturated clusters are relatively stable and inert, normally requiring activation prior to use. Generally, coordinatively unsaturated clusters are thermodynamically less stabilized and more reactive. Therefore, coordinatively unsaturated clusters are good candidates for catalysis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to one aspect, there is provided a transition metal catalyst comprising monomeric units of the general Formula I:
[0000] [MNPR 3 ] Formula I
[0007] where M is a first row transition metal having a +1 oxidation state;
[0008] R 3 PN − is a monoanioinic phosphoranimide ligand of structure:
[0000]
[0009] where:
[0010] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 can be the same group or different groups; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 =alkyl (C1-18, primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl), cycloalkyl (C3-C8), aryl/heteroaryl, substituted aryl/heteroaryl or an inert functional group containing at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of a Group 15 and/or Group 16 element; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 may also be linked to give cyclic systems, using linkages such as aliphatic cyclic systems; wherein the M to R3PN − ratio in the catalyst is 1:1.
[0011] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of synthesis of a transition metal catalyst comprising reducing a complex of Formula II [MNPR 3 X( m-1) ] n with a reducing agent to produce a catalyst of Formula I [MNPR 3 ], wherein Formula II is
[0000] [MNPR 3 X( m-1) ] n
[0012] where:
[0013] m=2 to 3; n=1 to 4; M is Fe, Co or Ni; X − can be any halide or pseudohalide;
[0014] R 3 PN − is a monoanionic phosphoranimide ligand of structure:
[0000]
[0015] where
[0016] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 are the same group or different groups; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 =alkyl (C1-18, primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl), cycloalkyl (C3-C8), aryl/heteroaryl, substituted aryl/heteroaryl or an inert functional group optionally containing at least one heteroatom, and wherein the substituents may also be linked to give cyclic systems, both aliphatic and aromatic; the M:NPR3 ratio is 1:1; and wherein in Formula I, M and NPR 3 are as defined for the compound of Formula II and wherein the M:NPR3 ratio is 1:1.
[0017] According to a third aspect, there is provided a method of synthesis of [FeNP t Bu 3 ] 4 comprising: reacting a compound of formula [Br 2 Fe 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 ] with Na(Hg) at −35° C.
[0018] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a method of synthesis of [CoNP t Bu 3 ] 4 comprising: reacting a compound of formula [Cl 2 Co 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 (THF) 2 ] with Na(Hg) at −35° C.
[0019] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a method of synthesis of [NiNP t Bu 3 ] 4 comprising: reacting a compound of formula [Br 2 Ni 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 ] with Na(Hg) at −35° C.
[0020] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a method of synthesis of complex of Formula II from an anionic metathesis reaction between a metal salt selected from the group consisting of MX m and L a MX m and an alkali or alkaline metal salt of a phosphoranimide ligand, wherein Formula II is defined as follows:
[0000] [MNPR 3 X (m-1) ] n
[0021] where:
[0022] m=2 to 3; n=1 to 4; M is Fe, Co or Ni. X − can be any halide or pseudohalide;
[0023] R 3 PN − is a monoanioinic phosphoranimide ligand of structure:
[0000]
[0024] Where:
[0025] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 can be the same group or different groups; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 =alkyl (C1-18, primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl), cycloalkyl (C3-C8), aryl/heteroaryl, substituted aryl/heteroaryl or an inert functional group optionally containing at least one heteroatom, and wherein the substituents may also be linked to give cyclic systems, both aliphatic and aromatic; the ratio of NPR 3 to M is 1:1; and wherein in MX m and L a MX m :
[0000] m=2 to 3; a=1 to 4; M can be any first row transition metals; X − can be any halide or pseudohalide; L can be a two-electron dative donor molecule selected from the group of dialkyl ethers consisting of tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, dioxane; or selected from the group consisting of trialkylphosphine or a triarylphosphine selected from the group consisting of triphenylphosphine and tri-(p-tolyl)phosphine.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES
[0026] FIG. 1 shows an ORTEP diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of [Ni(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 .
[0027] FIG. 2 shows an ORTEP diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of [Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 .
[0028] FIG. 3 shows an ORTEP diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of [Co(μ-NP t Bu 3 )Cl(THF)] 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] Molecular transition metal clusters have been used as models for heterogeneous catalyst active sites. However, the synthesis of coordinatively unsaturated molecular transition metal clusters is difficult because of the instability of these clusters. Known clusters have a metal core (comprising two or more metal centers) supported by large, often polyfunctional ligands. Accordingly, the metal centers are generally sterically hindered by the bulky surrounding ligands and the metal cluster is typically coordinatively saturated. This property of coordinative saturation limits the utility of these clusters for catalysis because the metal in the cluster must become coordinatively unsaturated in order to bind substrate and engage in catalytic activity.
[0030] The rational design of coordinately unsaturated metal clusters benefits from studies of monometallic two-coordinate transition metal complexes. These complexes are the most coordinatively unsaturated metal complexes that have been prepared. Two-coordinate transition metal complexes have special electronic and magnetic properties. Of the 80 structurally characterized two-coordinate transition metal complexes, all are monomeric and stabilized by bulky anionic ligands. These two-coordinate metal complexes can act as precursors for the synthesis of transition metal nanoparticles. In addition, these complexes can be used for the preparation of supported heterogeneous catalysts.
[0031] Many industrial catalysts are transition metal catalysts. Second and third row transition metals are most frequently associated with high reactivity, but these are scarce and expensive, which adds to processing costs. Also, some transition metal catalysts may be toxic. As a result, first row transition metals, which are cheaper, abundant, and often less toxic, may become useful candidates for catalysis, provided an appropriate coordination environment is identified.
DEFINITIONS
[0032] As used throughout the disclosure, the term “alkyl” includes C 1 to C 18 straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl groups such as, but not limited to, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl and t-butyl.
[0033] The term “aryl” includes aromatic hydrocarbons as substituents. Aryl groups may have one or more aromatic rings, which may be fused or connected by a connecting group or a bond. Aryl groups may also include one or more alkyl or aryl substituents located on the aryl group. Specific though non-limiting examples include, phenyl, tolyl, naphthenyl and biphenyl.
[0034] The term “heteroaryl” includes aromatic hydrocarbons which contain at least one heteroatom in the ring. Similar to the aryl groups, heteroaryls may have one or more aromatic rings which may be fused or connected by a connecting group or a bond.
[0035] The term “inert functional group” designates heteroatom-bearing hydrocarbyl fragments attached via the heteroatom to aryl and heteroaryl ligand substituents, as defined above, or appended to the terminus of a ligand substituent. The former serve to modulate, electronically and/or sterically, the chemical nature of the phosphoranimide ligand(s), changing but not impeding catalyst performance. The latter can function as a point of further chemical attachment(s) (i.e., derivatization), for example, in order to construct supported heterogeneous catalysts comprising chemically bonded or linked phosphoranimidometal catalyst subunits grafted onto conventional catalyst supports.
[0036] The term “heteroatom” refers to a Group 14, 15 or 16 element, preferably Si, N or O.
[0037] The term “pseudohalide” refers to anions with similar properties to halides preferably OSO 2 R − , where R=Me, Ph, p-Tol, CF 3 .
Catalysts
[0038] The present disclosure provides a class of transition metal catalysts comprising an assembly of monomeric units having the general Formula I:
[0000] [M(NPR 3 )] Formula I
[0000] wherein
M is a first row transition metal having a +1 oxidation state; the ratio of M to R 3 PN − is 1:1; R 3 PN − is a monoanioinic phosphoranimide ligand which supports the metal centers; R 3 PN − has the following structure:
[0000]
[0043] where:
[0044] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 can be the same group or different groups;
[0045] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 =alkyl (C1-18, primary, secondary or tertiary alkyl), cycloalkyl (C3-C8), aryl/heteroaryl, substituted aryl/heteroaryl or an inert functional group containing at least one heteroatom; and
[0046] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 may also be linked to give cyclic systems, using linkages such as aliphatic cyclic systems [(e.g., R1/R2=-(CH 2 ) n —, where n=3-10].
[0047] In one embodiment, the transition metal may be Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni. In the Examples, Fe, Co and Ni are suitable metal centers for the catalysts.
[0048] The catalysts will be referred to throughout this disclosure as catalysts or complexes of general Formula II:
[0000] [M(NPR 3 )] n Formula II
[0000] where:
[0049] n=is a whole number;
[0050] M and NPR 3 is as defined above for the compound of Formula I; and
[0051] the ratio of M to NPR 3 is 1:1.
[0052] The value for n can vary with the monoanionic phosphoranimide ligand R3PN − . For example, the catalysts may have n values of greater than 2. In one embodiment, n is 2 to 8.
[0053] The chemical composition of any catalyst described in this disclosure is consistent with a substance where the M to R 3 PN − ratio is 1:1.
[0054] In one embodiment, the structurally characterized catalysts with formula [MNPR 3 ]n are discrete tetrametallic transition metal clusters having the following general formula:
[0000] [M(NPR 3 )] 4 Formula III
[0000] wherein M and NPR 3 are as defined above in the compound of Formula I.
[0055] As is evident from general Formula II, the catalysts are free from ancillary ligands which could inhibit the catalytic activity of the metal centers. For example, bulky ancillary ligands could render the metal centers less accessible, and thus limiting reactivity and scope. In the catalysts of Formula II, the bridging phosphoranimide ligands achieve essentially the same effect as the bulky ligands (i.e. the metal centers are stabilized, low coordinate metal centers), but without the steric hindrance effects. Also, the variability in the possible ligands in the presently disclosed catalysts allows for a range of different properties of the catalysts, but all having the common features of being catalytically active and being hydrocarbon-soluble.
[0056] As a specific example, the catalysts of Formula III are discrete tetrametallic transition metal clusters having the following structural formula, designated herein as Formula II:
[0000]
[0000] where
[0057] the ratio of M to NPR 3 is 1:1; and
[0058] M and NPR 3 are as defined in the compound of Formula I.
[0059] The complexes of Formula III have metal centers which are supported by bridging, anionic phosphoranimide ligands. Each tetrametallic cluster consists of four monophosphoranimidometal (I) [MNPR 3 ] complexes as monomeric units.
[0060] Monophosphoranimidometal (I) monomers are the building blocks of the catalysts of the present disclosure. Compared to the corresponding neutral trialkylphosphine ligands, the phosphoranimide (P═N) functional group displaces the R groups further away from the metal centers, allowing for steric accessibility of the metal centers. This, in conjunction with the absence of ancillary ligands or exogenous donor molecules, allows for the formation of coordinatively unsaturated metal centers in the catalysts. The phosphoranimide nitrogen center provides two donor electron pairs, which leads to bridging coordination at the nitrogen and short metal-metal distances. This nucleates metal clusters consisting of nitrogen-linked phosphoranimidometal (I) monomer units.
[0061] As a person skilled in the art would appreciate, complexes of Formula II can adapt various modes of aggregation. As a result, compounds of Formula II represent a library of catalysts. Structurally characterized compounds of Formula III comprise a subclass of catalysts of Formula II. Compounds of Formula III result from the aggregation of four monomeric units of Formula I. Catalysts supported with phosphoranimide ligands of similar electronic and steric properties with, for example, tri-t-butylphosphoranimide may adopt such tetrameric structure. However, unless specifically provided in the Examples, the catalysts of the present disclosure do not represent a particular characterized structure.
[0062] In relation to structurally characterized catalysts of Formula III, the metal phosphoranimide catalysts that Dehnicke reported have different cluster dimensionality (e.g. a heterocubane) and metal oxidation state (see, for example, Dehnicke et al., (1998), Phosphoraneiminato Complexes of Transition Metals , Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 182 (1999) 19-65). The catalysts of Formula III have a planar or pseudo-planar tetrametallic core with each metal center at the +1 oxidation state.
[0063] Furthermore, the low oxidation state of the metal centers in these catalysts make them amenable to oxidative passivation. For example, the catalysts can be treated by a sulfur reagent, such as S 8 , to prepare air-stable sulfided catalyst derivatives. Transition metal sulfides are industrially useful precatalysts for hydrogenation and hydrodesulfurization of petroleum feedstocks.
[0064] The present disclosure also relates to a method of synthesis of these catalysts. The method of synthesis involves a first step of anionic ligand methathesis with a metal halide precursor resulting in the formation of a halide-functionalized metal phosphoranimide complex, followed by chemical reduction of this complex. The two steps can be conducted sequentially, without isolation of the intermediate halide complex. In some cases, the intermediate halide complex is isolated prior to reduction. This method of synthesis is carried out under an inert atmosphere. The halide-functionalized metal phosphoranimide complex has the general Formula IV:
[0000] [MNPR 3 X m ] n Formula IV
[0000] where:
[0065] m=1 or 2;
[0066] n=2 to 4;
[0067] M to R 3 PN − ratio is 1:1;
[0068] M is a first row transition metal;
[0069] X − can be any halide or pseudohalide;
[0070] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 can be the same group or different groups;
[0071] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 =alkyl (C1-18, primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl), cycloalkyl (C3-C8), aryl/heteroaryl, substituted aryl/heteroaryl or an inert functional group optionally containing at least one heteroatom; and
[0072] the substituents may also be linked by aliphatic hydrocarbyl groups to give cyclic systems [(e.g., R1/R2=-(CH 2 ) n —, where n=3-10].
[0073] In some embodiments, the transition metal may be, but is limited to, Mn, Fe, Co or Ni. In the Examples, Fe, Co and Ni are suitable as the metal centers. In addition, in some embodiments, X − can be, but is not limited to, F − , Cl − , Br − , I − , or OSO 2 R − , where R=Me, Ph, p-Tol, CF 3 .
[0074] In one aspect, there is provided a process for the synthesis of a complex of Formula II via treatment of a complex with Formula V with a reducing agent. The complex of Formula V has the following structure:
[0000]
[0000] where:
[0075] M to R 3 PN − ratio is 1:1;
[0076] M is a first row transition metal;
[0077] X − can be any halide or pseudohalide:
[0078] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 can be the same group or different groups;
[0079] R 1 , R 2 , R 3 =alkyl (C1-18, primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl), cycloalkyl (C3-C8), aryl/heteroaryl, substituted aryl/heteroaryl or an inert functional group optionally containing at least one heteroatom; and
[0080] the substituents may also be linked to give cyclic systems, both aliphatic and aromatic [(e.g., R1/R2=-(CH 2 ) n —, where n=3-10]
[0081] In some embodiments, the transition metal may be, but is limited to, Mn, Fe, Co or Ni. In the Examples, Fe, Co and Ni are suitable as the metal centers. In addition, in some embodiments, X − can be, but is not limited to, F − , Cl − , Br − , I − , or OSO 2 R − , where R=Me, Ph, p-Tol, CF 3 .
[0082] The reducing agent may be comprised of a metal such as, but not limited to, Li, Na, or K. It should also be apparent to a person skilled in the art that metal reducing agents may exist in various forms such as, but not limited to, sodium naphthalenide, Na(Hg) amalgam, Na—K alloy, or KC 8 .
[0083] The reduction step can be carried out in inert organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, hexane, benzene, diethyl ether or toluene, for example. However, halogen-containing solvents are generally unsuccessful in this reduction step.
[0084] The ratio of the reducing agent to complex of Formula IV can range from about 1:1 to about 2:1. Ratios in excess of this can be also used for the reduction, but are not necessary.
[0085] The reduction step can be conducted at low to ambient temperatures. For example, temperatures may range from about −80 to 25° C. may be used. The preferred reaction temperature varies with the choice of reducing agent. As an example, the reduction step for the synthesis of [Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 as detailed herein is suitably carried out at −35° C.
[0086] In another embodiment, there is disclosed a method for the synthesis of the complex of Formula III from an anionic metathesis reaction between a metal halide (MX m ) and an alkali or alkaline metal salt of a phosphoranimide ligand. The metal precursor can be a metal salt such as MX m or a solvated metal salt such as L a MX m . This reaction is as illustrated below:
[0000] MX m +M′(NPR 3 ) b →[M(NPR 3 )X (m-1) ] n
[0000] L a MX m +M′(NPR 3 ) b →[M(NPR 3 )X (m-1) ] n
[0000] where:
[0087] M′(NPR 3 ) b is a Group I or Group II metal phosphoranimide salt and wherein the anionic phosphoranimide R 3 PN— ligand is as defined above for Formula I;
[0088] m=2 to 3;
[0089] n=1 to 4;
[0090] a=1 to 3;
[0091] b=1 or 3;
[0092] M to R 3 PN − ratio in the complex of formula [M(NPR 3 )X (m-1) ] n is 1:1;
[0093] M is a first row transition metal;
[0094] X − is a halide or pseudohalide:
[0095] L can be a two-electron dative donor molecule selected from the group of dialkyl ethers such as, but not limited to, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, dioxane; or selected from the group of trialkylphosphine or a triarylphosphine such as, but not limited to triphenylphosphine or tri-(p-tolyl)phosphine; and
[0096] M′ can be an alkali or alkaline metal. Alkali phosphoranimide salts (i.e. M′(NPR 3 ) b ) employed in the synthesis can include monophosphoranimide salts of lithium, sodium, potassium, and cesium; and alkaline earth metal phosphoranimide salts can include [Mg(NPR 3 ) 2 ].
[0097] Furthermore, the synthesis of complexes of general formula [M(NPR 3 )X (m-1) ] n can also be carried out from the treatment of a metal salt MX m or L a MX m with a magnesium phosphoranimide reagent of general formula [Mg(NPR 3 )X] wherein MX m , L a MX m , R 3 PN − and X— are as defined above.
[0098] In some embodiments, the transition metal may be, but is limited to, Mn, Fe, Co or Ni. In addition, in some embodiments, X − can be, but is not limited to, F, Cl − , Br − , I − , or OSO 2 R − , where R=Me, Ph, p-Tol, CF 3 .
[0099] In general, the efficient synthesis of complexes of general formula [M(NPR 3 )X (m-1) ] n may be carried out at a M to R 3 PN − ratio of about 1:1 or greater. The suitable ratio of the metal salt to M′(NPR 3 ) b varies with the specific metal, leaving group (X) and M′(NPR 3 ) b reagent. When b=1 or when a [Mg(NPR 3 )X] reagent is used, the ratio of the metal salt to M′(NPR 3 ) b a ratio of about 1:1 can be employed for the synthesis; however, yields are generally higher in the presence of an excess of the metal salt, for example, 2:1. When b=2, the ratio may be range from 2:1 to 4:1 to ensure that the M to R3PN − ratio of about 1:1 or greater is maintained.
[0100] The anionic metathesis can be conducted in low to ambient temperatures. For example, temperatures may range from about −80 to 25° C. The anionic metathesis reaction is preferably conducted at temperature ranging from −75 to −35° C., as demonstrated in the synthesis of [Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 and [Ni(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 described herein.
[0101] The synthetic strategy employed provides a method for the synthesis of other tetrameric monoimidometal (I), {LM} n , catalysts wherein the M to L ratio is maintained at 1:1. These catalysts can be supported by bridging, monoanionic imido-type ligands such as, but not limited to, trialkylphosphoranimides.
[0102] The non-limiting examples below serve to illustrate the embodiments described above.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
[Ni(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 and Method of Synthesis
[0103] A nickel phosphoranimide catalyst (shown in FIG. 1 and referred to herein as the Ni(I) catalyst) having the formula shown below is synthesized as an example:
[0000]
[0104] To prepare this catalyst, 1.62 mmol of (dme)NiBr 2 and 0.81 mmol LiNP t Bu 3 are separately suspended in 5 mL portions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in 15 mL screw-capped vials under an inert atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen- or argon-filled drybox. Both suspensions are cooled to −35° C. in a dry-box freezer for an hour. The LiNP t Bu 3 suspension is added drop-wise into the metal halide suspension with occasional stirring over a four-hour period with the temperature constant at −35° C. After the addition of the ligand, the reaction mixture is left in the freezer overnight. The solvent is removed in vacuo and the residue is washed with 4 mL portions of hexane thrice. The residue is dissolved in 7 mL THF, charged with 2.5 mmol of Na delivered using a 1% Na/Hg reagent and stirred overnight. The solvent is evaporated and the product is extracted with pentane and filtered through a plug of Celite. The solvent is removed. This reaction gave an 80% yield. The product precipitates as dark green prismatic crystals from a concentrated THF solution upon cooling to −35° C. The product is characterized by X-ray crystallography, magnetic susceptibility measurement by the Evan's method (Evans, D. F. J. J. Chem. Soc. 1959, 2003-2005, which is herein incorporated by reference) and elemental analysis (vide infra).
[0105] FIG. 1 shows an ORTEP (Oak Ridge Thermal Ellipsoid Plot Program) diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of [Ni(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 . The calculated elemental composition of the Ni(I) catalyst is C, 52.41%; H, 9.90%; N, 5.09%. The determined elemental composition is C, 52.38%; H, 9.89%; N, 4.96%. Solution magnetic susceptibility experiments revealed that the Ni(I) catalyst is a 3.50-electron paramagnet (μ eff =4.40μ Bo ) at room temperature.
Example 2
[Ni(NP t Cy 3 )] n and Method of Synthesis
[0106] A nickel phosphoranimide catalyst of the formula [Ni(NP t Cy 3 )] n is synthesized as an example.
[0107] To prepare this catalyst, 1.62 mmol of (dme)NiBr 2 and 0.81 mmol LiNP t Cy 3 are separately suspended in 5 mL portions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in 15 mL screw-capped vials under an inert atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen- or argon-filled drybox. Both suspensions are cooled to −35° C. in a dry-box freezer for an hour. The LiNP t Cy 3 suspension is added drop-wise into the metal halide suspension with occasional stirring over a four-hour period with the temperature constant at −35° C. After the addition of the ligand, the reaction mixture is left in the freezer overnight. The solvent is removed in vacuo and the residue is washed with 4 mL portions of hexane thrice. The residue is dissolved in 7 mL THF, charged with 2.5 mmol of Na delivered using a 1% Na/Hg reagent and stirred overnight. The solvent is evaporated and the product is extracted with pentane and filtered through a plug of Celite. The solvent is removed. This reaction gave a 50% yield.
Example 3
[Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 and Method of Synthesis
[0108] A cobalt phosphoranimide catalyst (shown in FIG. 2 and referred to herein as the Co(I) catalyst) having the formula shown below is synthesized as an example:
[0000]
[0109] To prepare this catalyst, 1.62 mmol of CoCl 2 and 0.81 mmol LiNP t Bu 3 are separately suspended in 5 mL portions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in 15 mL screw-capped vials under an inert atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen- or argon-filled drybox. Both suspensions are cooled to −35° C. in a dry-box freezer for an hour. The LiNP t Bu 3 suspension is added drop-wise into the metal halide suspension with occasional stirring over a four-hour period with the temperature constant at −35° C. After the addition of the ligand, the reaction mixture is left in the freezer overnight. The solvent is removed in vacuo and the residue is washed with 4 mL portions of hexane thrice. The residue is dissolved in 7 mL THF, charged with 2.5 mmol of Na delivered using a 1% Na/Hg reagent and stirred overnight. The solvent is evaporated and the product is extracted with pentane and filtered through a plug of Celite. The solvent is removed. This reaction gave a 65% yield. The product precipitates as prismatic dark brown crystals upon cooling to −35° C. The product is characterized by X-ray crystallography, magnetic susceptibility measurement by the Evan's method.
[0110] FIG. 2 shows an ORTEP diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of [Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 . The calculated elemental composition is C, 52.36%; H, 9.89%; N, 5.09%. The determined elemental composition is C, 52.68%; H, 10.09%; N, 4.86%. The solution magnetic susceptibility experiments revealed that the Co(I) catalyst is an 8-electron paramagnet (μ eff =8.98μ Bo ) at room temperature.
Example 4
Synthesis of [Cl 2 Co 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 (THF) 2 ]
[0111] The stepwise synthesis of the cobalt catalyst is also demonstrated via the isolation and characterization of a halide-functionalized cobalt phosphoranimide complex, [Cl 2 Co 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 (THF) 2 ] ( FIG. 3 ), formed from the anionic ligand metathesis between CoCl 2 and LiNP t Bu 3 . Subsequent reduction of this complex results in the formation of the Co(I) catalyst, [CoNP t Bu 3 ] 4 . In the halide-functionalized cobalt phosphoranimide complex, the metal centers each bind one THF (solvent) molecule, and has the formula:
[0000]
[0112] To prepare this catalyst, 1.62 mmol of CoCl 2 and 0.81 mmol LiNP t Bu 3 are separately suspended in 5 mL portions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in 15 mL screw-capped vials under an inert atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen- or argon-filled drybox. Both suspensions are cooled to −35° C. in a dry-box freezer for an hour. The LiNP t Bu 3 suspension is added drop-wise into the metal halide suspension with occasional stirring over a four-hour period with the temperature constant at −35° C. After the addition of the ligand, the reaction mixture is left in the freezer overnight. The solvent is removed in vacuo and the residue is washed with 4 mL portions of hexane thrice. This reaction gives an 85% yield. X-ray quality crystals can be grown from a concentrated THF solution for recrystallization at −35° C. FIG. 3 shows the ORTEP diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of the product.
[0113] FIG. 3 shows an ORTEP (Oak Ridge Thermal Ellipsoid Plot Program) diagram depicting the X-ray crystal structure of [Cl 2 Co 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 (THF) 2 ].
Example 5
Synthesis of [Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 from [Cl 2 Co 2 (μ-NP t Bu 3 ) 2 (THF) 2 ]
[0114] All manipulations in this synthesis was carried out under inert atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen- or argon-filled drybox. 0.5 mmol of [Cl 2 Co 2 (L-NPt—Bu 3 ) 2 (THF) 2 ] is dissolved in 5 mL THF and then treated with 1.1 mmol Na(Hg) reagent at −35° C. to room temperature 12 hours. The solvent is evaporated and the product is extracted with pentane and filtered through a plug of Celite. The solvent is removed and a concentrated THF solution of the product is prepared for recrystallization. The product precipitates as prismatic dark blue crystals upon cooling to −35° C. The product was identical in all respects to the material obtained above.
Example 6
[Fe(NP t Bu 3 ] n and Method of Synthesis
[0115] An iron phosphoranimide catalyst having the formula [Fe(NP t Bu 3 )] n was synthesized.
[0116] To prepare this catalyst, 1.62 mmol of (dme)FeBr 2 and 0.81 mmol LiNP t Bu 3 are separately suspended in 5 mL portions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in 15 mL screw-capped vials under an inert atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen- or argon-filled drybox. Both suspensions are cooled to −35° C. in a dry-box freezer for an hour. The LiNP t Bu 3 suspension is added drop-wise into the metal halide suspension with occasional stirring over a four-hour period with the temperature constant at −35° C. After the addition of the ligand, the reaction mixture is left in the freezer overnight. The solvent is removed in vacuo and the residue is washed with 4 mL portions of hexane thrice. The residue is dissolved in 7 mL THF, charged with 2.5 mmol of Na delivered using a 1% Na/Hg reagent and stirred overnight. The solvent is evaporated and the product is extracted with pentane and filtered through a plug of Celite. The solvent is removed. This reaction forms amorphous dark brown solids at 50% yield.
Example 7
Catalytic Hydrodesulfurization and Hydrogenation
[0117] Experiments were carried out to establish the ability of a catalyst of formula [Co(NP t Bu 3 )] 4 to mediate the catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes, as well as hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene.
[0118] An example hydrogenation and a hydrodesulfurization reaction is represented below:
[0000]
[0000] Turnover number (“TON”)=moles of substrate (two C—S bonds cleaved) converted per mole of cluster; in cases wherein a mixture of the partially and fully desulfurized products (thiol and hydrocarbon, respectively) was obtained, one catalytic turnover was calculated as two moles of C—S bonds activated per mole of cluster. These numbers were calculated from data obtained from GC-MS analyses.
[0119] Turnover frequency (“TOF”)=moles of substrate (two C—S bonds cleaved) converted per mole of cluster per hour; in cases wherein a mixture of the partially and fully-desulfurized products (thiol and hydrocarbon, respectively) was obtained, one catalytic turnover was calculated as two moles of C—S bonds activated per mole of cluster per hour.
|
Phosphoranimide-metal catalysts are disclosed. The catalysts comprise first row transition metals such as nickel, cobalt or iron. The hydrocarbon-soluble catalysts have a metal to anionic phosphoranimide ratio of 1:1, have no inactive bulk phase and no dative ancillary ligands, and are active for a range of commercially important reductive transformations. A method of synthesis of these catalysts by reduction of a precursor of these catalysts is also disclosed.
| 2
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective window coverings and, more particularly, to a reinforced burglar- and storm-resistant cover for windows and doors.
2. Description of Related Art
It is often desirable to protect the windows, doors, and other openings of homes and business establishments from intrusion by unwelcome elements. Protective covers are used to secure an area from burglary and vandalism, and also to provide protection from weather-related effects such as violent storms or hurricanes. Conventional covers used for this purpose include rolling protective shutters which are constructed of a plurality of interconnected elongate slats or louvers.
In one form, a protective cover includes a frame which houses a plurality of L-shaped louvers which are deployable to form a curtain which covers the opening. One such protective cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,065 to Alligood. The louvers disclosed in the Alligood patent have a horizontal flange through which support and deployment cables pass, and a vertical flange extending downwardly from the horizontal flange proximate the front of the cover. The louvers are retained within a pair of tracks and an upper housing in a retracted position when the window, door, or other opening is exposed. In this position, the louvers are stacked one on top of another, with the stack having a combined thickness equal to the width of a horizontal flange plus the thicknesses of each of the vertical flanges. Accordingly, channels in the tracks dimensioned to accommodate the combined thickness of the stacked shutter.
To provide protection for the door or window, the louvers are lowered to a deployed position, thus forming a curtain which covers the opening. In the deployed position, the louvers are spaced such that the vertical flange of one of the louvers overlaps the louver immediately below. In this way, the curtain formed by the louvers completely covers the opening.
Positive pressure is caused by high speed winds blowing against the outside of the building and the shutter curtain. The Alligood shutters can withstand wind loads up to at least about 250 mph.
As positive pressure is created on one side of the building, negative pressure is created on the opposite side of the building as the high speed winds pass over and around the building. The negative pressure on the opposite side of the building is significantly less than the pressure inside the building and may pull out the walls, windows and roof if the pressure in the house is not equalized to match the negative pressure. To equalize the pressure, the vertical flanges of the Alligood shutters instantly deflect outwardly slightly from the overlapped horizontal flanges to place the interior of the building in fluid communication with the exterior. In this way, the pressure differential decreases as the internal pressure equalizes with the negative pressure, thereby preventing the walls, windows and roof from being pulled away from the interior.
In the deployed position, the louvers are no longer stacked and, consequently, a narrower channel can accommodate the louvers. The maximum thickness of the curtain in the deployed position is equal to the width of one horizontal flange plus the thickness of one vertical flange. Because the channels of the tracks are wide enough to accommodate the stacked louvers, the deployed curtain has room to move laterally within the channels and to allow a person to lift the curtain and gain access to the covered opening. To address this problem, Alligood provides two manual mechanisms which essentially narrow the channel when the curtain is deployed to prevent substantial lateral movement of the louvers within the channel.
In a first embodiment, a pair of hinged plates are provided, with each plate running parallel and connected by hinges to one of the tracks. The plates are provided with notches corresponding to horizontal flanges of the louvers extending rearwardly in the channels. After the louvers are deployed, the hinged plates are manually positioned in the channels by rotation about the hinges. In this position, the notches in the plates engage the corresponding horizontal flanges to prevent substantial lateral or horizontal movement of the louvers.
The Alligood patent discloses an alternative mechanism in the form of elongated locking angle members. Each of the angle members is located within one of the channels with a lower end pivotally connected to the track proximate the bottom of the channel. The point of connection is located at a distance from the front wall of the track slightly greater than the width of the deployed curtain. In the retracted position, an upper end of the angle member is placed against the back wall of the track to accommodate the stacked louvers. In the deployed position, the upper end of the angle member is manually rotated into position against the louvers and is locked in place by securing the upper end to the side wall of the track.
While these mechanisms effectively provides bracing for the louvers, the manual nature of these mechanisms presents challenges in operation. For example, the hinged plate mechanism requires access from the inside of the cover to rotate the plate into position and, therefore, cannot be used with windows that cannot open, such as plate glass windows on store fronts. Additionally, covers using the angle member mechanism wherein the locking pin or bolt is inserted from the outside of the cover will be difficult to lock when mounted on windows on the second floor or higher. Therefore, a need exists for a mechanism for bracing the curtain which is automatically engaged when the louvers are deployed to cover an opening.
The Alligood patent also discloses that the louvers are suspended in a desired spaced relationship by crimping stop-like members, for example mechanical pop-rivets, to support cables which extend through aligned holes in the louvers. The stop-like members prevent the louvers from moving in the downward direction along the cables, but do not prevent a louver from being lifted upwardly away from the next lower louver, thereby exposing the opening.
To prevent separation of the louvers and to strengthen the curtain, vertically disposed reinforcing members, or unitizing bars, are positioned periodically in engagement with the louvers. These unitizing bars are manually placed in contact with the louvers to prevent relative vertical movement of the deployed louvers. However, as with the locking mechanisms, the unitizing bar presents a difficulty in application for windows that do not open and some windows located above the first floor. Therefore, a need exists for an improved mechanism for preventing separation of the deployed louvers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved reinforced burglar- and storm-resistant cover for windows and doors. The cover includes a pair of opposed and generally parallel tracks with an upper housing extending therebetween. A plurality of louvers are generally parallel to the upper housing with ends located and movable within the tracks. The louvers further include a first portion disposed generally parallel to the upper housing, and a second portion that is angled relative to the first portion.
A first cable is provided that includes a support member affixed to a bottom-most louver. The first cable is retractable so as to allow the louvers to be moved from a deployed position to a retracted position. A pair of second cables are included that have spacing members fixed thereto that engage the louvers in a manner to hold the louvers spaced at regular intervals. The cover further includes a pair of locking members, with each locking member associated with one of the tracks and movable between a first position and a second position. The locking members are adapted to automatically move from the first to the second position when the louvers are deployed from the retracted position to the deployed position.
In one aspect, the locking member extends generally parallel to the tracks and is rotatably coupled to the tracks by a plurality of coupling members. Each of the coupling members is pivotally coupled to both the track and the locking member. Each of the locking members further includes an extension member proximate the bottom of the cover which extends therefrom and engages the bottom-most louver as the bottom-most louver is deployed toward the bottom of the cover. As the bottom-most louver engages the extension members, the weight of the louver causes the locking members to pivot from the first position to the second position. Each locking member further includes a resilient member coupled to the locking member and the corresponding track to bias the locking member toward the first position.
In another aspect of the present invention, each of the second cables is provided with a plurality of spacing members. The spacing members are positioned at regular intervals along the second cables and engage the first portions of the louvers such that the second portion of one louver overlaps the next lower louver when the louvers are in the deployed position. The spacing means are adapted to prevent movement of the engaged louvers in either direction along the second cables, thereby preventing the separation of adjacent louvers.
The features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a rear isometric view of a reinforced burglar- and storm-resistant cover for windows and doors incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear view of the cover with the louvers deployed, showing the stop-like members according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view taken along line 3--3 showing stop-like members according to the present invention affixed to the second cable;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a louver showing holes and keyways in the louvers for receiving the support cables and stop-like members according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is side view of a stop-like member according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a side view of a plug for use with the present invention;
FIG. 6a is a top view of a plug for use with the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a side schematic view of the cover with the louvers and a locking member according to the present invention in a retracted position;
FIG. 8 is a top sectional view of a side track of the cover with the locking member in the retracted position;
FIG. 9 is a side schematic view of the cover with the louvers and the locking member according to the present invention in a deployed position;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken through line 10--10 of the side track of the cover with the louvers and the locking member in the deployed position; and
FIG. 11 is a side schematic view of the cover according to an alternative embodiment of the locking member according to the present invention with one connection member per louver.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a cover 10 for an opening which incorporates the automatic locking mechanisms according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the cover 10 includes a pair of transversely spaced tracks 11 which are secured at the top to an upper housing 12 and at the bottom to a bottom channel 50. The tracks 11, upper housing 12 and bottom channel 50 enclose a plurality of louvers 13 which are interconnected and suspended from the upper housing 12 by a pair of deployment cables 16 and a pair of support cables 17.
The upper housing 12 encloses and supports a take-up roll 18 to which the deployment cables 16 are attached. The support cables 17 are anchored to the upper housing 12 by a pair of brackets 52. The support cables 17 are provided with spacing members 19 that engage the louvers 13 to evenly space the louvers 13 when the cover 10 is in the deployed position, as will be further discussed below.
The cover 10 further includes an automatic locking mechanism which includes a locking member 26 attached to the track 11 by a plurality of connection members 28. Each of the connection members 28 is pivotally connected to both the track 11 and the locking member 26 to permit the locking member 26 to move between the deployed position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as further discussed below. The locking mechanism further includes a coil spring 30 attached to the track 11 and the locking member 26 which biases the locking member 26 toward the retracted position. An engagement member 27, such as a tripper bar, is attached to the locking member 26 proximate the bottom channel 50. The engagement member 27 extends from the locking member 26 and engages the bottom-most louver 20 as the louver 20 approaches the bottom channel 50, thereby causing the locking member 26 to move from the retracted position to the deployed position.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the interconnection of the louvers 13, the deployment cables 16 and the support cables 17 in the deployed position is illustrated. The deployment cables 16 extend from the take-up roll 18 through holes in each louver 13. Below the bottom-most louver 20, a support member 32, such as a pop-rivet, is attached to each deployment cable 16 and supports the weight of the bottom-most louver 20 when the cover 10 is in the deployed position. The support cables 17 extend from the brackets 52 through a second set of holes in each louver 13. The louvers 13 are spaced apart in the deployed position by spacing members 19 which prevent movement of the louvers 13 in either direction along the support cables 17.
The cross-sectional configuration and relative orientation of the louvers 13 is shown in FIG. 3. Each louver 13 has a horizontal flange 14 and a vertical flange 15. As discussed above, the spacing member 19 engages the horizontal flange of the louver 13 and prevents movement of the louver 13 along the support cable 17. Spacing members 19 for adjacent louvers 13 are spaced apart by a distance that is less than the width of the vertical flange 15 of the louvers 13. The spacing and support in both directions ensures that the opening cannot be accessed by separating adjacent louvers 13 when the cover 10 is in the deployed and locked position.
Referring to FIG. 2, when the cover 10 is in the deployed position as shown, each of the louvers 13 is held in place by the spacing members 19. The cover 10 is opened to the retracted position by causing the take-up roll 18 to roll up the deployment cables 16. The deployment cables 16 slide through holes of all the louvers 13 except the bottom-most louver 20. The support members 32 lift the bottom-most louver 20 which in turn lifts the other louvers 13 as it moves toward the take-up roll, thereby creating a stack of louvers 13 in the upper housing 11.
FIGS. 4-6 illustrate one arrangement for attaching the support cables 17 and spacing members 19 to the louvers 13. Each louver 13 has a pair of keyways 21 for receiving a spacing member 19. The keyway 21 has a narrow portion 22 and a wide portion 23 having a larger diameter than the narrow portion 22. The horizontal flange 14 further includes a second pair of holes 25 through which the deployment cables 16 are threaded.
As shown in FIG. 5, each spacing member 19 has top and bottom portions 37, 38 having slightly smaller diameters than the wide portion 23 of the keyway 21, a stem 39 having a slightly smaller diameter than the narrow portion 22 of the keyway 21, and a longitudinal bore 44 through which one of the support cables 17 is inserted. Alternatively, the spacing member 19 could be made from a pair of opposing pop-rivets, one to prevent upward movement, and one to prevent downward movement along the cable 17. The arrangement further includes the plug 40 shown in FIG. 6. The plug 40 is fabricated from a flexible material and has a top portion 41, a lower tapered portion 42 having a maximum diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the wide portion 23 of the keyway 21 and a groove 43 having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the wide portion 23. The plug 40 may also include a cut-out portion 58 in the top portion 41 as shown in FIG. 6a to permit insertion of the plug 40 in the keyway 21 without being obstructed by the top portion 37 of the spacing member 19.
The keyway 21 is provided to facilitate assembly of the louvers 13 and the support cables 17. A spacing member 19 is affixed to the support cable 17 threaded through the bore 44 by crimping the stem 39 to frictionally engage the cable 17. The spacing members 19 are positioned along the support cable 17 at intervals slightly less than the width of the vertical flanges 15. The support cables 17 and affixed support members 19 are passed through the keyways 21 of the horizontal flanges 14 until the louvers 13 are aligned proximate the appropriate support member 19. One of the portions 37, 38 of the support member 19 is passed through the wide portion 23 of the keyway 21, and the stem 39 is inserted into the narrow portion 22. To retain the support member 19 in the narrow portion 22 of the keyway, the tapered portion 42 of the plug 40 is inserted into the wide portion 23 of the keyway 21 until the plug 40 snaps into a retentive locking position.
FIGS. 7-11 illustrate the attachment and operation of the locking mechanism according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the louvers 13 are illustrated in the retracted position in the track 11. A yoke 29 mounted to a rear wall 54 of the track 11 extends the entire length of the track 11. The locking member 26 is shorter than the track 11, and is connected to the yoke 29 by a plurality of connection members 28. The connection members are pivotally connected to both the yoke 29 and the locking member to facilitate the movement of the locking member between the retracted position shown in FIG. 7 to the deployed position shown in FIG. 9.
The locking member 26 further includes an extension member 31 extending therefrom proximate the bottom channel 50. One or more coil springs 30 are attached between the yoke 29 and locking member 26. The springs 30 exert a force on the locking member 26 which biases the locking member 26 toward the retracted position. The aggregate stiffness of the springs 30 is sufficient to force the locking member 26 to the retracted position when the extension member 31 is not engaged by the bottom-most louver 20. The springs are also flexible enough to allow the locking member 26 to move to the locked position when the weight of the bottom-most louver 20 is exerted on the extension member 31.
Although springs 30 are shown herein, other mechanisms for biasing the locking member 26 toward the retracted position. For example, implementing a counter balance system using a weight and pulley or a system using magnets to bias the locking member 26 toward the retracted position will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art and are contemplated by the inventors as having use in connection with the present invention.
FIG. 8 further illustrates the attachment of the locking member 26 to the track 11. The connection members 28 are in the form of C-shaped clamps having a circular cross-section. The connection members 28 have arms which extend through holes in the yoke 29 and locking member 26. Once inserted through the holes, the connection members 28 are secured by a fastener, such as a cotter pin or a threaded nut, to prevent the connection members 28 from slipping out of the holes during operation. Although C-shaped connection members 28 are shown herein, other shapes and mechanisms for movably or rotatably connecting the locking member 26 to the track 11 will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art and are contemplated as having use in connection with the present invention.
The movement of the louvers 13 and the locking members from the retracted position to the deployed position is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9. The retracted louvers 13 are deployed by causing the take-up roll 18 to unroll the deployment cable 16. When the portion of the support cable 17 between the bracket 52 and the top-most spacing member 19 becomes taut, the top-most louver 13 stops and the remaining louvers 13 continue moving toward the bottom of the cover 10. Each subsequent louver 13 is lowered until the corresponding portion of the support cable 17 tightens and the spacing member 19 prevents further downward movement. As previously discussed, the spacing members 19 are spaced to ensure that the vertical flange 15 of one louver 13 overlaps the adjacent louver 13 when in the deployed position.
When the bottom-most louver 20 engages the extension member 31, the weight of the bottom-most louver 20 causes the locking member 26 to pivot to the deployed position of FIG. 9. The force causes the connection members 28 to rotate about the points where the connection members 28 are connected to the yoke 29. As the connection members 28 rotate, the locking member 26 rotates from the retracted position until the bottom of the locking member 26 contacts the bottom channel 50.
When the locking member 26 contacts the bottom channel 50, the connection members 28 have rotated at least to a horizontal position or, preferably, slightly below horizontal to prevent the locking member 26 from moving back toward the retracted position if a force is exerted on the outside of the deployed cover 10. In this position, the locking member 26 is held stable by the bottom channel 50. The strength of the locking mechanism can be further increased by using additional connection members 28 to connect the locking member 26 to the yoke 29, as illustrated in FIG. 11.
FIG. 10 further illustrates the locking member 26 in the deployed position. The bottom-most louver 20 has engaged the extension member 31, causing the connection member 28 to rotate toward the deployed position. The locking member 26 has moved closer to the front of the track 11 and cover 10, thereby narrowing the channel and forcing the louvers 13 against the front of the cover 10 to prevent substantial lateral movement of the louvers 13.
In the deployed position, the locking member 26 forces the louvers 13 against the front of the cover 10. The locking member 26 and connection members 28 prevent an external force exerted by an intruder or the elements from pushing the louvers 13 toward the opening. At the same time, the spacing members 19 prevent the louvers 13 from being forced apart, thereby exposing the opening. This configuration of the cover 10 provides the strength necessary to prevent intrusion through the opening by burglars and inclement weather conditions, and does so automatically as the louvers 13 are lowered to the deployed position. In this way, the cover with the locking mechanism and spacers according to the present invention can be installed and used effectively without manual intervention on any type of window and on windows on any floor of a house or building.
Other modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. This description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is for the purpose of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and method may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.
|
A burglar- and weather-resistant cover for an opening such as a door or window. The cover includes a pair of opposed and generally parallel tracks with an upper housing extending therebetween. A plurality of louvers are generally parallel and connected to the upper housing by a first cable in a manner that allows the first cable to be coiled, and to a pair of second cables which engage the louvers in a manner that spaces the louvers at regular intervals. The cover further includes a pair of locking members, with each locking member coupled to one of the tracks an movable between a first position and a second position. The locking members are adapted to automatically move from the first to the second position when the louvers are deployed from a retracted position to a deployed position. The cover further includes a plurality of spacing members positioned at regular intervals along the second cables and engage the horizontal flanges of the louvers such that the vertical flange of one louver overlaps the next lower louver. The spacing members prevent movement of the engaged louvers in either direction along the second cables, thereby preventing the separation of adjacent louvers.
| 4
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to dehumidification in high moisture load environments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Dehumidification can be accomplished by mechanically lowering the dew-point of air, using a refrigeration based system, to a predetermined temperature and humidity level that removes a desired amount of moisture or by using outdoor air that is at the predetermined temperature and humidity level or lower.
[0003] In many geographic locations, dehumidification using only outdoor air is not practical because the outdoor dew point exceeds the indoor dew point too frequently. Under these conditions indoor humidity is not controlled, causing discomfort and the growth of mold and mildew. Consequently, most systems use refrigeration based dehumidification to maintain indoor humidity for some portion of the year.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dehumidification system which can be used in high moisture load environments.
[0005] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid dehumidification system which utilizes both mechanical and ventilation modes and which promotes modulated dehumidification of air in an enclosed space.
[0006] Other objects which become apparent from the following description of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The invention uses both refrigeration and ventilation to control humidity; with a control system that determines which mode is best under a given set of conditions.
[0008] In the mechanical dehumidification mode, the required outside air and exhaust air for ventilation is furnished by a minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air damper that introduces the outside air necessary to ventilate the enclosed space and exhaust air sufficient to maintain negative pressure within the enclosed space as may be required by design or code and to avoid “pushing” humid air into adjacent spaces or into cold wall cavities where it can condense and cause damage. In the outdoor air dehumidification mode the ventilation is easily met except possibly at very low outdoor temperatures, in which case the outdoor air required to meet the ventilation requirement may cause the indoor humidity to fall below set point. An air bypass is also provided with regulating orifice in the event that additional airflow is needed to meet the total system airflow requirement. The invention has a purge feature that allows the system to operate with 100% outside air/100% exhaust to purge the enclosed space of contaminants such as excessive chloramines in an indoor swimming pool environment.
[0009] For indoor pools, a certain amount of outside air needed to meet minimum ventilation standards. This outside air is used to ventilate chemical odors and to supply fresh air for the occupants. During unoccupied periods outside air for ventilation is not necessary. Also, during unoccupied periods in summer, relative humidity can be allowed to rise to higher levels without danger of hidden damage due to condensation inside wall and ceiling cavities. Therefore, in the interest of saving energy, either of two strategies can be used for unoccupied periods.
1. Place the system in outside air ventilation mode regardless of the season. Using this strategy, the indoor humidity may be higher than design with the space unoccupied but this is of little concern when the outdoor temperatures are higher. Energy savings occurs as a result of shutting down mechanical dehumidification. 2. Shut down the minimum outside air damper when operating in the mechanical dehumidification mode. Using this strategy the indoor humidity is maintained year round. Energy savings occurs as a result of reduced outside air to be treated.
[0012] The invention may use single large plate heat exchangers and the invention can use multiple small plate heat exchangers as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,315, Plate type crossflow air-to-air heat exchanger having dual pass cooling and U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,747, Plate-type crossflow air-to-air heat-exchanger comprising side-by-side-multiple small-plates. A manifold T2/T3 must be added for the invention to work with multiple-small-plate technology.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 a illustrates a single large plate heat exchanger with airflow paths in the mechanical dehumidification/occupied mode with the minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air dampers open, the outside air and exhaust air dampers closed and the exhaust fan removing sufficient quantity of exhaust to maintain negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0015] FIG. 1 b illustrates a single large plate heat exchanger with airflow paths in the mechanical dehumidification mode during unoccupied periods with the minimum outside air damper closed and minimum exhaust air damper open, and the exhaust fan removing sufficient quantity of exhaust to maintain negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a single large plate heat exchanger with airflow paths in the outside air dehumidification mode with the minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air dampers closed and the outside air damper and exhaust air fan modulating to meet the dehumidification requirements and the exhaust fan removing sufficient quantity of exhaust to maintain negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a single large plate heat exchanger with airflow paths in the purge mode with the minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air dampers closed and the outside air damper wide open and the exhaust fan full volume to purge the enclosed space of contaminants while maintaining sufficient quantity of exhaust to keep negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates 3 views of the invention in the multiple-small-plate configuration. Here, the T2/T3 manifold can be seen.
[0019] FIG. 5 a illustrates the configuration of FIG. 1 a using multiple-small-plate heat exchangers with airflow paths in the mechanical dehumidification/occupied mode with the minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air dampers open, the outside air and exhaust air dampers closed and the exhaust fan removing sufficient quantity of exhaust to maintain negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0020] FIG. 5 b illustrates the configuration of FIG. 1 b using multiple-small-plate heat exchangers with the minimum outside air damper closed and minimum exhaust air damper open, and the exhaust fan removing sufficient quantity of exhaust to maintain negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates the configuration of FIG. 2 using multiple-small-plate heat exchangers with airflow paths in the outside air dehumidification mode with the minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air dampers closed and the outside air damper and exhaust air fan modulating to meet the dehumidification requirements and the exhaust fan removing sufficient quantity of exhaust to maintain negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates the configuration of FIG. 2 using multiple-small-plate heat exchangers with airflow paths in the purge mode with the minimum outside air and minimum exhaust air dampers closed and the outside air damper wide open and the exhaust fan full volume to purge the enclosed space of contaminants while maintaining sufficient quantity of exhaust to keep negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the hybrid dehumidification systems control sequences.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] The invention uses at least one modulating outside air damper 26 and at least one modulating exhaust air damper 34 and a variable volume exhaust fan 38 to achieve fully modulated dehumidification in the outside air operating mode and to switch the airflow between outside air dehumidification and mechanical dehumidification modes. An air bypass 48 is also provided with regulating orifice 49 in the event that additional airflow is needed to meet the total system airflow requirement. Modulating exhaust air damper 34 may be of the passive or non-powered type where only pressure differential in the correct direction will open the damper. Both supply fan 16 and exhaust fan 38 are in a “draw-through” position relative to the plate heat exchanger 8 , thereby minimizing the stress on the plates caused by pressure differential. Plate heat exchangers are positioned in a counterflow arrangement and condensate, in both operating modes, flows downward in the same direction as airflow, thereby ensuring complete drainage and minimizing pressure drop from suspended water.
[0025] FIG. 1 a illustrates the invention with a single large plate heat exchanger 8 , operating in the mechanical dehumidification/occupied mode. Return airstream 2 enters the process where it gives up a portion of its volume to minimum exhaust airstream 46 through minimum exhaust air damper 44 where it continues on to exhaust fan 38 where it discharge outdoors through airstream 40 . Meanwhile, airstream 23 continues on to mix with minimum outside airstream 22 through minimum outside air damper 4 . Airstream 6 enters the first pass of heat exchanger 8 , where it is cooled and dehumidified emerging as airstream 42 which travels through dehumidifying coil 30 for final cooling and dehumidification prior to entering the second pass of heat exchanger 8 where it is heated and emerges as airstream 10 . Airstream 10 receives further heating or cooling in heating and/or cooling coil 12 , emerging as airstream 14 prior to entering supply fan 16 where it is supplied back to the enclosed space 50 through supply airstream 18 .
[0026] FIG. 1 b illustrates the invention with a single large plate heat exchanger 8 , operating in the mechanical dehumidification mode during unoccupied periods. Operation is the same as 1 a above except that minimum outside air damper closes.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates the invention with a single large plate heat exchanger 8 , operating in the outside air dehumidification mode where minimum outside air damper 4 and minimum exhaust air damper 44 are closed and dehumidifying coil 30 is inactive. Return airstream 2 enters heat exchanger 8 directly as airstream 6 where it gives up heat to a mixture airstream 28 , of incoming outside airstream 24 and airstream 42 . Air stream 6 exits heat exchanger 8 as air stream 32 which then divides into either a) airstream 36 through damper 34 as exhaust airstream 39 , where it is exhausted through exhaust fan 38 as exhaust air 40 , or, else, b) air stream 6 exits heat exchanger 8 as air stream 32 divides to become air stream 42 in a direction from airstream 28 to airstream 28 , where it reenters heat exchanger and then emerging the heat exchanger 8 at airstream 10 where it continues on for cooling or heating as needed at heating and/or cooling coil 12 , emerging as airstream 14 where it enters supply fan 16 and is discharged to the enclosed space 50 through supply airstream 18 .
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates the invention with a single large plate heat exchanger 8 , operating in the purge mode where minimum outside air damper 4 and minimum exhaust air damper 44 are closed and dehumidifying coil 30 is inactive. Return airstream 2 enters heat exchanger 8 directly as airstream 6 where it gives up heat to 100% outside airstream 24 , emerging the heat exchanger 8 at airstream 10 where it continues on for cooling or heating as needed at heating and/or cooling coil 12 , emerging as airstream 14 where it enters supply fan 16 and is discharged to the enclosed space 50 through supply airstream 18 . Exhaust fan 38 operates at full volume to remove airborne contaminants.
[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates the invention in a configuration with multiple small plate heat exchangers, where T1/T4 manifold 1 distributes air entering 6 and exiting 10 the heat exchangers 8 which are is arranged in parallel arrangement with regard to airflow and manifold 29 at T2/T3 is introduced to collect and distribute air to and from multiple small plate heat exchangers 8 and dehumidifying coil 30 . At least one modulating outside air damper 26 , At least one modulating exhaust damper 34 and manifold 29 at T2/T3 are clearly visible.
[0030] FIG. 5 a illustrates the invention with multiple small plate heat exchangers 8 , operating in the mechanical dehumidification/occupied mode. Return airstream 2 enters the process where it gives up a portion of its volume to minimum exhaust airstream 46 through minimum exhaust air damper 44 where it continues on to exhaust fan 38 where it discharge outdoors through airstream 40 . Meanwhile, airstream 23 continues on to mix with minimum outside airstream 22 through minimum outside air damper 4 . Airstream 6 enters the first pass of heat exchangers 8 , where it is cooled and dehumidified emerging as airstream 42 which travels through dehumidifying coil 30 for final cooling and dehumidification prior to entering the second pass of heat exchangers 8 where it is heated and emerges as airstream 10 . Airstream 10 receives further heating or cooling in heating and-or cooling coil 12 , emerging as airstream 14 prior to entering supply fan 16 where it is supplied back to the enclosed space 50 through supply airstream 18 .
[0031] FIG. 5 b illustrates the invention with multiple small plate heat exchangers 8 , operating in the mechanical dehumidification mode during unoccupied periods. Operation is the same as la above except that minimum outside air damper closes.
[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates the invention with multiple small plate heat exchangers 8 , operating in the outside air dehumidification mode where minimum outside air damper 4 and minimum exhaust air damper 44 are closed and dehumidifying coil 30 is inactive. Return airstream 2 enters heat exchangers 8 directly as airstream 6 where it gives up heat to a mixture airstream 28 , of incoming outside airstream 24 and airstream 42 , emerging the heat exchangers 8 at airstream 10 where it continues on for cooling or heating as needed at heating and/or cooling coil 12 , emerging as airstream 14 where it enters supply fan 16 and is discharged to the enclosed space 50 through supply airstream 18 .
[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates the invention with multiple small plate heat exchangers 8 , operating in the purge mode where minimum outside air damper 4 and minimum exhaust air damper 44 are closed and dehumidifying coil 30 is inactive. Return airstream 2 enters heat exchangers 8 directly as airstream 6 where it gives up heat to 100% outside airstream 24 , emerging the heat exchangers 8 at airstream 10 where it continues on for cooling or heating as needed at heating and/or cooling coil 12 , emerging as airstream 14 where it enters supply fan 16 and is discharged to the enclosed space 50 through supply airstream 18 . Exhaust fan 38 operates at full volume to remove airborne contaminants.
[0034] As also shown in FIGS. 2 , 3 , 6 and 7 , damper 26 and/or exhaust fan 38 modulate to insure that airflow 42 travels from airstream 38 to airstream 28 , and never in reverse, to avoid short circuiting of outside air 20 away from heat exchanger 8 .
[0035] FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the hybrid dehumidification systems control sequences, where “SA” indicates “supply airstream”, “OA” indicates “outside airstream”, “RA” indicates “return airstream”, “EA” indicates “exhaust air”, “Dp” indicates “dew point” and “Rh” indicates “relative humidity”. The first step in the control sequence is whether the supply airstream SA fan is “on” or not. If “on”, then there are different modes of operation.
[0036] For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , in the dehumidification mode, if the dewpoint Dp of the outside airsteam OA is less than the set point of the dewpoint Dp of the supply airstream SA, then the system operates in a winter mode or an optional unoccupied summer mode, where minimum outside airstream OA dampers and minimum exhaust air EA dampers are closed and modulation of outside airstream OA and exhaust airstream EA occurs for humidity control. However, in the summer mode where the dewpoint Dp of the outside airsteam OA is greater than the set point of the dewpoint Dp of the supply airstream SA, then the outside airstream OA and exhaust air stream dampers are closed and the minimum outside airstream OA and minimum exhaust airstream EA dampers are opened. Then the return airstream RA is measured as to relative humidity set point. If less than or greater than the return airstream RA predetermined set point, then cycle stages of mechanical dehumidification or chilled water valve are implemented to maintain the set point. If not, then all stages of dehumidification are “off.”
[0037] FIG. 8 also shows the heat/cool mode, where the dry bulb Db of the return airstream RA is calculated as to whether it is greater than a predetermined set point. If the answer is “yes”, in the cooling mode, cooling is activated by cycling stages of mechanical cooling or by opening of the chilled water valve. If the answer is “no”, in the heating mode, heating is activated by cycling stages of electric heat or by opening the heating valve.
[0038] FIG. 8 further shows the exhaust fan mode, where it is first determined if the outside airstream OA damper is partially opened. If not, then the minimum exhaust air EA damper is determined to whether it is fully opened, and, if not, then the exhaust fan is turned off. If however the minimum exhaust air EA damper is fully open, or if the outside airstream OA damper is partially open, then the speed of the exhaust fan is ramped up to maintain a preset negative pressure in the enclosed space.
[0039] Moreover, in the purge mode shown in FIG. 8 , it is first determined whether the purge relay is energized. If not, then it must be determined whether the supply air SA fan is on or not, and if so, whether the purge relay is then energized. If the purge relay is energized, then the minimum outside airstream OA damper and the minimum exhaust air stream EA damper are both shut down, and the open airstream OA damper and the exhaust airstream damper are opened to maximum.
[0040] In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are illustrative only: However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
[0041] It is further noted that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing from the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended claims.
|
A hybrid dehumidification system uses both mechanical cooling and ventilation to control humidity under control of a system which selects the best mode of operation under a given set of conditions. A purge mode using 100% outside air and exhaust is also supported to decontaminate a space. Either a single large plate heat exchanger or multiple small plate heat exchangers may be employed in the system.
| 5
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/281,375, filed Apr. 5, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to oil lamps. More specifically, the invention is a remote micro-controlled oil lamp having a electrically controlled wick and audio circuit for igniting and signalling wick illumination and deactivation.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Numerous oil lamps have been devised which include the use of a variety of different mechanisms for either extinguishing and activating a flame or controlling the time in which light from a lamp is provided. U.S. Pat. No. 1,317,069 issued to Burchfiel discloses a time controlled lamp lighting device having an alarm clock mounted therein. As earliest as Sep. 23, 1919, time control features have been found necessary for minimizing manual manipulation of lamps, however, most lamp features then were prone to mechanical limitations requiring manual use of mechanical elements such as springs and winding mechanism for activation.
[0006] As early as Sep. 16, 1975, the need for automatic extinguisher mechanisms or features was still wide spread and unfulfilled. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,746 issued to Patrikos sought to fulfill this need by disclosing a fuel body container having two sources of stored energy (i.e. spring like mechanisms) which also worked primarily by mechanical principles for manual manipulation.
[0007] These conventional lamps as further described hereinbelow suffer not only material failure do to the required use of mechanical elements such as springs and the like (which suffer from cyclical material fatigue or loss of recoil or compression), but also utilize a material wick which has the tendency more often than not, to lack a sufficient level of fuel saturation for maintaining a flame. The remote micro-controlled laser oil lamp as herein described does not suffer the aforementioned problems and has flexible utility for indoor and outdoor use with virtually no wicker or flame dissolution.
[0008] Patents respectively issued and granted to Yamaguchi (U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,845 and UK 2083198) disclose a liquid hydrocarbon burner of the type having a vertically adjustable wick comprises an inner ring on which the wick is mounted, an intermediate ring outside the inner ring and an outer ring outside the intermediate ring. The rings are relatively rotatably and relatively vertically movable. Guide pins are disposed in slots formed in the rings so that when the outer ring is rotated, the inner ring moves vertically. This relative motion between rings is used to ignite supplied gas lowering and raising the wick.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,150 issued to Nilsson discloses an illuminating device which is operated on an inflammable liquid fuel and which comprises a container, burner and a wick arranged in the burner. The container has provided therein one or more opening for balancing pressure within the container. The burner is arranged to co-act with a shield which in a working position, permits the flame to burn freely, while in the event of the position of the device being radically changed is brought into abutment with the free end of the wick and extinguishes the flame.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,286 issued to Olsen discloses a lamp for liquid fuel comprising a fuel container, a wick support connected to an opening in the container and a wick supported by the wick support and connected to the container, such that fuel can be led by capillary forces from the container to the wick support.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,577 issued to Stewart discloses a fuel bottle with a candle-like attachment disposed at the upper neck portion of the bottle. The upper neck portion is configured to removably receive a top for closing or enclosing fuel stored therein. A wick is adjustably carried by a member forming part of the attachment for vertical adjustment with respect to the main body of the attachment. The wick is arranged so that, when the attachment is coupled to the neck of the bottle, the wick extends downwardly into the liquid fuel stored therein. When the top is removed the wick is exposed for lighting.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,852 issued to Ferren discloses a lamp device having a fuel reservoir consisting of a metal top and plastic bottom with a wick extending upward from the reservoir. A shell surrounds the reservoir and is removably attached to the fuel reservoir so that the fuel reservoir may be pulled from the bottom of the support and the amount of fluid observed through a plastic portion of the reservoir.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,750 issued to Bridgewater discloses a remote controlled fireplace burner. The ignition source is controlled by a hand held remote transmitter of radio frequency (RF) or infrared wave energy which activates a valve means to effect a supply of fuel for subsequently igniting the pilot. The igniter is connected to an igniter module constructed to produce a response to the reception of a signal from the transmitter. A receiver incorporates a relay which temporarily closes to transmit electrical energy from a 24 volt source to the module.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,685 issued to Applicant discloses a remote light wick extinguisher that uses the movement of air to extinguish candle light flames. Energy as described by Thigpen is sent from a transmitter to a remote receiver. The receiver actuates a circuit, such as a mono-stable multi-vibrator or one shot producing a pulse. The pulse, having sufficient amplitude and duration, actuates a transducer, similar in function to a speaker.
[0015] Other patent documents issued and respectively granted to Barbuto (Des. 316,152), Caplette et al. (Des. 359,369), Boss (Des. 411,633), Belschner (Des. 413,172) and Mori (JP 553574) are directed to ornamental wick features saturated by conventional means of liquid bath fuel.
[0016] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The remote micro-controlled oil lamp according to the invention has a base with a crystal housing and reservoir for an electrically activated wick. Mounted within the base is a coupled photodetector and audio circuit which respectively receives and transmits signals for lighting the wick and sounding a pre-recorded message to signify an on/off condition. The wick is provided in the form of a pair of electrodes which are electrically activated via the photodetector by a remote laser source and/or a manual switch mounted within the base. When the lamp is either remotely or manually activated the electrodes generate a spark across a combustible fluid filled cylindrically shaped gap as a catalyst to produce a candle light or flame. The candle light is maintained by a fuel channel bath separately disposed between a pair of electrodes which are centrally arranged within a reservoir and centrally mounted to the base. A micro-pump circuit is also disposed within the base of the reservoir to ensure an adequate supply of fuel from the reservoir up through the cylindrically shaped fuel channel for spark activation.
[0018] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp for supplying an extended source of candle light without wick deterioration.
[0019] It is another object of the invention to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp which is remotely activated and deactivated.
[0020] It is a further object of the invention to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp which audibly supplies a message indicating an on/off condition of the lamp.
[0021] Still another object of the invention is to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp which continually supplies a combustible oil or fuel via micro-controlled micro-pump.
[0022] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
[0023] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] [0024]FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a remote micro-controlled laser oil lamp according to the present invention.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the remote micro-controlled laser oil lamp according to the invention.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 3 is a conceptual circuit diagram of the micro-controlled laser oil lamp according to the present invention.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 4A is an exemplary light detecting circuit diagram according to a first embodiment.
[0028] [0028]FIG. 4B is a exemplary light detecting circuit diagram according to a second embodiment.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 4C is a exemplary light detecting circuit diagram according to a third embodiment.
[0030] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] The present invention is directed to a remote micro-controlled oil lamp system which utilizes a common underline illumination source and/or laser pointer (having a red, green, blue, etc. characteristic wavelengths) for selectively activating and deactivating the system. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, with alternative circuit embodiments depicted in FIGS. 3 - 4 C. The preferred embodiment is generally referenced by numeral 5.
[0032] As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the remote micro-controlled oil lamp system 5 comprises a base 10 having a reservoir 12 filled with combustible fluid 9 such as butane or a liquid paraffin, a wick 14 and a housing 16 for the wick 14 . The wick 14 is unconventional in that it is not a liquid fuel saturated wick 14 . The remote micro-controlled oil lamp system 5 preferably includes a wick 14 having a first 14 a and second 14 b electrode formed with an integral liquid fuel filled channel 13 . The first and second electrodes 14 a , 14 b are integrally mounted to opposing walls of the channel 13 such that a gap 15 of predetermined distance is formed as a pilot. Each electrode 14 a , 14 b is a substantially rectangular electrode which tapers to convergent ends 17 and 19 , respectively at an end of the wick 14 opposite the base 10 . The gap or pilot 15 formed therein has spatial dimensions according to a selective diameter and differential length uniformly formed along the length of the channel 13 .
[0033] In other words, the diameter of the channel 13 is substantially uniform throughout and along the entire length of the wick 14 . Where the electrodes 14 a , 14 b converge, a spark is generated across the gap 15 filled by a combustible differential fuel volume element for effecting extended “candle light”. Accordingly, it is preferred that the channel 13 be configured as a substantially cylindrical channel 13 for providing spatial pilot clearance or gap 15 of combustible liquid fuel to form a flame F adjacent to the tapered ends 17 , 19 of the electrodes 14 a and 14 b , respectively. The tapered ends 17 , 19 converge at a top portion of the wick 14 in a direction opposite with respect to the base 10 .
[0034] As schematically illustrated in phantom lines, the base 10 of FIG. 2 further includes dual activation circuit elements 18 a and 18 b , audible circuit element 20 , and a means or micro-pump 22 operatively and integrally mounted to a circuit board 24 for pumping a combustible fluid from the reservoir 12 through the channel 13 integrally formed within the wick 14 via a micro-controller 26 . This particular feature is further illustrated in FIG. 3 by the system conceptual circuit 30 .
[0035] As shown therein, a means or micro-controller 26 is operatively connected to the pump module 23 which includes a power source 24 . The pump 22 is preferably a micro-pump which can be powered via rechargeable or disposable batteries as a direct current (DC) power source 24 . The pump 22 is operatively connected thereto for supplying pumping power to a liquid fuel or liquid paraffin 9 stored within the wick 14 . With respect to the flow level of the fuel 9 , the controller 26 regulates the fuel flow up through the channel 13 via junction point J 1 with fuel overflow returned by gravity to the reservoir 12 .
[0036] For remote activation, the lamp system 5 detects via photodetector 32 through the aperture 18 b a predetermined transmitted signal from the hand held remote laser unit 34 . This unit 34 is selectively configured to transmit a beam 35 having a predetermined characteristic wavelength of known sensitivity. The transmitted signal or beam 35 is calibrated according to the sensitivity of the receiver or photodetector means 32 . Any number of available detecting systems can be used according for detecting transmitted signals according to a selective sensitivity from the remote illumination or laser source 34 . Accordingly, the received signal activates a first relay switch 36 which supplies power to the circuit 30 . For manual operation a similar relay switch mechanism 38 is used for manually activating the circuit 30 , except that this switch 36 is activated via a push button mechanism 18 a . The push button mechanism 18 a operates purely as a mechanical switch which utilizes conventional spring loaded button mechanisms for opening and closing typical circuit switches. Each relay switch 36 , 38 is coupled to an audible circuit element or speaker 20 via acoustic aperture 18 c for selectively initiating a prerecorded message respectively. The sequencing of the sounded message is controlled by the microprocessor or controller via condition counters 40 and 42 which supplies a single sequenced counter signal to an audio circuit module 43 to identify an on/off message condition controlled by the micro-controller 26 via junction point J 2 . When either relay switch is on or hi (i.e. “1”), the audible circuit provides an audible signal “Extended Candle Light”. When either relay switch is off or lo (i.e. “0”), the audible circuit provides an audible signal “Good Night”. Any number of messages can be recorded in this fashion on a micro-chip as a prerecorded message by the manufacturer or customized by a user U via conventional recording techniques. Since these techniques are well known to one having ordinary skill in the relevant art, the audible circuit can be easily adapted to provide recording features via two-way speaker/microphone arrangement, etc. which is operatively linked to a micro-chip or similar message storage medium to provide the intended purpose. As schematically illustrated in FIG. 4A, a conventional light detecting circuit or photo-diode amplifier 44 is shown as an exemplary first embodiment or analog for detecting an incoming or transmitted “light” signal having a predetermined wavelength for activating the conceptual circuit 30 at switch S 2 according to the invention. As shown therein light λ strikes a diode 44 a which subsequently supplies an induce voltage signal V out for subsequent processing by the counter and/or timing circuitry which initiates an audible signal.
[0037] As schematically illustrated in FIG. 4B, an exemplary phototransistor circuit 50 is shown. The same action performed by the light detecting circuit 44 will occur for the phototransistor circuit 50 , when light λ strikes the phototransistor 50 a. Both circuits 40 and 50 produce signals which ar amplified by means of an operational amplifier A v which supplies an output signal V out to a respective electrode of the wick 14 depending upon current I F drawn through resistor R F . Step down resistors R s and load resistors R L have also been incorporated to control or maintain a respective input voltage and amplifier gain according to the general relation or formula:
A v =−R F /R in ,
[0038] where Rin is the input resistance. When the input resistance R in decreases, the amplification A v increases. A photoresistor circuit (not shown) provides a similar effect based on the same principles recited above. Where appropriate power booster(s) 70 can be incorporated in the event more power-handling capability is needed. This particular feature is capable of moderate loads with a transistor pus-pull circuit which would allow the output voltage V out , S 2 to swing nearly to a maximum voltage (with positive and negative amplitudes) supply and be able to handle more current.
[0039] As schematically illustrated in FIG. 4C, a conventional light detecting circuit or solar cell circuit 60 is shown according to third embodiment of the invention. The solar cell circuit 60 is similar to the previously mentioned circuits, although its operation is somewhat different. The solar cell sees essentially a short circuit, since the inverting input is a virtual ground. The current generated by the solar cell is proportional to the light λ striking its surface. The current is converted to a voltage signal by R F as given by the formula.
[0040] With respect to material properties of the lamp system 5 , the base 10 is preferably made of a black onyx material with a substantially pentagonal structure. The reservoir 12 and housing 16 is made of a durable lead crystalline material with optional spillage preventive features or mechanisms. The reservoir and housing are attached to the base by conventional means utilizing adhesives and/or mechanical fasteners. In this regard, it is preferred that the reservoir 12 , wick 14 and housing 16 are disposed on the base 10 as nested concentrically arranged elements.
[0041] The significant advantages of the lamp system 5 are realized in that a user U is able to remotely ignite a not only a single oil lamp, but a plurality of liquid oil candles using a common laser pointer source (usually <5 mw). Secondly, this is easily performed by simply scanning the transmitted beam 35 from a distance (about 100 feet) in the direction of the receiver 32 disposed in the base 10 , and the wick 14 at the gap 15 is ignited. With a second activated pass or scan the respective relay or flip-flop switch places the micro-chip or processor 26 in a sleep mode.
[0042] In detail, the igniting components butane or an aromatic liquid paraffin are stored in the reservoir 12 until activated by the micro-pump 22 via a micro valve. The micro-controller 26 generates a 15 kHz signal to the micro-pump 22 for pumping the fluid 9 from the reservoir 12 to the gap 15 for ignition. Switches identified as S 1 and S 2 are switches which generate respective voltages to the respective first and second electrodes 14 a , 14 b via the respective exemplary circuits schematically illustrated in FIGS. 4 A- 4 C as a remote feature. Light extinguishing features include a single or auxiliary micro-valve which generates a flux of air via the micro-pump 22 to extinguish the candle light at the gap 15 . The micro-controller can be programmed to extinguish the candle at 1, 2, or 4 hours or by remotely or manually deactivating the lamp accordingly. Thus, the touch switch 18 a located at the base 10 of the candle will extinguish the flame. An A/C power pack adapter can be used to keep rechargeable batteries such as Nickel Metal Hydride or Cadmium sufficiently charged. This particular design of the micro-controlled oil lamp system 5 can be linked to form a plurality of candles to produce more than one candle light flame. Circuit synchronization can be formed such that a single signal can cause the flames to be extinguished or activated simultaneously or alternately according to a predetermined sequence. Other salient points of the invention are directed to the way the candle is lit. That is, butane gas from a closed reservoir serves to ignite a liquid paraffin.
[0043] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
|
A remote micro-controlled oil lamp having a base with a crystal housing for a electrically activated wick is described. Mounted within the base is a coupled photodetector and audio circuit which respectively receives and transmits signals for lighting the wick and sounding a prerecorded message to signify an on and off condition. The wick is provided in the form of a pair of electrodes which are electrically activated via the photodetector by a remote laser source and/or a manual switch mounted within the base. When the lamp is either remotely or manually activated the electrodes generate a spark across a combustible fluid filled cylindrically shape gap as a catalyst to produce a candle light or flame. A micro-pump circuit is mounted within the base of the reservoir to ensure an adequate supply of fuel for an extended source of candle light.
| 5
|
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/626,996, filed Oct. 6, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an HVAC system and a scent disperser arrangement in the HVAC system in residential and commercial establishments. More particularly, the invention relates to a scent disperser arrangement comprising a flow sensor and one or more scent disperser assemblies; a computer program for operating the scent disperser assemblies; a pressurized reservoir containing one or more pressurized liquid scent canisters wherein a pressure differential in the reservoir triggers the flow of liquid from the scent canisters into the reservoir; and a unique design for the canister of the scent disperser assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Deodorizers are currently used to deodorize commodes and urinals, particularly in the restrooms of institutions and places frequented by the public, although they may also be used in homes. Deodorizer cabinets or frames are generally provided for such deodorizers. Examples of such cabinets or frames are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,533,705; 5,816,846; and 6,105,916. These dispensers provide a drive selectively using a large or small motor providing an air stream for generating vapor from a wick, ceramic wafers, or discs containing vaporizable deodorant and reversible drive mounting mounted back-to-back. U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,779 discloses a framed fluid delivery device that includes a fluid delivery cartridge for the timed-release delivery of a fluid. These known deodorant dispensers are commonly used and recognized by the public because of their use for dispersing fragrances in hostile environments, such as restrooms where it is desirous to control the nature of the atmosphere.
Building dwellers are concerned with the quality of the ambient indoor air. Offensive orders affect the quality of indoor air, and the art has provided several systems for masking these odors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,597 pertains generally to the field of fragrance distribution inside buildings and pertains specifically to dispensing selected types and quantities of fragrances into the existing heating-ventilation-air condition (HVAC) ductwork that supplies air to different rooms within the building. This '597 patent discloses a fragrance dispensing apparatus and a method for use of the apparatus in a multi-room building having an existing HVAC system ventilated by a forcing fan. The apparatus includes fragrance containers, several solenoids, programmable timers and a single fan timer. The fragrance container is mounted in communication with the HVAC ductwork leading into a given room and is controlled by a separate solenoid, which is in turn, controlled by a separate programmable timer. All of the programmable timers are connected to the single fan timer which controls the operation of the forcing fan. The method allows one or more of the programmable timers to activate corresponding containers to dispense fragrances as the forcing fan runs to distribute the fragrances into the rooms supplied by the ductwork.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,583 discloses an aerosol air and ductwork treatment apparatus for HVAC systems. The apparatus includes a housing which is received on the exterior of a central air conditioning ductwork communicating with the interior of the ductwork downstream of the existing return air filter and fan system for discharging air treatment chemicals into the air flowing through the ductwork, and is connected to the existing electrical circuitry with an adjustable timer and is manually operable by a push button switch to control the operation of an aerosol dispenser for a selective period of time and to run the existing fan system for a selective period of time following the operation of the aerosol dispenser to distribute the air treatment chemicals throughout the ductworks and into the rooms served thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,992 discloses a ductwork air freshener apparatus for distributing fresh air evenly throughout the building using the existing air ductworks. The ductwork air freshener apparatus includes a housing assembly designed to be mounted to the ductwork of the house. A pressurized air freshener container is removably inserted into the housing assembly. An actuation assembly actuates the pressurized air freshener container whereby the deodorizing fragrance is designed for introduction into the ductwork. The actuation assembly is coupled to the housing assembly. A control assembly is coupled to the housing and is operationally coupled to the actuation assembly whereby the control assembly actuates the actuation assembly upon the control assembly satisfying a predetermined condition. As disclosed in column 5, lines 32 to 35, a predetermined condition is a drop in pressure around the sensor switch when the air flow in the ductwork is moving past the sensor switch. The sensor switch is part of the control assembly and is operationally coupled to the actuation assembly whereby the sensor switch actuates the actuation assembly when the sensor switch detects the predetermined condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,135,169 discloses an air scenting device for use in mechanical HVAC systems wherein air is circulated within an interior space. An HVAC housing has an ambient air inlet end and an outlet end connected to an air outlet ducting which disperses filtered air into the surrounding environment. Mounted in the housing is a filter and a fan or blower assembly for controlling the ambient air flow through the housing in the direction indicated by arrows a and b from the inlet end of the housing through the filter from the filter's upstream facing surface to its downstream facing surface and then to outlet end of the housing and into the air outlet ducting for distribution into the surrounding environment. An aqueous scenting composition is applied in spray form directly onto the filter medium from a suitable spray application device which may be a simple button operated spray jar or may be a more technically advanced pump arrangement having a head assembly with interchangeable orifice caps to provide nozzles of varying dimensions for accurate adjustment of the spray droplet size in the spray sprayed onto the surface of the filter medium of the air filters.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,529 discloses a housing mounted to the ductwork of a hot air heating system or a central air conditioning system and includes a pressure differential switch having a sensing tube to sense the forced air flow in actuating a spray dispenser to discharge a freshening, deodorizing and/or disinfecting spray through a nozzle. In securing the dispenser in position between clips, its orientation is such that the discharge nozzle of the dispenser extends rearward towards the aperture of housing to join with a hose coupling the nozzle through the housing and into the ductwork. The hose sprays a misted product into the ductwork.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,992 relates to a ductwork air freshener apparatus for distributing fresh air evenly throughout the building using the existing air ductworks. The ductwork air freshener apparatus includes a housing assembly designed for mounting to the ductwork of the house. A pressurized air freshener container is removably inserted into the housing assembly. An actuation assembly is for actuating the pressurized air freshener container whereby the deodorizing fragrance is designed for introduction into the ductwork of the house. The actuation assembly is coupled to the housing assembly. A control assembly is coupled to the housing and is operationally coupled to the actuation assembly whereby the control assembly actuates the actuation assembly upon the control assembly satisfying a predetermined condition. As disclosed in column 5, lines 32 to 35, a predetermined condition is a drop in pressure around the sensor switch when the air flow in the ductwork is moving past the sensor switch. The sensor switch is part of the control assembly and is operationally coupled to the actuation assembly whereby the sensor switch actuates the actuation assembly when the sensor switch detects the predetermined condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,873 discloses a low fluid indicator for a fluid injection system of the type having a sealed pressurized canister, and a valve responsive to a control signal to release fluid from the canister. If the system is intended to disinfect or deodorize a space serviced by a forced air HVAC system, the fluid in the canister can be suitable deodorant or disinfectant.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0230091 discloses a user-programmable monitoring and dispensing system for controlling the dispensing of water vapor and various other media into an HVAC air stream in residential or commercial structures. These materials may be fragrances or aromas, intended to produce an aesthetic effect, or they can be agents capable of pesticidal, bacteriacidal, fungicidal or sporacidal effect for use as acute treatment for infestation as disclosed in the abstract. As disclosed in paragraph [0023] the HVAC system illustrated includes an air movement generating device, such as a blower which generates an air stream which pass through ductwork work to a desired residential or commercial space. Positioned downstream from the blower, heat exchanger and A/C coil, in the direction of air movement, is a pressure or flow sensor . . . a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor . . . , all of which are connected to a system central processor . . . for providing air stream sensor inputs as to the air movement, moisture content of the air stream and the air stream temperature to the system central processor . . . . However, it is to be understood that separate dispensers may be utilized in various truck ductworks as well as the central plenum for dispersal of the medium into specific locations serviced by the HVAC system.
None of the known scent dispenser/dispenser systems provide a desirable combination of element for detecting airflow through the HVAC ducting to thereby effect control of the scent spray. The known systems are essentially on-off systems controlled by way of timers or computer programs where a stoppage of air flow through the HVAC ducting would not cause the scent spray to cease or to resume when the air flow resumes. Also, the known systems are not designed to allow their component to be selectively located at different locations of the HVAC ducting. There is a need to provide improved scent dispenser assemblies arrangements in an HVAC system which would be responsive to air flow or stoppage of air flow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has met these needs. An aspect of the invention is to provide a scent disperser arrangement including a scent disperser assembly for dispersing a fragrance into an HVAC system, and which scent disperser assembly is constructed such that: 1) it can be mounted on an external surface of the ductwork of the HVAC system and remote from the blower; or 2) it can be mounted on an external surface of the ductwork of the HVAC system and adjacent to the blower; or 3) it can be mounted on an internal surface of the ducting of the HVAC system and adjacent to the blower; or 4) it can be floor mounted externally of the HVAC system and adjacent to the air filter of the HVAC system. This versatility of different locations for the scent disperser assembly throughout the HVAC system is possible in view of the construction of the housing of the scent disperser assembly wherein an aperture is provided in the back plate so that an elongated tube for delivering the scented liquid spray can project therefrom or the front cover of the housing contains an aperture so that the elongated tube for delivering the scented liquid spray can extend therefrom.
A further aspect of the invention is to provide a scent disperser arrangement for dispersing a fragrance into an HVAC system comprising a scent disperser assembly and a flow sensor electrically connected to the scent disperser assembly and which flow sensor comprises preferably an anemometer comprising a plurality of rotatable cup elements for catching and detecting the air flows in the HVAC system for operation of the scent disperser assembly, and which flow sensor is constructed and arranged to be mounted inside the air ductwork of an HVAC system regardless of the mounting and location of the scent disperser assembly relative to the HVAC system. The scent disperser assembly includes a canister of liquid fragrance scent having an actuator for delivering the scented spray and a control module containing a motor and a plunger assembly which engages the actuator of the canister.
A still further aspect of the invention is to provide a scent disperser arrangement for dispersing a fragrance into an HVAC system comprising a flow sensor; a spray system including a liquid scented canister and an actuator for dispersing the scented spray; and an electronic control module electronically connected to the flow sensor and the spray system for receiving an electrical signal from the flow sensor and for sending an electrical signal to the spray system for operation of the canister. The flow sensor comprises an anemometer having a plurality of cup elements rotatably mounted on the flow sensor for detecting air flows to cause the cup elements to rotate and to create the electrical signal of the flow sensor transmitted to the electronic module of the scent dispenser assembly. An electrical connection in the form of a voltage signal connects the flow sensor to the electronic control module of the scent dispenser assembly. The electronic control module comprises a computer program for selectively operating the canister for dispensing the scented spray.
A still further aspect of the invention is to provide a scent disperser assembly having a back cover, a front cover, and an elongated tube for dispersing the scented spray into a predetermined area in the HVAC system; and wherein the back cover and the front cover each have an aperture for receiving and supporting the elongated tube depending on the location of the scent dispenser assembly in the HVAC system.
In an aspect of the invention, the back cover of the scent dispenser assembly is mounted against an external wall surface of the ductwork of the HVAC system; the flow sensor is mounted inside the ductwork of the HVAC system remote from the air blower; and the elongated tube extends through the aperture of the back cover and into the ductwork for dispersing the scented spray into the HVAC system.
In a further aspect of the invention, the back cover of the scent dispenser assembly is mounted against an external wall surface of the ductwork of the HVAC system; the flow sensor is mounted inside the ductwork of the HVAC system adjacent to the air blower; and the elongated tube extends through the aperture of the back cover and into the ductwork for dispersing the scented spray near the air blower and into the HVAC system.
In a still further aspect of the invention, the back cover of the scent dispenser assembly is mounted against an internal wall surface of the air handler near the air filter; the flow sensor is mounted inside the ductwork of the HVAC system remote from the air blower and the scent dispenser assembly; and the elongated tube extends through the aperture in the front cover and into the air handler for dispersing the scented spray into the air filter and into the HVAC system.
In a still further aspect of the invention, the scent dispenser assembly is mounted on the floor of the HVAC system adjacent to the air filter; the flow sensor is mounted inside the ductwork of the HVAC system adjacent to the air blower; and the elongated tube extends through the aperture in the front cover and into the air filter for dispersing the scented spray into the air filter and into the HVAC system.
A further aspect of the invention comprises a scent disperser arrangement containing a flow sensor and at least two scent disperser assemblies, each having a canister with an actuator and an electronic module with a plunger assembly for operation of the actuator. This arrangement includes a computer program for selectively and subsequently operating the scent disperser assemblies in the HVAC system. Each scent disperser assembly contains features to alert the subsequent scent disperser assembly to be activated when the scented liquid in the scent disperser assembly currently being operated has been depleted or when an predetermined number of sprays is dispersed and the first scent dispense is inactivated. An LED, several push buttons and a toggle panel with toggle switches are provided for manual operation of the module and canister and for connecting the operation of the each canister and module of the two assemblies together for delivering scented sprays into the HVAC system according to a predetermined set up. In this arrangement, the scent disperser assemblies are electrically connected in series and the computer program operates the scent disperser assemblies in a manner that when the first scent disperser assembly runs out of liquid or sprays a predetermined number of sprays, the second scent disperser assembly is operated to disperse a scented spray of a predetermined number of sprays in the programmed arrangement where the first scent disperser sprays a predetermined number of sprays and the spraying is then shifted to the second scent disperser which also sprays a predetermined number of sprays, the spraying being cycled between the first and second scent dispersers.
A still further aspect of the invention provides for a novel design for a canister. This is referred to as a “Valve on the Bag” wherein liquid is contained within a bag which is located in the canister and the bag is surrounded by pressurized air. A valve is connected to the bag and is in turn connected to an actuator which extends out of the canister. The pressurized air around the bag causes the valve to be continuously opened and therefore results in a continuous operation of the actuator such that a continuous spray is emitted.
A further aspect of the invention provides a scent disperser assembly comprising a reservoir for retaining a predetermined amount of scented liquid; a spray mechanism connected to the reservoir for delivering a scented liquid spray into the atmosphere; and a plurality of pressurized containers in communication with the reservoir. When the supply of scented liquid in the reservoir decreases, the containers sequentially deliver liquid into reservoir to restore the desired supply of scented liquid in the reservoir. These containers are “Valve on a Bag” canisters which allow the valve of each canister to continuously remain open and in communication with the reservoir.
A still further aspect of the invention provides a scent dispenser assembly computer operated so that options can be selected. These selections can include the day or days of the week in which the sprays are to be emitted; the number of liquid sprays which are to be dispersed which can be in minute or hourly intervals; and the time of the day these dispersions are to be activated, i.e. only in the am hours, only in the pm hours, or selective hours of the day and/or night.
These and other aspects of the invention will be better appreciated and understood when the following description is read in light of the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional forced air HVAC system.
FIG. 2 is a schematic of the ductwork in a HVAC system illustrating a first positioning of a scent disperser arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic of an HVAC system illustrating a second positioning of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic of an HVAC system illustrating a third positioning of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic of an HVAC system illustrating a fourth positioning of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention therein.
FIG. 6 is a partial front view of a flow sensor and a scent disperser assembly of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention with the front cover removed.
FIG. 7 is a left side perspective view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 6 .
FIG. 8 is full front view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 6 .
FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial right side perspective view of FIG. 8 showing a control module of the scent disperser assembly with the front cover and canister removed.
FIG. 10 is enlarged partial front view of FIG. 9 showing the control module.
FIG. 10A is a front perspective view of the controller of the control module of FIG. 10 .
FIG. 10B is a bottom perspective view of the controller of the control module of FIG. 10 .
FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the flow sensor of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the scent disperser assembly partially of the invention showing the housing in phantom.
FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the scent disperser assembly partially in schematic and the flow sensor of the scent disperser arrangement of FIG. 6 .
FIG. 14A is a left side view showing the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 13 in assembled form.
FIG. 14B is a front view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 14A .
FIG. 14C is a sectional view taken along lines A-A of FIG. 14B .
FIG. 14D is a right side perspective view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 14A .
FIG. 14E is a bottom view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 14B .
FIG. 15 is an exploded, enlarged perspective view of the flow sensor of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the flow sensor of the invention.
FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the flow sensor looking from its rear.
FIG. 17 is a flow diagram for operating the scent disperser assembly.
FIG. 18A is a schematic front view of a further embodiment of a scent disperser assembly of the invention.
FIG. 18B is a schematic top view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 18A .
FIG. 18C is a schematic side view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 18A .
FIG. 18D is a schematic perspective view of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 18A .
FIG. 19 are perspective views showing the two control modules of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 18A , flow sensor and wiring of the scent disperser arrangement of the invention.
FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of a first control module of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 19 .
FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of a second control module of the scent disperser assembly of FIG. 19 .
FIG. 22 are perspective views of the first and second control modules of FIG. 19 and a diagram illustrating the set up for each controller and their use in series.
FIG. 23 is a schematic of the two modules of FIG. 19 and a diagram for electrically connecting the two control modules and the flow sensor.
FIGS. 24 and 25 are schematic illustrations of two different types of canisters that can be used in the scent disperser assembly of the invention.
FIG. 26 is a schematic illustration wherein the canister of FIG. 25A is used.
FIG. 27 is a schematic illustration wherein several canisters are used.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional forced air heating, ventilating and air condition (HVAC) system 10 . HVAC system 10 comprises ductwork 11 ; an ambient air inlet end 12 ; and an outlet end 14 connected to an air outlet ductwork 16 which disperses filtered air into the surrounding environment. Mounted in the ductwork 11 is a filter 18 and a fan or blower assembly 20 for controlling the ambient air flow through the ductwork 11 in the direction indicated by arrows a and b from the inlet end 12 of the ductwork 11 through the filter 18 from the filter's upstream facing surface 22 to its downstream facing surface 24 and then to outlet end 14 of the ductwork 11 and into the air outlet ductwork 16 for distribution into the surrounding environment. FIG. 1 exemplifies an HVAC system in which the present invention may be used.
An embodiment of the invention is to provide a scent disperser arrangement which is constructed such that it can be positioned in various locations throughout the ductwork of an HVAC system similar to that of FIG. 1 and still be effective in delivering a scented liquid flow in the ductwork of the HVAC system for distribution into the environment.
FIGS. 2 through 5 illustrate various locations the scent disperser arrangement 26 of the invention may assume in an HVAC system 10 . Referring to FIG. 6 , the scent disperser arrangement 26 comprises a flow sensor 28 , a scent disperser assembly 30 , and an electrical connector 32 electrically connecting the flow sensor 28 to the scent disperser assembly 30 . With particular reference to FIG. 2 , the scent disperser arrangement 26 is positioned within the ductwork 11 of the HVAC system 10 away from the blower assembly 20 ( FIG. 1 ).
As shown in FIG. 2 , the flow sensor 28 is mounted through suitable means within the ductwork 11 . Scent disperser assembly 30 is mounted outside the ductwork 11 and against an external wall surface 11 a of the ductwork 11 . In this embodiment, the scent disperser assembly 30 has an elongated tube 34 extending through its back cover (not shown). Tube 34 projects into the ductwork 11 for delivering a liquid scented spray 36 into the ductwork 11 . The electrical connector 32 extends from the flow sensor 28 out along and beneath the ductwork 11 and to the scent disperser assembly 30 . The air flow travels as indicated by the several arrows through the ductwork 11 and past the elongated tube 34 and flow sensor 28 . This air flow which carries the scented spray 36 through the ductwork 11 passes across the flow sensor 28 to operate the flow sensor, more about which is discussed hereinafter.
FIG. 3 shows the scent disperser arrangement 26 positioned adjacent to the air blower 20 . Here again, the flow sensor 28 is mounted within the ductwork 11 and the scent disperser assembly 30 is mounted to an external wall 11 a of ductwork 11 . In this embodiment, the elongated tube 34 extends through the back plate and into the ductwork 11 for delivering liquid scented spray 36 into the ductwork 11 which is then carried through the ductwork 11 by the air flow as shown by arrows b, and which air flow operates flow sensor 28 .
FIG. 4 shows the scent disperser arrangement 26 positioned relative to an air handler 40 of the HVAC system 10 . More specifically, the flow sensor 28 is mounted within section 42 of ductwork 11 of air handler 40 and the scent disperser assembly 30 is mounted in the ductwork 11 adjacent to the air filter 18 . In this embodiment, elongated tube 34 extends through aperture 38 of front cover 39 of scent disperser assembly 30 , while back plate (not shown) of scent disperser assembly 30 is mounted to an internal wall of ductwork 11 . The scented liquid spray 36 is delivered through air filter 18 , air blower 20 , and air handler 40 as indicated by arrows b and then into the environment. Electrical connector 32 is connected to scent disperser assembly 30 and flower sensor 28 externally of the ductwork 11 and section 42 of air handler 40 .
FIG. 5 shows the scent disperser arrangement 26 relative to air filter 18 where the scent disperser assembly 30 is floor mounted outside the air filter 18 , and the flow sensor 28 is mounted at the outlet end of the air blower 20 . The elongated tube 34 extends through aperture 38 of front cover 39 similar to that shown in FIG. 4 , and the liquid scented spray 36 is directed into the air filter 18 and travels through the air blower 20 , out of ductwork 11 and past flow sensor 28 as shown by arrows b.
Scent disperser assembly 30 may be of a powder coated carbon steel construction and as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 has a tapered body with a wide portion at the bottom and a narrow portion at the top but is not limited to that shape. Additional components of the scent disperser assembly 30 include a back plate 44 having an aperture cover 46 ( FIG. 9 ) which can be punched out if elongated tube 34 is required to project out of back plate 44 for the required locating or positioning of scent disperser assembly 30 in the HVAC system 10 as discussed herein above and as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
FIG. 6 illustrates the flow sensor 28 , scent disperser assembly 30 and electrical connector 32 of the scent disperser arrangement 26 of the invention while FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the components of the scent disperser assembly 30 without the front cover 39 . Referring particularly to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , scent disperser assembly 30 further comprises a canister 48 which contains a liquid fragrance and a control module 50 , the latter of which is also shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 . Control module 50 comprises a battery housing 52 for housing two C size batteries indicated by the letter “C” as best shown in FIG. 9 . In general, control module 50 further comprises a controller 54 in the form of push buttons, which is digitally programmed and a plunger assembly 56 for activating actuator 49 ( FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 ) which actuator 49 is mounted on top of canister 48 . Even though not shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , actuator 49 is in the form of an inverted “U” shaped member where the horizontal leg is adjacent to the plunger assembly 56 and the vertical legs snapped tightly onto the aerosol button of canister 48 in a manner well-known to those skilled in the art.
Plunger assembly 56 is powered by a motor (not shown) located in control module 50 , for example, a 3-volt motor, to provide the force necessary to compress plunger assembly 56 against actuator 49 for operation of actuator 49 , which delivers a scented spray of liquid. In some embodiments, controller 54 includes a computer program for delivering a desired number of fragrant liquid sprays per minute or hour. For example, controller 54 may be programmed to deliver six sets of fragrant liquid sprays per hour. For example, a fragrant liquid spray may be delivered every ten minutes, i.e. at 10 minute, at 20 minute, at 30 minute, at 40 minute, at 50 minute and at 60 minute settings within the hour. Even though not shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , the elongated tube 34 of FIGS. 2-5 is inserted into actuator 49 for dispersing a fragrance into the HVAC system 10 through operation of actuator 49 by plunger assembly 56 , as discussed herein above.
Still referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 8 , and FIGS. 10, 10A and 10B , canister 48 and control module 50 fit snugly together when canister 48 is inserted into back plate 44 . Canister 48 has an upper metal rim 53 adjacent to actuator 49 which is engaged by a bracket member 57 of control module 50 when canister 48 is inserted onto back plate 44 . In this positioning of canister 48 on back plate 44 , actuator 49 (see FIG. 8 ) is engaged in plunger assembly 56 . As discussed hereinabove, actuator 49 retains elongated tube 34 of FIGS. 2-5 . The structure of actuator 49 and plunger assembly 56 is such that if elongated tube 34 is inserted into aperture 46 ( FIG. 9 ) of back plate 44 , actuator 49 is engaged by plunger assembly 56 for operation thereof, and if the elongated tube 34 of canister 48 is inserted into aperture 38 of front cover 39 ( FIGS. 2-5 ), actuator 49 is still engaged by plunger assembly 56 for activation of actuator 49 in delivering the scented liquid spray.
Support members 58 are provided for anchoring canister 48 on back plate 44 assembly. Support members 58 have an arcuate surface corresponding to the outer arcuate surface of canister 48 for spacing canister 48 away from back plate 44 . Canister 48 is slid within back plate 44 in order to position the actuator 49 in alignment with either aperture 38 of front cover 39 or with aperture 46 of back plate 44 . Elongated tube 34 is attached to actuator 49 of canister 48 so that it extends out of aperture 38 or out of aperture 46 for directing a fragrance spray out scent disperser assembly 30 .
As particularly shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10 , control module 50 further includes an electrical connection assembly 62 for electrically connecting the electrical connector 32 of FIG. 6 to control module 50 and flow sensor 28 , more about which will be discussed herein after. In general, if flow sensor 28 is in an “on” mode, then flow sensor 28 is operated by air currents of the HVAC system 10 ( FIGS. 1-5 ), which, in turn, causes operation of control module 50 according to the set up of control module 50 via the controller 54 and the computer program associated therewith, wherein plunger assembly 56 pushes down against actuator 49 to deliver the scented liquid spray into the HVAC system 10 .
As shown best in FIGS. 8 and 9 , back plate 44 includes several apertures 45 at different locations for attaching back plate 44 and therefore scent disperser assembly 30 to a flat surface, such as the external or internal walls 11 a of the ductwork 11 of the HVAC system 10 of FIGS. 2-5 , through suitable fastening means, such as, for example, screws or nails.
The canister 48 of FIGS. 6-9 may contain about 16 ounces of liquid; whereas the canister 48 of FIG. 12 may contain about 20 ounces of liquid. As shown in FIG. 12 , canister 48 is supported at its bottom by support member 64 which has an arcuate surface essentially corresponding to that of canister 48 . Still referring to FIG. 12 , back plate 44 has a ledge 65 which essentially extends around the entire perimeter of back plate 44 so that front cover 39 can be set into and positioned within this ledge 66 for attachment of front cover 39 to back plate 44 .
In the design of the scent disperser assembly 30 of FIG. 12 , front cover 39 is located and secured to the side of back plate 44 via a tubular key cam lock and lock catch assembly 66 shown best in FIG. 12 . Key cam lock and lock catch assembly 66 comprises a lock pawl (not shown). The lock pawl is rotated via rotation of a key cam lock-lock catch assembly 66 , and engages a lock catch pin (not shown) in a bracket of back plate 12 in a manner well-known to those skilled in the art. Tubular key cam lock and lock catch assembly 66 requires a key for operation. Tubular key cam lock and lock catch assembly 66 is commercially available and its operation is well-known to those skilled in the art. A handle maybe attached to the top of front cover 39 for easy toting of scent disperser assembly 30 .
Referring now to FIG. 13 , scent disperser assembly 30 and flow sensor 28 are shown in an exploded view. The components of scent disperser assembly 30 have already been discussed with reference to FIGS. 6-10 . The components of flow sensor 28 will be discussed with particular reference to FIGS. 11, 13, 15, 16 and 16A . As better shown in FIGS. 15 and 16A , flow sensor 28 comprises plate member 70 , housing 72 and a rotatable member 74 that is attached to the external surface 76 of housing 72 . Rotatable member 74 comprises a plurality of cup elements 78 . Rotation of rotatable member 74 is effected via bearings 80 and 82 , shaft 84 , cam 86 , and a seating member 88 for positioning bearings 80 and 82 ; shaft 84 , and cam 86 within plate member 70 and housing 72 , as better shown in FIG. 16 . As shown in FIG. 16A , flow sensor 28 also includes an electrical connection. In general, the flow sensor comprises an anemometer having the plurality of cup elements 78 and which is rotatably mounted on the flow sensor for detecting air flows to cause the cup elements 78 to rotate and to create the electrical signal of the flow sensor which is transmitted to the control module 50 of the scent dispenser assembly 30 . An electrical connection in the form of a voltage signal connects the flow sensor 28 to the electronic module 52 of the scent dispenser assembly 30 . The electronic module 52 comprises a computer program for selectively operating the canister for dispensing the scented spray.
In operation, the rotatable member 74 is rotated by the air currents in the HVAC system 10 ( FIGS. 2-5 ). In this process, cup elements 78 catch the air currents and rotation of the rotatable member 74 sends this information to control module 50 of scent disperser assembly 30 for operation of canister 48 according to the set up of control module 50 via controller 54 . That is, when the air flow rotates cup elements 78 , an electrical signal is generated and is sent through the cable 32 and to control module 50 . This signal continuously sends pulse information to control module 50 to provide the voltage for plunger assembly 56 to mechanically move up and down for operation of the scent disperser assembly 30 .
FIG. 11 shows a further embodiment of a flow sensor 92 wherein plate 94 and housing 96 have a octagonal configuration, rotatable member 98 has a circular configuration and cup elements 100 extend from the circular configuration. In this embodiment, a bracket 102 is provided for mounting the flow sensor 92 or 28 inside the ductwork 11 of the HVAC system of FIGS. 2-6 . Bracket 102 may be attached to a plate, which in turn is attached to the ductwork 11 , or bracket 102 may be directly attached to the ductwork 11 of the HVAC system 10 of FIGS. 2-5 .
FIGS. 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D and 14E show various views of the scent disperser assembly 30 and its components within front cover 39 . This structure 30 will be preferably used when back plate 44 is mounted against a wall of ductwork 11 ( FIGS. 2-4 ).
FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a flow chart for a computer program for operation of control module 50 of FIGS. 6-10 . As shown, in step 110 the unit or control module 50 is in an “off” position. In step 112 , one or more buttons of controller 54 are pushed in for a 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 minute interval and for operation in either the morning (a.m.) or evening (p.m.). These designations will be identified on the controller 54 in association with the red buttons of controller 54 . Step 114 indicates that a clock in the computer program will be started, a spray will be tested, and the plunger assembly 56 and actuator 49 will continue to be operated. In step 116 , the question is asked whether the clock has expired. If the answer is “No”, the program continues to run in its current mode. If the answer is “Yes”, the program moves to step 118 which asks the question: “Is there an air flow?” This air flow is generated within the HVAC system 10 and detected by flow sensor 28 . If the answer is “No”, then the computer program moves to step 120 which informs the computer program of control module 50 to go to standby, do not spray, and do not reset the clock. If the answer in step 118 is “Yes”, then the computer program goes to step 122 which tells the computer program to spray and reset the clock. Step 120 goes to step 124 which checks the air flow in the HVAC system 10 detected by the flow sensor 28 . If there is no air flow, the computer program continues to go to step 122 . If there is an air flow in the HVAC system 10 , the computer program goes to step 126 which tells the computer program to wait 5, 10, 20 minutes, etc. whatever set up was initiated by controller 54 , and to start operation of the plunger assembly 56 and actuator 49 , and then to reset the clock for the next minute interval. Step 126 then leads back to step 116 until the clock for the session keyed into controller 54 of scent disperser arrangement 26 has expired. By way of Example, should vent flow intervals be set for say 40 minute start-stop, flow emitted and ceased, cycles, and should air flow stop interrupting the cycle and within a ceased flow of scent fragrance interval, the scent disperser assembly 30 is deactivated and upon resumption of air flow the scent disperser assembly 30 is activated and the timed cycle is resumed from the beginning of the timed interval. In other words, the timed interval begins again from the beginning of the interval. By way of further example, should air flow stop in a 40 minute start-stop, flow emitted and ceased cycles, interrupting the cycle and within an emitted flow of scent fragrance interval, the scent disperser assembly 30 is deactivated and flow of scent fragrance ceased, and upon resumption of air flow the scent dispenser assembly 30 is activated and the timed cycle is resumed with emitted flow of scent fragrance resumed at the point of time when it ceased.
FIGS. 18A, 18B, 18C and 18D illustrate a housing arrangement 130 which contains two scent disperser assemblies 131 . Each scent disperser assembly 131 comprises a canister 132 and a control module 134 . The construction and operation of each scent disperser assembly 131 is similar to scent disperser assembly 30 of FIGS. 6-10 , the difference being that the control modules 134 of scent disperser assembly 131 can be set up to be controlled in series, that is, when one canister 132 is depleted or upon the first scent disperser 130 spraying a predetermined number of sprays, the adjacent canister 132 can then be operated to deliver a required amount of sprays, or while the depleted canister 132 can be replaced. In this embodiment, the elongated tube or spray nozzle 136 extends out of the back of housing 138 as best shown in FIGS. 18B and 18C . With regard to FIG. 18A , and by way of example, the canister 132 to the right may contain about 16 ounces of scented liquid and is supported by a platform 140 and the canister 132 to the left may contain about 20 ounces of scented liquid and is supported directly by housing 138 . In an obvious manner, housing 138 is enclosed by providing a plate (not shown) which is attached to housing 138 , and which plate can be conveniently removed for setting up control modules 134 for operation of canisters 132 . The housing or cabinets for the scent disperser assemblies of the invention may be made of a suitable material, such as, for example, plastic, aluminum and metal.
FIG. 19 more clearly illustrates the two control modules 134 for canisters 132 , a flow sensor 142 , electrical connector 144 , and additional wiring 146 for electrically connecting the two control modules 134 together and with flow sensor 142 . As shown in FIG. 19 , the control module 134 to the right contains the number “1” and the control module 134 to the left contains the number “2”. These are indicated as such for easy identification of these modules in explaining aspects of the invention, more about which is discussed herein below.
FIGS. 20 and 21 , respectively, are enlarged views of the control modules 134 wherein control module 134 of FIG. 20 contains the number “1” and the control module 134 of FIG. 21 contains the number “2”. In FIG. 20 , the front surface of control module 134 contains a controller 144 containing five push buttons and a toggle switch panel with 4 toggles. To the far left of control module 134 of FIG. 20 are six electrical plug receptacles wherein the first top three prong receptacles are for connecting the first motor of module 134 to the flow sensor 142 ( FIG. 19 ), and the last bottom three prong receptacles on each control module 134 are for linking the motor of each control module 134 together. To the right of these receptacles is an LED 148 .
Still referring to FIGS. 20 and 21 , controller 144 further includes indicia for the five push buttons. These buttons and the interconnection of control modules 134 with each other and with flow sensor 142 of FIGS. 19 through 21 are better appreciated with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23 . With reference to FIG. 23 , reference number 1 indicates that the signal wire is for connecting the first motor and the second motor of control modules 134 together. Reference number 2 indicates that the signal wire connects the first motor of the control module 134 containing number “1” to the second motor of the control module 134 containing number 2. Reference number 3 indicates three prong receptacles for linking the two motors together. Reference number 4 indicates three prong receptacles for linking the first motor to the flow sensor 142 . Reference number 5 indicates an LED on control module 134 , more about which will be discussed herein below. In addition to an LED, an LCD display may also be provided on the face of control module 134 , which may display the pertinent information for operation of the scent disperser assembly 131 . Reference number 6 indicates two size C batteries. Reference number 7 indicates the toggle panel on the front of canister 132 . Reference number 8 indicates a red button wherein the motor can be on or off. Reference number 9 indicates a blue button, which can be switched between intervals. Reference number 10 indicates that this button can be red for 1 minute/green for 30 minutes. Reference number 11 indicates that this button can be red for 10 minutes/green for 40 minutes. Reference number 12 indicates that this button can be red for 20 minutes/green for 60 minutes.
Referring again to FIGS. 20 and 21 , the five push buttons can be set up similar to that of FIG. 23 . In these FIGS. 20 and 21 , the first button to the right is an on/off button. Next to this button and moving to the left of these figures is the “Mode” button. Next to this button and still moving to the left, is a button which can be red for 30 minutes and green for 60 minutes, and consecutively, the next button can be red for 20 minutes and green for 50 minutes, and the next button can be red for 10 minutes and green for 40 minutes. This entire set up depends on the amount of sprays desired in a selected time interval, and whether the sprays should be operated in the morning or in the evening. The toggle panel provides for one or more of these features. Referring again to FIGS. 22 and 23 , toggle switch “1” is operated to switch between the first motor and the second motor. Toggle switch “2” is operated to turn the flow sensor 142 on or off. Toggle switch “3” is operated to control when the sprays are to be operated which can be either in a 12 hour interval or in a 24 hour interval. Toggle switches “4” and “5” are operated to control the number of sprays. As indicated on FIGS. 20-23 , operation of the last two toggle switches “4” and “5” can obtain either 5 sprays in the desired interval; 1400 sprays in a desired interval; 2100 sprays in a desired interval; or 2600 sprays in a desired interval for each canister 132 .
Referring specifically to FIG. 23 , the LED reference number “5” represents several operating modes. A test mode is represented when the LED it first “red” followed by three blinking green lights and occurs when the power is initially turned on. A standby mode is represented by the LED blinking “red” at 5 second intervals. A working mode is represented by the LED blinking “green” at 5 second intervals. A battery drained mode is represented when the LED is not blinking. As is apparent, the two batteries are generally used for operation of the LED.
Operation of the modules the two control modules 134 and the flow sensor 142 of FIGS. 19 through 23 may be obtained via a computer program which follows the steps outlined in the flow chart of FIG. 17 . It is to be understood that the actuator of each canister 132 can be operated sequentially or independently via a computer program and the desired set up for the HVAC system. The first control module/motor of the arrangement of FIGS. 19 through 23 may be activated to operate the actuator 49 of its respective canister 132 and then the second control module/motor may be activated to operate the actuator 49 of its respective canister 132 in a sequential operation. Additionally, the first control module and the second control module may be operated independently in a manner which is apparent from the construction of the scent disperser arrangement of FIGS. 19 through 23 . As described above, the scent disperser assemblies 131 are electrically interconnected with a flow sensor 142 in the same manner as shown and described with respect to the embodiment of the scent dispenser assembly 30 and sensor 28 of FIGS. 6-17 . The operation of the scent disperser assembly 131 having control module 134 numbered “1” and “2”, would be essentially the same as that of the embodiment of FIGS. 6-17 with the control modules 134 set to control the emitting and ceasing of spraying of scented fragrance in the HVAC system. As described, the option of operation of the dual scent disperser assemblies 131 with control modules 134 would be control module 134 , numbered “1” initially inactive, activated when the canister 132 of the scent disperse assembly 131 of control module 134 numbered “2”, initially active, runs out of scented fragrance, the scent disperse assembly 131 , numbered “1” is activated to spray as programmed; or, as described, the scent disperser assembly 131 , initially inactive, would activate after a predetermined number of sprays of scented fragrance was emitted by scent dispenser 131 having control module 134 numbered “2” and it and it deactivated and activated after a predetermined number of sprays from scent disperser assembly 131 , having control module numbered “1” with it then deactivated, and the sequential shifting of the spraying continuing until either of the scent disperser assemblies 131 runs of scented fragrance.
FIG. 24 illustrates a unique construction for a canister 150 of the invention and what is referred to “Valve on a Bag”. In this embodiment, the liquid L is contained within a bag 152 which is then inserted into the canister 150 and the bag 152 is surrounded by pressurized air. A valve 156 is connected to the bag 152 and is in turn connected to an actuator 154 which extends out of the canister 150 . The pressurized air around bag 152 causes valve 154 to be continuously opened and therefore results in a continuous operation of actuator 156 such that a continuous spray is emitted from canister 150 . In some instances, it may be desirable to meter the valve 154 and actuator 156 .
FIG. 25 illustrates a canister 158 wherein the liquid L is contained in the canister 158 and a tube 160 is connected to a valve 162 and the valve 162 is operated via actuator 164 . In this structure, the actuator 164 is metered, that is, the actuator 164 is pushed down and then is automatically lifted for the next operation. This is a “stop and go” spray emitting type of condition. Either type of canister 150 or 158 may be used in the scent disperser arrangement 26 of the invention disclosed herein above.
FIG. 26 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a reservoir 166 for retaining a supply of scented liquid L is provided. The canister 150 of FIG. 24 is used wherein the actuator 154 extends into the reservoir 166 . The pressure from the liquid in reservoir 166 is constantly acting on actuator 154 and a solenoid 170 operates to deliver a spray into the atmosphere. A control module 172 which may be similar to control module 134 of FIG. 19 may be used to operation solenoid 170 to emit a desired amount of sprays at a desired time interval. Solenoid 170 and control module 172 act to meter the spray from canister 150 .
FIG. 27 illustrates a still further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a reservoir 180 for retaining a supply of scented liquid L is provided. A sprayer disperser or aerosol 181 extends from the top of reservoir 180 for delivering a spray of fragrance. Connected to the lower portion of reservoir 180 are canisters 182 , 184 and 186 which also contain a supply of scented liquid. Reservoir 180 is under a predetermined pressure P 1 and canisters 182 , 184 and 186 are under predetermined pressures P 2 , P 3 and P 4 , respectively which preferably are less than pressure P 1 . When the supply of scented liquid L in reservoir 180 is decreased or depleted, the canisters 182 , 184 and 186 sequentially deliver scented liquid into reservoir 180 to restore the desired supply of scented liquid L in reservoir 180 . It is to be understood that preferably all canisters 182 , 184 and 186 are supplying liquid to the reservoir simultaneously. In this embodiment, preferably, canisters 182 , 184 and 186 are of the “Valve on a Bag” type canister similar to canister 150 of FIG. 26 which allows the valve in canisters 182 , 184 and 186 to remain open so that the canisters are in communication with reservoir 180 .
While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating there from. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the invention.
|
Scent dispenser arrangement for dispersing fragrance into a HVAC system includes a flow sensor and a scent disperser assembly having a control module connected to the flow sensor and a canister for emitting a spray which is actuated by the control module. The flow sensor operates in response to air flow and creates an air flow dependent electrical signal transmitted to activate the control module of the spray disperser assembly. The scent disperser and flow sensor are arranged to allow the spray to be disbursed in selective locations in the HVAC system. An embodiment involves two scent disperser assemblies electrically connected in series which operate successively when the liquid in one disperser assembly is depleted or when one disperser assembly dispersers a predetermined number of sprays. A further embodiment involves pressurized containers which communicate with a scented liquid reservoir having a sprayer, wherein a pressure differential in the reservoir triggers the pressurized containers to deliver a liquid flow into the reservoir.
| 5
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Scientists have concluded that our planet is warming, and we are helping make it happen by adding large amounts of heat-trapping gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), to the atmosphere. Our combustion of fossil fuel is the main source of these gases. Every time we drive a car, use electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heat our homes with oil or natural gas, we release heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuel (oil, coal, and natural gas) alone accounts for about 75 percent of annual CO2 emissions from human activities. The second most important source of greenhouse gases is deforestation—the cutting and burning of forests that trap and store carbon—for about another 20 percent. The combustion is the process of breaking hydrocarbon molecules down to carbon dioxide and water in the presence of oxygen.
[0000] fossil fuel+oxygen===carbon dioxide+water+energy
[0003] Molecules can absorb and emit three kinds of energy: energy from the excitation of electrons, energy from rotational motion, and energy from vibrational motion. The first kind of energy is also exhibited by atoms, but the second and third are restricted to molecules. A molecule can rotate about its center of gravity (there are three mutually perpendicular axes through the center of gravity). Vibrational energy is gained and lost as the bonds between atoms expand and contract and bend. The three kinds of energy are associated with different portions of the spectrum: electronic energy is typically in the visible and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum (for example, wavelength of 1 micrometer), vibrational energy in the near infrared and infrared (for example, wavelength of 3 micrometers), and rotational energy in the far infrared to microwave (for example, wavelength of 100 micrometers). The specific wavelength of absorption and emission depends on the type of bond and the type of group of atoms within a molecule. What makes certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, act as “greenhouse” gases is that they happen to have vibrational modes that absorb energy in the infrared wavelengths at which the earth radiates energy to space. In fact, the measured “peaks” of infrared absorbance are often broadened because of the overlap of several electronic, rotational, and vibrational energies from the several-to-many atoms and interatomic bonds in the molecules. (Information from “Basic Principles of Chemistry” by Harry B. Gray and Gilbert P. Haight, Jr., published 1967 by W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York and Amsterdam)
[0004] As the concentration of these gases grows, more heat is trapped by the atmosphere and less escapes back into space. This increase in trapped heat changes the climate, causing altered weather patterns that can bring unusually intense precipitation or dry spells and more severe storms. The IPCC's Third Assessment Report projects that the Earth's average surface temperature will increase between 2.5° and 10.4° F. (1.4°-5.8° C.) between 1990 and 2100 if no major efforts are undertaken to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. This is significantly higher than what the Panel predicted in 1995 (1.8°-6.3° F., or 1.0°-3.5° C.).
[0005] Since pre-industrial times, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 31 percent. Science tells us with increasing certainty that we are in for a serious long-term problem that will affect all of us. Scientists agree that if we “wait and see” for 10, 20, or 50 years, the problem will be much more difficult to address and the consequences for us will be that much more serious. The real losers here are our children and grandchildren, who, if we don't act soon, are going to inherit a planet that is not going to be as hospitable as the one we were given by our parents and grandparents
[0006] Scientists predict that even if we stopped emitting heat-trapping gases immediately, the climate would not stabilize for many decades because the gases we have already released into the atmosphere will stay there for years or even centuries. So while the warming may be lower or increase at a slower rate than predicted if we reduce emissions significantly, global temperatures cannot quickly return to today's averages.
[0007] There are about 775 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at any one time. Oceans store 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere as a gas and in the form of carbonate compounds (carbonates are polyatomic ions —CO 3 ). There is a balance between the carbon dioxide in the air of atmosphere and which in the water of ocean. When the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increased, more carbon dioxide dissolved into the surface water of ocean and the ocean concentration of carbonate increased too.
[0008] Photosynthesis is the only way our planet can remove carbon dioxide and regenerate oxygen. It is reverse chemical reaction of respiration. Respiration is the process used by living cells to break down sugar molecules (glucose) that living things get when eating plants or animals. This breakdown involves oxygen and results in the production of energy, carbon dioxide and water:
[0000] glucose+oxygen===carbon dioxide+water+energy
[0000] This results in the production of usable energy and heat for the body. During photosynthesis the energy from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide are converted to food molecules (like glucose-sugar) and oxygen. Glucose is an organic molecule. The chemical reaction looks like this:
[0000] carbon dioxide+water+sunlight===glucose+oxygen
[0000] The balance of respiration and photosynthesis allows the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to remain constant. Recent decades our combustion of fossil fuel puts about extra 6.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere each year and causes the atmosphere concentration of carbon dioxide increase.
[0009] Photosynthesis removes 101 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year. That is about one seventh of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Photosynthesis occurs in all green plants on the surface of the Earth and also in the algae (seaweed) and in phytoplankton (one-celled organisms) living near the surface of bodies of water (such as the ocean). The one-celled organisms that live near the surface of the oceans (near coasts and around the south pole) are called phytoplankton or just plankton. These small organisms consume the major portion (over ¾) of the carbon dioxide removed by photosynthesis. If we can plant 6% more plants, they will remove the 6.2 billion tons carbon dioxide released from our combustion of fossil fuel, and the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide will not increase any more. If we can plant more than 6% plants, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide will decrease and our children and grandchildren may inherit a planet that will be very much a same one in pre-industrial times. If we are going to select something to plant, then the phytoplankton is the best choice.
[0010] The relationship between plankton growth and the availability of iron was first suggested in 1988 by revered Moss Landing Marine Base Labs oceanographer John Martin. In 1993, an area within the region of eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean was artificially enriched with a single dose of soluble iron to test whether phytoplankton are physiologically prevented from utilizing the available nutrients by the low natural iron concentrations and that was confirmed by Michael J. Behrenfeld*, Anthony J. Bale H , Zbigniew S. Kolber*, James Aiken H & Paul G. Falkowski* *Oceanographic and Atmospheric Sciences Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y. 11973-5000, USA H NERC Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
[0011] Mike Toner of Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Aug. 20, 2002 that satellite surveys had detected a sharp decline in plankton in several of the world's oceans. In a study reported in the August 8 issue of Geophysical Research Letters , the researchers compared sets of satellite data from early 1980 to the late 1990s. The data showed that the sharpest decreases in plankton were in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic, where their abundance decreased by 14 percent. It maybe because in the recent years less Gobi Desert dust storms in China, which belched iron dust into the air. The wind carried the dust across the Pacific, where it touched off temporary plankton blooms as it settled into the seas.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Summary of the Invention
[0012] The present invention relates to a novel method to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and organic compounds by planting phytoplankton in water. The present invention also relates to a novel slow-release floating fertilizer for said phytoplankton planting. The slow-release floating fertilizer contains at least two parts: fertilizer and float. Said fertilizer contains the nutrients which are deficient in the area of seawater for the phytoplankton to grow. The nutrients in the particles of fertilizer will be in one of the forms: slightly-water-soluble compound covered by slow release film or water-soluble compound covered by slow release film or slightly-water-soluble compound without any cover. Said fertilizer contains at least one of the following nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Iron, Boron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Molybdenum. Said float can be anything which density is less than seawater. The present invention also relates to a novel float which will become heavier than seawater after certain time by absorbing water or below certain temperature by shrinking of its volume and therefore it will sink into the bottom of seabed. The present invention also relates to a novel slow-release floating fertilizer for said phytoplankton planting which contains some seeds of preferred kind of phytoplankton.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013] FIG. 1 . The floating fertilizer on the surface of seawater.
[0014] FIG. 2 . Porous floats absorbed said nutrient containing compounds with a density lighter than seawater.
[0015] FIG. 3 . The float is covered by the nutrient containing compounds.
[0016] FIG. 4 . The fertilizer particle containing said nutrient is covered by float.
[0017] FIG. 5 . The fertilizer particle containing said nutrient is connected with a float or floats.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Phytoplankton planting is a very effective, economical and controllable way to reduce the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. The effect of phytoplankton planning can be imagined by the fact: very small portion of surface of water of our planet is been using by phytoplankton and they are removing major part of carbon dioxide away from atmosphere. Phytoplanktons are minute, free-floating aquatic plants that live near the surface of the oceans close to coasts and around the South Pole. It contains the pigment chlorophyll, which is used by plants for photosynthesis. In photosynthesis sunlight is used as an energy source to fuse water molecules and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Phytoplankton use carbohydrates as “building blocks” to grow. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is in balance with Carbon dioxide in the ocean. During photosynthesis phytoplankton removes carbon dioxide from seawater, and release oxygen at the same time. This allows the oceans to absorb additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The phytoplankton grows rapidly. Given populations of them can double its numbers on the order of once a day. They have short lifetime. Even in ideal conditions an individual phytoplankton only lives for about a day or two. When it dies, it sinks to the bottom. Consequently, over geological time, the ocean has become the primary storage sink for carbon. About 90 percent of the world's total carbon content has settled to the bottom of the ocean, primarily in the form of dead biomass.
[0019] Phytoplankton planning is very economical because we do not need to a lot of things which are necessary for planting on land, the only thing we need to do is fertilizing very small amount of life-sustaining nutrients which are not enough in the area. Like other plant, phytoplanktons need sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow. In the area far away from land with sunlight and water, phytoplankton cannot survive due to the absent of some life-sustaining nutrients. The essential nutrients in plants are divided into macronutrients and micronutrients by their amounts in plants. Macronutrients are: Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Sulfur. Phytoplankton in remote area may lack for Phosphorus but other essential Macronutrients nutrients. The amount of Phosphorus in plants is 0.2% of dry weight and Carbon is 45%. In other words, there is only one atom of Phosphorus for every 581 atoms of Carbon in dried plant material. It means that for every atom of Phosphorus fertilized in seawater may remove up to 581 molecules of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Micronutrients are: Chlorine, Iron, Boron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, and Molybdenum. The amount of any micronutrients in plants is less than 0.01% of dry weight. Fertilizing every atom of any Micronutrients in seawater may remove up to thousands molecules of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Planting phytoplankton by only fertilizing deficient nutrients in remote area of ocean to remove carbon dioxide from atmosphere is obviously much more economical than any other methods.
[0020] The phytoplankton planning is controllable by the amount of fertilizer distributed. As previously stated, in the remote area of ocean phytoplankton cannot survive due to the absent of some life-sustaining nutrients and an individual phytoplankton only lives for about a day or two. It is clear that as long as the supply of the necessary nutrients last, populations of this marine plant will grow and as soon as the necessary nutrients run out, there will be no phytoplankton any more. The bigger area fertilized with deficient nutrients, the larger the world's phytoplankton population, the longer the fertilizer lasts, the more carbon dioxide get pulled out from the atmosphere. From outer space, satellite sensors can distinguish even slight variations in color to which our eyes are not sensitive. Different shades of ocean color reveals the presence of differing concentrations of phytoplankton. With the information obtained by satellite and chemical analysis of seawater, the phytoplankton planning will be totally under control by means of fertilizing.
[0021] A special floating slow releasing fertilizer is the key of phytoplankton planning. As previously stated, phytoplankton require sunlight, water, and nutrients for growth. Because sunlight is most abundant at and near the sea surface, phytoplankton remains at or near the surface. There is almost no phytoplankton under 10 meter in seawater because of darkness. The water is usually over 5000 meter deep in remote area of the ocean. Using solvable fertilizer means to waste almost all of them because: First there are many kinds of chemicals in the seawater. The fertilizer may react with some chemicals in the seawater to form insoluble compound deposit upon the bottom of the seabed. Second, the remains will certainly defuse to everywhere no matter how deep the water is. Phytoplankton can only use the portion remains near the surface of water which may be only one part of hundreds or even less.
[0000] Using fine particles of slightly-water-soluble fertilize will only help a little bit. Of cause small particles fall down slower than bigger particles but they will fall down from very beginning when they are in the seawater. Besides, there are a lot of cations and ions in seawater, no matter how fine the particles of fertilize are, will no stable suspension be formed. Many rivers have muddy water that carries a lot of very fine particles of soil. The muddy water is a very stable suspension of soil in water. The fine soil particles suspended in the water carry a same kind electric charge. The same electric charge keep them repel each other to form bigger particles that makes the suspension stable. The electric charge will cancel out by cations or ions in seawater as soon as the muddy water pours into the sea and the fine particles will form bigger particles and settle down. As the same reason, fine particles of slightly-water-soluble fertilize will start to settle down as soon as they in seawater. Furthermore, the smaller the fertilizer particles are, the faster they defuse. It will not take long for most of them to move down 10 meters or more to the dark sea and they cannot be used by any plant any more. That is real “drop money into the water”. A floating slow releasing fertilizer will release nutrients gradually at a slow rate and continuously for a certain time. Most of them will be absorbed by phytoplankton before they defuse down into deep of seawater.
[0022] A particle of the floating slow releasing fertilizer is composted of at least of two parts: fertilizer and float. The part of fertilizer contains the nutrients, which are deficient in the area of seawater for the phytoplankton to grow. The nutrients in the particles of fertilizer will be either in a form of slightly water-soluble compound or covered by slow release film. Usually these fertilizer particles are heavier than seawater; therefore it is necessary to bond the fertilizer particle with a float to make the density of whole particle lighter than the seawater. The floating slow release fertilizer contains at least one of the following nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Iron, Boron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Molybdenum.
[0023] A slow-release floating fertilizer for said phytoplankton planting also contains some seeds of preferred kind of phytoplankton.
[0024] The said float can be anything with a density less than seawater, such as air, active carbon, wax, perlite, vermiculite, sawdust and so on.
[0025] For special purpose some floats will become heavier after at least a week by absorbing water or below certain temperature by shrinking of its volume and therefore the density of the particle of fertilizer will become heavier than seawater and it will sink into the bottom of seabed.
[0026] The said floating slow release fertilizer may fall down into the following five kinds:
[0027] 1. A grounded a slightly-water-soluble compound which contains at least one of the said nutrients with particle size so small that it can float by the surface tension. The particle size is preferred less than 0.1 mm in diameter. If the compound is non-polar or low polar molecule, the particles may stay on the surface of seawater by the surface tension of seawater. If the compound is polar or low polar molecule, coat the particles with non-polar or low polar molecule compound, such as wax, vegetable oil. Then the particles of the fertilizer will be able to float on the surface of seawater. ( FIG. 1 )
[0028] 2. Porous floats absorbed said nutrient containing compounds with a density lighter than seawater. ( FIG. 2 )
[0029] 3. The float is covered by the said nutrient containing compounds. ( FIG. 3 )
[0030] 4. The fertilizer particle containing said nutrient is covered by float. ( FIG. 4 )
[0031] 5. The fertilizer particle containing said nutrient is connected with a float or floats. ( FIG. 5 )
VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The following embodiments of the present invention further illustrate the compositions of the slow-release floating fertilizer and are not intended to be limiting to the scope of the invention in any respect.
First Embodiment
[0033] A synthetic slow-release fertilizer particle comprises crystalline phosphate having chemicals dispersed in the crystalline structure. The chemicals can comprise said nutrients in amounts suited for phytoplankton growth in certain area. A process for the preparation of a floating slow-release crystalline phosphate fertilizer is comprised of the following steps: (a) Prepare a solution (1) that contains said nutrients in amounts required for. (b) Mix the solution (1) with a phosphate solution, which contains enough phosphate ions to react with all the cation in the solution (1). (c) Adjust PH of the mixed solution to 7 or higher by adding basic chemical, such as Ca(OH) 2 Fe(OH) 3 . (d) Separate the crystalline phosphate from the solution by filter. (e) The synthetic slow-release fertilizer then is dried at 150° C. (f) The fertilizer is ground to a powder, which has the particle size less than 400 mesh/In 2 . (g) 5% wt. soybean oil is optionally added to the dried fertilizer. The fertilizer particle can optionally comprise a carbonate and/or silicon solubility control agent. The chemicals are released slowly as the fertilizer particle dissolves.
Second Embodiment
[0034] Sawdust, plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste can be used as a float in the slow-release floating fertilizer. The process is different for each kind of float material. The process of sawdust float, for example, is described as following steps: (a) Sieve the sawdust to keep the piece between 10-60 mesh. (b) treating said first a volume of sawdust with an equal volume of 2N (normal) nitric acid for 30 minutes at 121 degrees C. and 15 p.s.i. pressure to extract and solubilize the liqueurs material from the sawdust, (c) adding 1 volume of 1 normal solubilized sodium hydroxide to 2 volumes of said second volume of sawdust and heating and stirring said mixture until said nutrients are solubilized, (d) heating said second volume of sawdust and sodium hydroxide with steam and at a temperature of 121 degrees C. and pressure of 15 p.s.i. for 30 minutes to open the fibers of said sawdust, the fertilizer is deposit into the pores of sawdust by reaction from an organic acid having between 6 and 30 carbon atoms or phosphate acid and a metal oxide or carbonate. In a preferred embodiment, the sawdust is dried at 100°-300° C. completely, and then mixed with equal weight of 10% wt. phosphoric acid solution. After all the phosphoric acid solution is absorbed, each 100 kg wet phosphoric acid containing sawdust is mixed with 5 kg iron oxide powder, followed by a drying process at 100°-300° C. and coated with lignin derived from peanut hulls by solubilizing with 2N nitric acid. Optionally, the slow-release floating fertilizer is coating with at least one layer of rosin or paraffin. Said paraffin is selected from wax, heavy hydrocarbon residues and asphalts. The coating method enables to vary the rate of fertilizer release and the release period time according to specific requirements.
Third Embodiment
[0035] Foaming is one method to make the slow-release floating fertilizer. The materials of foam can be any materials, which can form foam, such as plastic, protein, sugar and wheat flour. A selected fertilizer powder is mixed well with the selected foam material to form dough. The dough is cut into certain same size grains before bake. After baking the said grains spherical low-density foam pellets are obtained which contain the selected fertilizer. A dry process can reduce the density of the fertilizer containing foam pellets by evaporating remained solvent or water. The fertilizer containing foam pellets can be coated or encapsulated as described in example 4 and 5.
Fourth Embodiment
[0036] One coating method for the manufacture of slow-release floating fertilizer is coating fertilizer pellets with at least one layer of an aqueous film forming latex. The coat of latex is coated on the fertilizer pellets directly. The coating process is conducted in series and the relative humidity of the air in the initial coating zones is maintained below the critical relative humidity of the pellet to be coated. The process provides a method to prepare coated pellets having an even coat. The density of the particles of the fertilizer and the fertilizer release rate depend on the density of the fertilizer pellets, the character of latex used, the thickness of the layer and the number of layers coated.
Fifth Embodiment
[0037] An encapsulation is another method to make the slow-release floating fertilizer. The materials of encapsulate can be any water-insoluble or slightly water-soluble materials.
[0038] One kind of the materials of encapsulate is preferred that can be fused below the phase transition temperature of the fertilizer and the float if the float is encapsulated in with the fertilizer together. The preferred materials are but not limited to: thermoplastic resin, cellulose material, and latex.
Sixth Embodiment
[0039] Perlite slow-release floating fertilizer can be made by the technique of ion exchange and coating. Here is an example of a process of an iron slow-release floating fertilizer: (a) A container filled with 80-120 mesh expended Na and K rich perlite particles is connected to a saturated FeCl 3 solution stream until no more Fe +3 can be taken by the perlite particles. (b) The iron exchanged perlite particles from step (a) are dried in a hot wind box and separated according its density. (c) The dried particles are mixed with a Fe 2 O 3 contained Al(OH) 3 gel. Then go to step (b). (d) The particles with a density less than 1 are taken to step (c) and (b) again until their density reach 1. (f) The particles of said fertilizer with a density heavier than 1 are heated in an oven at 800° C. for 2 hours. In this process Al(OH) 3 , Fe(OH) 3 and Fe(OH) 2 are converted to oxide.
|
Floating slow-release fertilizer is designed to significantly reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This granulated fertilizer has a density lighter than seawater. Therefore its pellets can float on the surface of seawater. After being dispensed into water, the pellets are able to continually release certain nutrients for a period of time. During this period, an otherwise inanimate water region is temporarily suitable for plant growth. Floating slow-release fertilizer enables the growth of planting phytoplankton in ocean to remove CO 2 from atmosphere. The advantages of the fertilizer are as following: all nature, effective, no byproduct, no land using, no pollution, using solar energy mainly, small investment, easy to control, low operation cast.
| 8
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Industrial dryers are used for drying a wide range of materials, such as dyes, bleach, sugar, flame retardants, carbon, fungicides, vitamins, and wood chips. These driers may include large drying chambers, where the materials are exposed to drying conditions for a period of time. Such drying conditions may include heat, desiccants, or continued movement of the materials. For example, the Turbo-Dryer®, manufactured by Wyssmont®, provides a large drying chamber with a number of trays stacked therein. The trays may rotate about a central shaft extending through the drying chamber and connected to a drive source. The material passes down each tray in the stack as the trays rotate, and heat is applied through a duct connected to the drying chamber. As a result, the material is thoroughly and evenly dried.
[0002] Because the drying chamber includes openings for apparatus such as the central shaft, it also presents an opportunity for drying conditions such as heat or gasses to escape. This results in increased consumption of energy and resources, and thus increased costs.
[0003] Currently, assemblies for sealing the openings are inadequate for processing materials under certain operating conditions such as where a closed environment is required or desirable. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , rotatable shaft 32 extends through an opening in a bottom plate 14 of the dryer. The shaft 32 is connected to a reducer 84 and a turntable sweeper 80 above a turntable 82 . The turntable 82 is further connected to a first casting 70 , which is connected to drive gears 88 , located outside the drying chamber 89 . Accordingly, while an upper portion of the first casting 70 extends above the opening in the bottom plate 14 into the drying chamber 89 , a lower portion of the first casting 70 resides below. Thus, as the first casting 70 rotates air may escape through a space between the dryer bottom 14 and the casting 70 .
[0004] As an attempt to solve this problem, seals have been placed between the dryer bottom 14 and the casting 70 . For example, a seal plate 12 may be connected to the dryer bottom 14 and extend towards the casting 70 . A packing gland 18 further extends towards the casting 70 , with packing material 16 supported at a junction thereof by follower 31 . However, this seal has proven ineffective in preventing leakages in certain applications. For example, problems arise as the first casting 70 rotates. Additionally, due to the size of the opening in the dryer bottom between the seal plates 12 , a greater opportunity for leakage is presented. However, such size is necessitated by the positioning of the first casting 70 .
[0005] Due to the deficiency of existing seal assemblies in preventing leakages, quantities of heat, gasses, and other agents employed within the dryer are wasted. In turn, costs of operating the dryer are increased, and resources are depleted more quickly. Accordingly, an improved sealing assembly is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An apparatus for processing materials according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a material processing chamber, formed from an enclosure, having a top and a bottom. The bottom has an opening therein, and a shaft extends through the opening and into the chamber. A bearing assembly may be arranged about a lower portion of the shaft, the bearing assembly including a bearing extension arranged about a portion of the shaft. The bearing extension has a portion thereof extending through the opening of the bottom of the chamber. A first seal assembly forms a first seal between the bearing extension and the bottom of the chamber, and a second seal assembly forms a second seal between the bearing assembly and the shaft.
[0007] In the above embodiment, the first seal assembly may comprise a seal plate connecting the dryer bottom and the bearing extension. As desired, packing material may be positioned proximal to a junction of the seal plate and the bearing extension. Optionally, a pressure purge, delivering a gas such as nitrogen, may provide increased pressure to an area surrounding the junction of the seal plate and the bearing extension.
[0008] The second seal assembly may include a casting surrounding the shaft, with packing material positioned between the casting and the shaft. Similar to the first seal assembly, a pressure purge may provide increased pressure to an area of the packing material.
[0009] An apparatus for processing materials according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a material processing chamber formed from an enclosure having a top and a bottom, the bottom having an opening therein. The apparatus further includes a shaft extending through the opening within the bottom and into the chamber, a bearing assembly concentrically arranged about a lower portion of the shaft, and a bearing extension connected to the bearing assembly and concentrically arranged about a portion of the shaft. The bearing extension may have a portion thereof extending through the opening of the bottom of the chamber. Further included is a seal assembly forming a seal between the bearing extension and the bottom of the chamber.
[0010] An apparatus for processing materials according to an even further embodiment of the present invention includes a processing chamber formed by at least one surrounding wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall having an opening. This apparatus further includes a rotatable shaft extending through the opening within the bottom and into the chamber. A bearing assembly having an extension surrounds the shaft as it extends through the opening within the bottom wall. A sealing system provides a seal about the extension of the bearing assembly as it extends through the opening within the bottom. The sealing system comprises a plate surrounding the extension within the opening, the plate attached to the bottom, and an enclosure coupled to the plate and the extension of the bearing assembly, the enclosure positioned proximal to a juncture of the plate and the extension. Further, packing material is provided within the enclosure for forming a seal at the juncture, and a gas source supplies a gas under pressure within the enclosure. A compression member associated with the enclosure applies a compressive force to the packing material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sealing assembly according to prior art.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a first sealing assembly and a second sealing assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] FIG. 2 shows an example of an apparatus 100 for processing materials according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the apparatus 100 may be used to process (e.g., to dry) various materials, such as salts, powdered milk, or chemicals, as they undergo processing. In view of the improved seal assembly, to be described, the apparatus 100 has particular applications where a closed environment is desirable, such as in pyrolizing various materials (e.g., polymers). The apparatus 100 has particular application where toxic or reactive gasses may be used or are generated with the apparatus during use. The apparatus 100 includes a chamber 110 , in this instance a drying chamber, wherein the materials are processed. The apparatus 100 further includes at least one drive assembly 160 , which may power operations within the chamber 110 , though being located outside.
[0015] The drying chamber is cylindrically enclosed by sidewall 116 which extends around the circumference of the chamber 110 , a top plate 112 , and a bottom plate 114 . The chamber 110 is supported on a base 174 by supports 170 and connected expansion joints 172 . The expansion joints 172 may be wheels attached to the supports 170 . Alternatively, the expansion joints 172 may be wheels attached to the base 174 underneath the supports 170 . In either embodiment, the expansion joints 172 enable the supports 170 to move as the chamber expands due to, for example, increased heat or gasses therein. This reduces stress applied to the structure of the apparatus 100 .
[0016] Inside the chamber 110 , the material to be processed may be placed on one or more stacked trays 120 . Each tray is connected to a stanchion 126 which is attached around a shaft 130 . Coupled to the stanchions 126 is a turntable 182 . According to one embodiment, the turntable 182 is connected to a second shaft which surrounds the shaft 130 .
[0017] As will be further described below, a bearing assembly 250 may also be attached to the turntable 182 as well as to drive gears 280 , directly or indirectly. Accordingly, the drive gears 280 cause the bearing assembly to rotate, which in turn causes the turntable 182 to rotate. Further, the turntable 182 will cause the stanchions 126 and trays 120 to revolve.
[0018] A tray wiper 122 in the nature of a flat flexible panel may be positioned above each tray 120 . As each tray 120 rotates, the tray wiper 122 transfers the material to the next tray. A rigidly mounted leveler 125 brushes across a top of the material placed thereon, thereby leveling the material and exposing materials underneath the top portion to the environment within the chamber 110 . The material that is spilled by the tray wiper 122 falls onto catch plate 124 . This plate 124 , angularly positioned with respect to the trays 120 , causes the material which is spilled off a tray 120 above to fall into a tray 120 below. In this manner, the material being processed cascades downwardly from the top tray to the bottom tray.
[0019] According to one aspect, a turntable sweeper 180 may be positioned above the turntable 182 . The turntable sweeper 180 may prevent complications potentially caused by materials falling onto the turntable 182 .
[0020] As the processed material is being rotated and moved as described above, further drying elements may be implemented within the chamber 110 . For example, several sets of fan blades 140 may be included in the chamber 110 to facilitate circulation of gasses therein. The fan blades 140 may be connected to respective rings 142 which are coupled to the * shaft 130 by keys 146 . The shaft 130 may extend beyond the bearing assembly 250 and connect to a reducer 190 at its lower end. The reducer 190 may be powered electrically, or by other sources such as a battery, steam, gas, or a mechanical crank. As the reducer 190 causes the shaft 130 to rotate, fan blades 140 would in turn rotate, thus pushing air across the trays 120 .
[0021] The processed material may further be exposed within the chamber 110 to air or gasses provided through an inlet 152 . For example, a duct may be connected to the inlet 152 , and heated air, gasses, desiccants, or other inert, reactive, or non-reactive gasses may be provided to the chamber 110 through the duct. An exhaust 150 provides an outlet for the air or gasses. According to one embodiment, ducts connected to the exhaust may lead to a conditioning unit further connected to the inlet 152 , thereby allowing the air or gasses to be recycled through the chamber 110 .
[0022] The bearing assembly 250 provides additional support for the turntable 182 , stanchions 126 , and trays 120 . The bearing assembly 250 may be formed of any of a variety of materials. Materials with increased strength and durability may be desirable in light of the weight supported by the assembly 250 . Examples of such materials include steel, such as stainless steel, cast iron, or any of a variety of other metals.
[0023] The bearing assembly 250 includes a support plate 252 attached beneath the turntable 182 , an extension 254 extending alongside the shaft 130 , and a base plate 256 . According to one embodiment, the extension 254 may be cylindrical, surrounding a portion of the shaft 130 . The support plate 252 and base plate 256 may be circular, and thus connected to the extension 254 around its circumference.
[0024] To prevent the air or gasses provided to the chamber 110 from escaping, seal assemblies are placed around the shaft 132 and near the opening 118 . As better seen in FIG. 3 , a first seal assembly 210 is implemented to prevent leakages through the opening 118 in the bottom plate 114 . A seal plate 212 is connected to the bottom plate 114 and extends to the bearing extension 254 . A clamp 214 may be used to secure the seal plate 212 to the bottom plate 114 .
[0025] Packing material 216 may be positioned at a point where the seal plate 212 meets the bearing extension 254 . The packing material 216 may be vinyl, asbestos, or any other type of packing material. According to one embodiment, the packing material 216 may include a lantern ring 236 . Additionally, a follower 234 may be positioned beneath the packing material 216 . The follower 234 may be supported by gland 232 and stiffener 230 .
[0026] According to a further aspect, the first sealing assembly 210 may additionally include a purge 220 , such as a nitrogen purge, to operate in conjunction with the packing material 216 and surroundings. For example, a source may provide nitrogen gas through the purge 220 to the packing material 216 . According to one embodiment, the nitrogen gas would cause the packing material 216 to expand. However, the lantern ring 236 , follower 234 , gland 232 and stiffener 230 will provide a boundary or even a reactive force against the packing material 216 . Thus, the packing material 216 will be forced to fill any openings between the seal plate 212 and the bearing extension 254 as it expands.
[0027] A second seal assembly 260 may be implemented to prevent leakages along the shaft 130 . For example, air or gasses may leak through a space 292 between the turntable 182 and the shaft 130 , further through a space 294 between the support plate 252 and the shaft 130 , and downwardly along a length of the shaft 130 . Accordingly, second seal assembly 260 may be implemented as described in more detail below.
[0028] As mentioned above, the shaft 130 may extend to connect to the drive assembly 160 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the bearing assembly 250 extends around a portion of the shaft 130 . According to one embodiment, the bearing assembly 250 may include a first casting 270 , which connects to drive gear 280 . A second casting 272 may partially reside within the first casting 270 , with bushings 276 positioned between the first casting 270 and second casting 272 . The first and second castings 270 , 272 may be formed of any of a variety of materials. For example, the castings 270 , 272 may be plastic, ceramic, polymer, metal, or any other material.
[0029] According to one embodiment, the first casting 270 and bearing assembly 250 may rest partially on top of the second casting 272 . In this regard, the first casting 270 and bearing assembly 250 may rotate as the second casting 272 remains stationary. Such rotation may be facilitated by the bushings 276 , as well as by thrust bearing 278 . The thrust bearing 278 may be spheres or rollers held in place between the first casting 270 and second casting 272 , thereby reducing friction between the elements.
[0030] The second seal assembly may be located between the second casting 272 and the shaft 130 . Similar to the first seal assembly 210 , the second seal assembly 260 may include packing material 266 positioned between the second casting 272 and the shaft 130 . Gland 262 may be positioned beneath the packing material 266 , and a purge 290 may be fed to the packing material 266 . The purge 290 may provide a gas or fluid, such as nitrogen. The gland 262 keeps the packing material 266 compressed, thereby preventing any leakage. As seen in the second seal assembly 260 of FIG. 3 , the gland 262 may be an “L” shaped piece of metal or plastic supported underneath the packing material 266 , as opposed to the combination of follower 234 and straight gland 232 used in the first seal assembly 210 .
[0031] As can be seen, the first seal assembly 210 prevents leakages through the opening 118 while the second seal assembly 260 prevents leakages through and/or around the shaft 130 . These seal assemblies 210 , 260 may be used either alone or in conjunction with one another. Regardless, each assembly 210 , 260 permits rotation of the shaft 130 and the bearing extension 254 without sacrificing resources.
[0032] As mentioned above, the purges 220 , 290 provided in the first and second seal assemblies 210 , 260 may cause the packing materials 216 , 266 to expand. Alternatively or additionally, the purges 220 , 290 may provide an increased air pressure to areas surrounding the seals. Accordingly, the increased pressure with respect to the pressure in the chamber 110 prevents air or gasses from escaping the chamber 110 .
[0033] Although the chamber 110 in the apparatus 100 described above is a drying chamber, it should be understood that the first sealing assembly 210 and the second sealing assembly 260 may be used to prevent leakages from any type of material processing chamber. For example, the chamber 110 may encapsulate processes for, inter alia, freezing, grinding, purifying, pulverizing, separating, or sublimating. Further, the chamber 110 may be any of a variety of sizes and shapes.
[0034] Moreover, the inlet 152 may provide any of a variety of fluids or gasses to the chamber 110 . Accordingly, while providing hot air and a desiccant may be most desirably provided to a drying chamber, providing a different type of gas or fluid may be more desirable for a different process.
[0035] Further, the gasses or fluids provided through purges 220 and 290 may vary in relationship to the gasses or fluids in the chamber 110 . For example, nitrogen gas (N 2 ) may provide a higher pressure at the first and second seal assemblies 210 , 260 to further prevent gasses from escaping the chamber 110 . However, if a process within the chamber 110 involved circulation of nitrogen gas, a different gas may be provided through purges 220 , 290 .
[0036] Shaft 130 may be formed of metal or any variety of other materials. Further, although the apparatus 100 as described herein includes a rotating shaft 130 , the shaft 130 may be capable of other motions, such as gyrating.
[0037] Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
|
An apparatus for processing materials provides a material processing chamber, formed from an enclosure having a top and a bottom. The bottom has an opening therein, and a shaft extends through the opening and into the chamber. A bearing assembly may be arranged about a lower portion of the shaft, the bearing assembly including a bearing extension arranged about a portion of the shaft. The bearing extension has a portion thereof extending through the opening of the bottom of the chamber. A first seal assembly forms a first seal between the bearing extension and the bottom of the chamber, and a second seal assembly forms a second seal between the bearing assembly and the shaft.
| 5
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a method for abrading, i.e. sanding, a wooden barrel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, in barrel works, wooden barrels are sanded entirely manually: an operative loads the barrel onto a lathe, removes a first bilge hoop (a metal ring situated in the largest diameter region, known as the “bilge”) with a hammer and a drift, sands a first half of the barrel with a belt sander, replaces the first bilge hoop, removes the second bilge hoop, sands the second half of the barrel, replaces the second bilge hoop, and finally unloads the barrel from the lathe.
Apart from the fact that these operations are physically very tiring, the operative must work in a very dusty atmosphere.
Moreover, it takes a relatively long time to sand a barrel using the traditional technique.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method that overcome these drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
That object of the invention is achieved with a device for sanding a wooden barrel, characterized in that it consists of a robot comprising:
means for loading said barrel, means for gripping and rotating said barrel around the axis thereof, means for removing and replacing the two bilge hoops of said barrel, means for sanding said barrel, and means for removing said barrel.
Clearly, the device of the invention robotizes tasks that were previously difficult and lengthy, and thereby achieves the required improvement.
According to other features of the device of the invention:
said gripping and rotating means comprise two mobile headstocks moving symmetrically and each including extendable clamping jaws, said hoop removing and replacing means comprise a plurality of arms mounted to be mobile between an open position in which they are moved away from said barrel and a closed position in which they are able to grip one of said bilge hoops and to slide along the axis of said barrel, said arms are mounted on a carriage adapted to slide between a first position in which said arms face one of said bilge hoops and a second position in which said arms face the other of said bilge hoops, said arms comprise clamping shoes conformed to be applied to either of said bilge hoops interchangeably, said device comprises means for preventing said arms from gripping each of said bilge hoops too tightly, there are four arms, said sanding means comprise a sanding head including a belt sander, said sanding head is mounted so that it is able to slide along the axis of said barrel, said device comprises means for varying the distance of said sanding head from the axis of said barrel, said distance varying means comprise a deformable parallelogram, said device comprises means for varying the inclination of said sanding head to the axis of said barrel, said device comprises means for adjusting the pressure exerted on said barrel by said sanding head, said device comprises a safety enclosure with an entry airlock and an exit airlock for said barrel, said device comprises means for sequencing the passage of said barrel into said entry airlock, said device comprises means for identifying the position of the bunghole of said barrel, said device comprises means for immobilizing and lifting said barrel.
The method of the invention, applied to the above device, is characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
a) placing said barrel between said gripping and rotating means, b) gripping said barrel with said gripping and rotating means, c) removing one of said bilge hoops on one half of said barrel with said hoop removing and replacing means, d) rotating said barrel with said gripping and rotating means, e) sanding said half barrel with said sanding means, f) stopping the rotation of said barrel, g) replacing said bilge hoop with said hoop removing and replacing means, h) repeating steps c) to g) for the other bilge hoop and the other half of said barrel, and i) releasing said barrel from said gripping and rotating means.
According to other features of the method of the invention:
for executing said step e), said sanding head is moved in the direction of the axis of said barrel, between said steps b) and c), the position of said bunghole is identified in order to position said barrel so that said hoop removing and replacing means do not interfere with riveted areas of said bilge hoops, to execute said step c), said barrel is rotated so that it occupies a plurality of successive positions and, in each of said positions, removal forces are exerted on said bilge hoop with said hoop removing and replacing means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the light of the following description and on examining the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of the device of the invention, and
FIG. 2 is a side view of the device of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 of the appended drawings shows that the device of the invention comprises a safety enclosure 1 that is preferably soundproofed and comprises an entry airlock 3 , a main chamber 4 and an exit airlock 5 .
Doors P 1 and P 2 separate the entry airlock 3 from the main chamber 4 and the main chamber from the exit airlock 5 , respectively.
A pair of parallel rails with a slight inclination known as a track 7 terminates in the entry airlock 3 and conveys thereto a barrel 9 to be processed.
A sequencer device 11 immobilizes the barrel 9 to be processed in the entry airlock 3 until the processing of the preceding barrel 13 has been completed.
The sequencer device 11 may comprise rollers 15 a , 15 b rotatably mounted at the two ends of a deformable parallelogram 17 mounted pendulum-fashion on a support 19 and actuated by a cylinder 21 .
A track 23 links the entry airlock 3 to the main chamber 4 .
The main chamber 4 contains means for immobilizing and lifting the barrel 13 before it is processed.
As is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 2 , those means may comprise buffers 25 a , 25 b that are raised by a lead screw 27 until they come into contact with and then lift the barrel 13 .
The main chamber 4 further contains means for gripping the barrel 13 and rotating it about its axis A.
As may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 , those means may comprise two motorized mobile headstocks 29 a , 29 b each including a chuck 31 a , 31 b with extendable jaws 33 a , 33 b.
The term “extendable” means that the jaws 33 a , 33 b can be moved in the direction of the axis A of the barrel 13 by pneumatic cylinders 35 a , 35 b visible in FIG. 2 .
A high-power electric motor 37 is adapted to drive rotation of the chuck 31 b.
The main chamber 4 further contains means for removing and replacing the two bilge hoops 39 a , 39 b of the barrel 13 .
As can be seen in FIG. 2 , the bilge hoops are the metal hoops that are situated in the bulging portion of the barrel 13 , known as the “bilge”, one on each either side of the bunghole 41 .
The hoop removing and replacing means comprise a plurality of arms, preferably four arms 43 a to 43 d as shown in FIG. 1 , mounted on a carriage 45 to pivot about axes parallel to the axis A of the barrel.
These arms are therefore mobile between an open position, represented in thicker line in FIG. 1 , in which they are moved away from the bilge hoops 39 a , 39 b , and a closed position, represented in thinner line in FIG. 1 , in which they are able to grip the bilge hoops.
The arms 43 a to 43 d are actuated in these two positions by cylinders 47 a to 47 d disposed between the arms and the carriage 45 .
As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the ends of the arms 43 a to 43 d carry clamping shoes 49 a to 49 d mounted to rotate relative to the arms about axes parallel to the axis A of the barrel 13 .
The clamping shoes are conformed so that they are able to cooperate firmly with either of the bilge hoops 39 a , 39 b.
Pressure sensors known in the art (not shown) are preferably provided so that the arms 43 a to 43 d do not apply too high or too low a pressure to the bilge hoops 39 a , 39 b after their removal.
The carriage 45 is mounted to be slid along the axis A of the barrel 13 by appropriate conventional means, for example rails 51 a and 51 b and a lead screw 52 extending along the axis A.
The main chamber 4 further contains means for sanding the barrel 13 .
As is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 2 , those means comprise a sanding head 53 including a sanding belt 55 driven by an electric motor 57 in a direction substantially transverse to the axis A of the barrel 13 .
The sanding head is suspended from a frame 60 mounted to be slid along the axis A of the barrel 13 by appropriate conventional means, for example rails 59 a and 59 b and a lead screw 61 extending along the axis A.
Means are provided for varying the distance of the sanding head 53 from the axis A of the barrel 13 .
As can be seen in FIG. 1 , those means may comprise two links 63 a , 63 b linking the sanding head 53 to the frame 60 and substantially defining a deformable parallelogram.
Means are also provided for varying the inclination of the sanding head 53 to the axis A of the barrel 13 .
As can be seen in FIG. 2 , those means comprise an arm 65 for rotating the head 53 relative to the frame 60 about a substantially horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis A of the barrel 13 and a cylinder 67 for actuating the arm 65 disposed between the head 53 and the frame 60 .
Means known in the art and not shown ensure that the sanding belt 55 applies a constant pressure to the barrel 13 .
As can be seen in FIG. 1 , a track 69 connects the main chamber 4 to the exit airlock 5 .
Means known in the art are also provided for marking the position of the bunghole 41 . Those means may comprise a photoelectric cell, for example (not shown).
All of the moving parts of the device of the invention are controlled by an electronic circuit connected to a man/machine interface (not shown) enabling an operative to fix set points associated with each type of barrel to be processed.
The operation and the advantages of the device of the invention are clear from the foregoing description.
The barrel to be processed arrives in the entry airlock 3 , rolling along the track 7 , and reaches the position 9 represented in FIG. 1 .
The sequencer 11 , which is in the position represented in FIG. 1 for as long as the preceding barrel 13 is being sanded in the chamber 4 , immobilizes the barrel 9 inside the airlock 3 .
When the sanding of the preceding barrel 13 has been finished and that barrel has left the chamber 4 , the cylinder 21 pivots the sequencer 11 so that the roller 15 a is in the raised position and the roller 15 b is in the lowered position.
The door P 1 is then opened and the barrel 9 rolls along the track 23 into the chamber 4 , until it reaches the position 13 seen in FIG. 1 . The door P 1 is then closed.
Driven by the lead screw 53 , the buffers 25 a , 25 b come into contact with the barrel 13 and then lift it until it reaches a position in which its axis A is substantially aligned with the rotation axes of the headstocks 29 a and 29 b (see FIG. 2 ).
The pneumatic cylinders 35 a , 35 b then place the jaws 33 a , 33 b of the chucks 31 a , 31 b against the two ends of the barrel 13 to hold the barrel firmly.
The electric motor 37 rotates the barrel 13 so that the bunghole 41 moves in front of the photoelectric cell so that it may be identified.
Once this identification has been effected, the barrel 13 continues to turn to a position in which it is certain that the shoes 49 a to 49 d will be pressed onto areas of the bilge hoops 39 a , 39 b with no rivets.
In other words, identifying the position of the bunghole 41 indexes the angular position of the barrel 13 in order to optimize the gripping of the bilge hoops 39 a , 39 b by the arms 43 a to 43 d.
The carriage 45 then slides on the rails 51 a , 51 b until the arms 49 a to 49 d are in line with the bilge hoop 39 a.
The cylinders 47 a to 47 d are then actuated so that the shoes 49 a to 49 d are pressed onto the bilge hoop 39 a and grip it.
The carriage 45 then slides to remove the bilge hoop and then pass it over the head of the barrel 13 .
Once it has been extracted, the gripping force applied to the bilge hoop 39 a by the arms 43 a to 43 d is controlled so that the arms do not crush the hoop.
Note that if removing a hoop proves difficult, removing it in several stages may be envisaged, turning the barrel through a certain angle (for example 45°) between attempts.
The barrel 13 is then rotated continuously by the electric motor 37 .
The deformable parallelogram 63 a , 63 b then lowers the sanding head 53 until the sanding belt 55 comes into contact with the head of the barrel 13 .
The motor 57 is then started, which drives the sanding belt 55 .
While the barrel 13 is turning about its axis, the sanding head 53 slides on the rails 59 a , 59 b.
The relative speeds of rotation of the barrel 13 , on the one hand, and of translation of the head 53 , on the other hand, are adapted so that a single excursion of the head 53 between the end and the bilge of the barrel 13 is sufficient to sand half of the barrel.
Once this sanding has been effected, the bilge hoop 39 a is replaced by a sequence of operations in the reverse order to that described above: the carriage 45 slides to reposition the hoop 39 a on the bilge of the barrel 13 , after which the arms 43 a to 43 d are moved apart to release the hoop.
All of the steps described above are then repeated to remove/replace the other bilge hoop 39 b and sand the second half of the barrel 13 .
It will be noted that while the sanding head 53 is advancing, its inclination to the axis A of the barrel is adjusted by the cylinder 67 operating on the arm 65 .
Thus the sanding belt 55 can at all times be tangential to the generatrices of the barrel 13 .
For example, FIG. 2 shows two different inclinations of the belt 55 , corresponding to positions in which the belt is in the regions of the heads 55 a , 55 b or the bilge 55 of the barrel 13 .
As is clear in the light of the foregoing description, only one bilge hoop is removed at a time, which means that the staves forming the barrel are held together while the corresponding half of the barrel is sanded, which prevents sawdust penetrating to the interior of the barrel.
Once the whole of the barrel has been sanded, the sanding head 53 is raised by the links 63 a , 63 b , rotation of the barrel is stopped, the jaws 33 a , 33 b are opened, the barrel is lowered onto the track 69 , the door P 2 is opened, and the barrel is evacuated into the exit airlock 5 .
The next barrel can then be sanded in its turn.
As is clear in the light of the foregoing description, the device of the invention is able to sand wooden barrels entirely automatically, so that the irksome and lengthy manual operations of the prior art can be dispensed with.
For example, the device of the invention is able to sand a 228-liter barrel in less than two minutes.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, which is provided by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example.
|
A device for abrading a wooden barrel ( 13 ) includes a robot having elements ( 11, 17, 23 ) for loading a barrel ( 13 ), elements ( 29 a , 29 b , 33 a , 33 b ) for gripping and rotating the barrel ( 13 ) around the axis thereof, elements ( 43 a , 43 b ) for extracting and re-positioning the two bilge hoops of the barrel, elements ( 53 ) for abrading the barrel, and elements ( 69 ) for removing the barrel ( 13 ).
| 1
|
STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/768,213 filed 27 Apr. 2010, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides enamel compositions and ground coat compositions. More particularly, the present invention provides compositions for use in forming an acid resistant and chip resistant enamel cover coating from which baked-on foods can be removed without the need for pyrolysis or highly alkaline cleaners. Also provided are methods for forming the enamel coating, enamel coated substrates, ground coat, and multilayer coated substrates.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An oven can be one of the most difficult kitchen appliances to clean. Food that splatters onto the interior surfaces of an oven during cooking usually becomes baked-on, making the removal thereof particularly difficult. If the oven is not frequently cleaned, the amount of baked-on food can build up rapidly, thereby increasing the cleaning difficulty.
Coatings used for the interiors of ovens are primarily one of three types: (1) self-cleaning pyrolytic ground coats, (2) non-self-cleaning ground coats, and (3) catalytic continuous clean enamels.
The first type of coatings, i.e. self-cleaning pyrolytic ground coats, enable food residue to be reduced to ash by exposure to temperatures between about 850 and 1000° F. (455 and 538° C.). However, there are several concerns associated with heating oven coatings to such temperatures. First, high temperatures are required, necessitating extra insulation around the oven chamber and safety interlocks for oven operation. Second, producing such high temperatures requires relatively large amounts of energy consumption. Third, depending upon the materials exposed to such high temperatures, concerns exist as to the possible release of toxic fumes. Fourth, the cleaning cycle used in association with these coatings takes up to three hours to complete and potentially reduces the overall service life of the oven. Further, in order to withstand multiple cleaning cycles, such enamel coatings generally contain hard, chemically-resistant frits that, without high-temperature exposure, have inherently poor release properties, thereby compounding the difficulty in removing baked-on residues.
The second type of coating, i.e. non-self-cleaning ground coats, requires significant cleaning efforts by the consumer and/or harsh alkaline saponifying cleaners that have a pH of approximately 14. As will be appreciated, significant safety concerns exist when using, handing, and storing such hazardous and often toxic cleaners. In addition, producing various oven models each with potentially different interior coatings can increase manufacturing complexity and thus costs. In order to provide a lower cost appliance, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) generally use the same pyrolytic enamel as used in self-cleaning ovens, but do not equip the oven with a self-clean cycle. Thus, although satisfactory, many ovens such as those lacking a self-cleaning cycle, utilize coatings that are not optimally designed for the oven.
The third type of coating, i.e. catalytic continuous clean enamels, fire out with a porous microstructure, enabling the reduction of food residue to ash at normal cooking temperatures. Although satisfactory in many regards, these coatings have largely fallen out of use in North America but are still in use in other markets.
The patent literature has described enamel cover coatings. U.S. Pat. No. 7,005,396 describes enamel formulas that include mixtures of low softening point alkali aluminophosphate frit with a high softening point zirconia phosphate frit. The soft frit fluxes the hard frit, creating workability within typical oven enamel firing conditions of 1520 to 1600° F. (827 to 871° C.). The fired coating sheds baked-on foodstuffs upon exposure to a moist environment. The soil release mechanism is hypothesized to be due to relatively weakly bonded surface absorbed water rather than the significantly stronger bonds otherwise occurring on conventional enamels. When applied to an oven cavity, this surface creates a fourth option for soil removal through relatively brief exposure to water or steam at much lower temperatures than used with the pyrolytic enamels and without the use of harsh alkaline cleaners.
However, the glasses discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,005,396 have certain characteristics that preclude their use in oven applications using ground coats or that render them difficult to apply with dry electrostatic methods to oven surfaces. The thermal expansion of the glasses is too high relative to ground coats typically used in ovens. This difference in thermal expansion characteristics would lead to cracking or other distortions in an oven coating using such glasses. In addition, the glass temperature of the glasses is below 750° F. (400° C.). On hidden bake ovens in which an oven floor covers the heating element, the floor can exceed these temperatures. Foods baked-on above the glass temperature would then not necessarily release upon exposure to moisture. As for their application characteristics, a soft and hard frit with mill-added raw materials described in that patent would tend to segregate on recirculation through an automatic spray booth and thus this characteristic detracts from application of the glass mixture via spraying.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a composition that can be applied to the interior surfaces of oven cavities and other articles from which baked-on foods can be easily removed without the need for pyrolysis or highly alkaline cleaners.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The difficulties and drawbacks associated with previously known systems are addressed in the present compositions, methods, and coated substrates involving enamel cover coatings and ground coats that enable baked-on foods to be easily removed.
The compositions of the invention may be produced in a wide range of colors, however charred food soils will stain lighter colored coating. To reduce the appearance of stains, the color of the porcelain enamel should be relatively dark. The Hunter L color value should be below 30, preferably below 25, more preferably below 20 and still more preferably below 15.
The inventors have discovered that, while nickel can be effectively used to adjust color, the removal of nickel eliminates problems of metalizing around the edges of a substrate coated with the enamel composition of the invention.
Mixed metal oxides such as cobalt oxide, chrome oxide, copper oxide and manganese oxide are added to the enamels of the invention without the use of nickel oxide to achieve the desired color, neutral grey, with Hunter L<30. Cobalt and chrome produce a darker yet more neutral color. In particular, the enamel compositions of the invention include less than 2 wt % Ni, preferably less than 1.5% Ni, more preferably less than 1 wt % Ni, still more preferably less than 0.5 wt % Ni, even more preferably less than 0.25 wt % Ni and still more preferably less than 0.1 wt % Ni. Most preferably, the compositions of the invention are nickel free.
An embodiment of the invention is a process for obtaining a fired coating having a Hunter L color value less than 30 comprising: (a) applying to a substrate a composition comprising: (i) a glass component including: from about 7% to about 25% of at least one R 2 O; from about 0% to about 15% of at least one RO; from about 5% to about 20% of at least one MO 2 ; from about 8% to about 25% of Al 2 O 3 ; from about 3% to about 25% of SiO 2 ; from about 15% to about 40% of P 2 O 5 ; and (ii) an effective amount of an additive; wherein R 2 O is an alkali oxide, RO is an alkaline earth oxide, and MO, MO 2 and M 2 O 3 are transition metal oxides.
Generally, the present invention provides a composition adapted for forming an enamel coating. The composition prior to firing, comprises: (i) a glass component including from about 10.0% to about 20.0% of at least one R 2 O, from about 2.7% to about 3.3% of at least one RO, from about 0.6% to about 2.8% of at least one MO, from about 15.1% to about 17.6% of at least one MO 2 , from about 0.1% to about 6.3% of at least one M 2 O 3 , from about 19.3% to about 20.7% of Al 2 O 3 , from about 10.8% to about 11.8% of SiO 2 , and from about 29.2% to about 31.3% of P 2 O 5 , and (ii) an effective amount of an additive. R 2 O is an alkali oxide, RO is an alkaline earth oxide, and MO, MO 2 and M 2 O 3 are transition metal oxides. Also provided are methods of forming enamel coatings on substrates by use of these compositions. And, the present invention additionally provides various enamel coated substrates.
More specifically, and in one aspect, the present invention provides a composition adapted for forming an enamel coating. The composition prior to firing, comprises (i) a glass component that includes from about 7.1% to about 7.9% Na 2 O, from about 7.0% to about 7.7% K 2 O, from about 0.6% to about 1.0% ZnO, from about 2.7% to about 3.3% BaO, from about 19.3% to about 20.7% Al 2 O 3 , from about 10.8% to about 11.8% SiO 2 , from about 0.7% to about 1.2% TiO 2 , from about 14.4% to about 15.6% ZrO 2 , from about 29.2% to about 31.3% P 2 O 5 , and from about 0.1% to about 5.2% Co 2 O 3 , and (ii) an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 .
Specifically and in another aspect, the present invention provides a method for forming an enamel coating on a substrate. The method comprises providing a substrate for receiving the coating. The method also comprises providing a composition that includes (i) a glass component and (ii) an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 . The glass component includes from about 7.1% to about 7.9% Na 2 O, from about 7.0% to about 7.7% K 2 O, from about 0.6% to about 1.0% ZnO, from about 2.7% to about 3.3% BaO, from about 19.3% to about 20.7% Al 2 O 3 , from about 10.8% to about 11.8% SiO 2 , from about 0.7% to about 1.2% TiO 2 , from about 14.4% to about 15.6% ZrO 2 , from about 29.20% to about 31.3% P 2 O 5 , and from about 0.1% to about 5.2% Co 2 O 3 . The method also comprises depositing a layer of the composition on the substrate. And, the method additionally comprises firing the layer to thereby form an enamel coating on the substrate.
Specifically and in yet another aspect, the present invention provides an enamel coated substrate. The enamel coating has a composition prior to firing that comprises (i) a glass component and (ii) an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 . The glass component includes from about 7.1% to about 7.9% Na 2 O, from about 7.0% to about 7.7% K 2 O, from about 0.6% to about 1.0% ZnO, from about 2.7% to about 3.3% BaO, from about 19.3% to about 20.7% Al 2 O 3 , from about 10.8% to about 11.8% SiO 2 , from about 0.7% to about 1.2% TiO 2 , from about 14.4% to about 15.6% ZrO 2 , from about 29.2% to about 31.3% P 2 O 5 , and from about 0.1% to about 5.2% Co 2 O 3 .
Generally, the present invention also provides a composition adapted for forming a ground coat. The composition prior to firing, comprises: from about 14.4% to about 18.4% of at least one R 2 O, from about 8.5% to about 11.7% of at least one RO, from about 2.5% to about 5.3% of at least one MO, from about 4.0% to about 9.2% of at least one MO 2 , from about 0.4% to about 1.4% of at least one M 2 O 3 , from about 16.0% to about 17.2% of B 2 O 3 , from about 2.0% to about 5.0% of Al 2 O 3 , from about 41.8% to about 46.2% of SiO 2 , and an effective amount of at least one additive. In addition, the present invention provides various methods of forming ground coats by use of these compositions, and the resulting ground coated substrates.
More specifically and in still a further aspect, the present invention provides a composition adapted for forming a ground coat. The composition prior to firing, comprises from about 2.5% to about 3.6% Li 2 O, from about 11.0% to about 12.7% Na 2 O, from about 0.9% to about 2.1% K 2 O, from about 5.4% to about 6.8% CaO, from about 3.1% to about 4.9% BaO, from about 16.0% to about 17.2% B 2 O 3 , from about 2.0% to about 5.0% Al 2 O 3 , from about 41.8% to about 46.2% SiO 2 , from about 0% to about 1.6% TiO 2 , from about 3.0% to about 6.3% ZrO 2 , from about 2.2% to about 3.2% NiO, from about 0.3% to about 1.2% CuO, from about 0.05% to about 0.9% Fe 2 O 3 , from about 0.4% to about 1.4% Co 2 O 3 , and from about 1.0% to about 1.3% MnO 2 . The composition also comprises an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 .
Specifically and in another aspect, the present invention provides a method of forming a ground coat on a substrate. The method comprises providing a substrate, and providing a composition comprising (i) an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 , and (ii) a ground coat formulation. The ground coat formulation includes from about 2.5% to about 3.6% Li 2 O, from about 11.0% to about 12.7% Na 2 O, from about 0.9% to about 2.1% K 2 O, from about 5.4% to about 6.8% CaO, from about 3.1% to about 4.9% BaO, from about 16.0% to about 17.2% B 2 O 3 , from about 2.0% to about 5.0% Al 2 O 3 , from about 41.8% to about 46.2% SiO 2 , from about 0% to about 1.6% TiO 2 , from about 3.0% to about 6.3% ZrO 2 , from about 2.2% to about 3.2% NiO, from about 0.3% to about 1.2% CuO, from about 0.05% to about 0.9% Fe 2 O 3 , from about 0.4% to about 1.4% Co 2 O 3 , and from about 1.0% to about 1.3% MnO 2 . The method comprises depositing a layer of the composition on the substrate, and firing the layer to thereby form a ground coat on the substrate.
Specifically and in still another aspect, the present invention provides a ground coated substrate. The ground coat has a composition prior to firing that comprises from about 2.5% to about 3.6% Li 2 O, from about 11.0% to about 12.7% Na 2 O, from about 0.9% to about 2.1% K 2 O, from about 5.4% to about 6.8% CaO, from about 3.1% to about 4.9% BaO, from about 16.0% to about 17.2% B 2 O 3 , from about 2.0% to about 5.0% Al 2 O 3 , from about 41.8% to about 46.2% SiO 2 , from about 0% to about 1.6% TiO 2 , from about 3.0% to about 6.3% ZrO 2 , from about 2.2% to about 3.2% NiO, from about 0.3% to about 1.2% CuO, from about 0.05% to about 0.9% Fe 2 O 3 , from about 0.4% to about 1.4% Co 2 O 3 , from about 1.0% to about 1.3% MnO 2 , and an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 .
Specifically and in yet another aspect, the present invention also provides a coated substrate including a ground coat disposed on the substrate and an enamel coating disposed on the ground coat. The ground coat has a composition prior to firing that comprises from about 2.5% to about 3.6% Li 2 O, from about 11.0% to about 12.7% Na 2 O, from about 0.9% to about 2.1% K 2 O, from about 5.4% to about 6.8% CaO, from about 3.1% to about 4.9% BaO, from about 16.0% to about 17.2% B 2 O 3 , from about 2.0% to about 5.0% Al 2 O 3 , from about 41.8% to about 46.2% SiO 2 , from about 0% to about 1.6% TiO 2 , from about 3.0% to about 6.3% ZrO 2 , from about 2.2% to about 3.2% NiO, from about 0.3% to about 1.2% CuO, from about 0.05% to about 0.9% Fe 2 O 3 , from about 0.4% to about 1.4% Co 2 O 3 , from about 1.0% to about 1.3% MnO 2 , and an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 . The enamel coating has a composition prior to firing that comprises (i) a glass component and (ii) an effective amount of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fluorine and NO 2 , wherein the glass component includes: from about 7.1% to about 7.9% Na 2 O, from about 7.0% to about 7.7% K 2 O, from about 0.6% to about 1.0% ZnO, from about 2.7% to about 3.3% BaO, from about 19.3% to about 20.7% Al 2 O 3 , from about 10.8% to about 11.8% SiO 2 , from about 0.7% to about 1.2% TiO 2 , from about 14.4% to about 15.6% ZrO 2 , from about 29.2% to about 31.3% P 2 O 5 , and from about 0.1% to about 5.2% Co 2 O 3 .
In a further aspect, the invention provides a composition adapted for forming an enamel coating, the enamel composition prior to firing, comprising: (i) a glass component including: from about 7% to about 25%, preferably about 10 to about 20%, more preferably about 12% to about 19% of at least one R 2 O; from about 0% to about 15%, preferably from about 3% to about 12%, more preferably from about 5% to about 11% of at least one RO; from about 5% to about 20%, preferably from about 8 to about 18%, more preferably from about 10% to about 17% of at least one MO 2 ; from about 8% to about 25%, preferably from about 10% to about 20%, more preferably from about 12% to about 19% of Al 2 O 3 ; from about 3% to about 25%, preferably from about 5% to about 20%, more preferably from about 7% to about 18% of SiO 2 ; from about 15% to about 40%, preferably from about 20% to about 35%, more preferably 22% to about 32% of P 2 O 5 ; and (ii) an effective amount of an additive; wherein R 2 O is an alkali oxide, RO is an alkaline earth oxide, and MO, MO 2 and M 2 O 3 are transition metal oxides.
In still a further aspect, the invention provides a method of forming an enamel coating on a substrate, the method comprising: providing a substrate; providing a composition comprising (i) a glass component and (ii) an effective amount of an additive, wherein the glass component includes from about from about 7% to about 25%, preferably about 10 to about 20%, more preferably about 12% to about 19% of at least one R 2 O; from about 0% to about 15%, preferably from about 3% to about 12%, more preferably from about 5% to about 11% of at least one RO; from about 5% to about 20%, preferably from about 8 to about 18%, more preferably from about 10% to about 17% of at least one MO 2 ; from about 8% to about 25%, preferably from about 10% to about 20%, more preferably from about 12% to about 19% of Al 2 O 3 ; from about 3% to about 25%, preferably from about 5% to about 20%, more preferably from about 7% to about 18% of SiO 2 ; from about 15% to about 40%, preferably from about 20% to about 35%, more preferably 22% to about 32% of P 2 O 5 ; and (ii) an effective amount of an additive; wherein R 2 O is an alkali oxide, RO is an alkaline earth oxide, and MO, MO 2 and M 2 O 3 are transition metal oxides; depositing a layer of the composition on the substrate; and firing the layer to thereby form an enamel coating on the substrate.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides an enamel coated substrate, the enamel coating having a composition prior to firing that comprises: (i) a glass component and (ii) an effective amount of at least one additive, wherein the glass component includes from about 7% to about 25% of at least one R 2 O; from about 0% to about 15% of at least one RO; from about 5% to about 20% of at least one MO 2 ; from about 8% to about 25% of Al 2 O 3 ; from about 3% to about 25% of SiO 2 ; from about 15% to about 40% of P 2 O 5 ; wherein R 2 O is an alkali oxide, RO is an alkaline earth oxide, and MO, MO 2 and M 2 O 3 are transition metal oxides.
As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
The present invention provides compositions for use in forming an enamel cover coating from which baked-on foods can be removed without the need for pyrolysis or highly alkaline cleaners. The enamel cover coating produced using the compositions according to the invention exhibits no chipping or other surface defects after cleaning and removal of baked-on foods. Coated substrates according to the invention exhibit excellent food removal characteristics and do not require pyrolysis or use of caustic cleaners. The present invention also provides compositions for use in forming ground coatings or “ground coats” on substrates, and which coatings are well suited for receiving the enamel cover coats described herein.
Enamel Compositions
The enamel compositions of the present invention are preferably provided in the form of a dry powder. This promotes storage and enables the composition to be applied to substrates by well known powder coating processes. However, the compositions can also be provided and applied in a wet state such as a water-based slurry.
The enamel compositions of the invention include a glass component and an effective amount of one or more additives such as fluorine and/or NO 2 . The glass component includes one or more oxides selected from the group consisting of P 2 O 5 , Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , SiO 2 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, BaO, TiO 2 , ZnO, Co 2 O 3 , NiO, Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , CuO, and combinations thereof. The compositions may also include one or more additional components such as but not limited to Li 2 O, Rb 2 O, Cs 2 O, MgO, CaO, SrO, ZnO, CeO 2 , LaO 2 , B 2 O 3 , FeO, Fe 2 O 3 , and Fe 3 O 4 .
The glass component of the enamel compositions preferably comprises a combination of one or more alkali oxides represented as R 2 O, one or more alkaline earth oxides represented as RO, and one or more various transition metal oxides represented herein as MO, MO 2 , and M 2 O 3 .
The formula R 2 O represents alkali oxides, preferably selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, and K 2 O. The formula RO represents alkaline earth oxides, preferably selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO.
The formulas MO, MO 2 , and M 2 O 3 represent transition metal oxides. MO includes ZnO, NiO, and CuO for example. MO 2 includes TiO 2 and ZrO 2 for example. And, M 2 O 3 includes Co 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 for example. It will be understood that M can be any transition metal as known in the art.
Preferably, the glass component of the enamel compositions comprises, prior to firing, from about 10.0% to about 20.0% and more preferably from about 14.1% to about 15.6% of one or more R 2 O; from about 2.7% to about 3.3% of one or more RO; from about 0.6% to about 2.8% of one or more MO; from about 15.1% to about 17.6% of one or more MO 2 ; from about 0.1% to about 6.3% of one or more M 2 O 3 ; from about 19.3% to about 20.7% of Al 2 O 3 ; from about 10.8% to about 11.8% of SiO 2 ; and from about 29.2% to about 31.3% of P 2 O 5 .
Preferably and more specifically, the enamel compositions prior to firing, comprise (i) a glass component that includes from about 7.1% to about 7.9% Na 2 O, from about 7.0% to about 7.7% K 2 O, from about 0.6% to about 1.0% ZnO, from about 2.7% to about 3.3% BaO, from about 19.3% to about 20.7% Al 2 O 3 , from about 10.8% to about 11.8% SiO 2 , from about 0.7% to about 1.2% TiO 2 , from about 14.4% to about 15.6% ZrO 2 , from about 29.2% to about 31.3% P 2 O 5 , and from about 0.1% to about 5.2% Co 2 O 3 , and (ii) an effective amount of at least one additive. The term “about” as used herein includes amounts or proportions of the noted component, agent, element or the like that are substantially the same as the noted amount. For example, the term “about” includes values that result when rounding (up or down) a noted weight percent to a value having a shorter decimal such as from a weight percent expressed in hundredths of a percent to the nearest tenth of a percent.
Typical, preferred and most preferred ranges for components in the glassy portion of the compositions are set forth below in Table 1 as follows (all values are in weight percent unless indicated otherwise).
TABLE 1
Glass Component Formulation Ranges
Component
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
Na 2 O
7.32-7.72
7.2-7.8
7.1-7.9
K 2 O
7.15-7.54
7.1-7.6
7.0-7.7
ZnO
0.77-0.83
0.7-0.9
0.6-1.0
BaO
2.92-3.12
2.8-3.2
2.7-3.3
Al 2 O 3
19.50-20.45
19.4-20.5
19.3-20.7
SiO 2
11.00-11.63
10.9-11.7
10.8-11.8
TiO 2
0.90-1.00
0.8-1.1
0.7-1.2
ZrO 2
14.60-15.41
14.5-15.5
14.4-15.6
P 2 O 5
29.50-31.25
29.4-31.3
29.2-31.4
NiO
0-0.93
0-1.0
0-1.1
CuO
0-0.51
0-0.6
0-0.7
Co 2 O 3
0.34-4.90
0.2-5.0
0.1-5.2
MnO 2
0-0.59
0-0.7
0-0.8
Cr 2 O 3
0-0.90
0-1.0
0-1.1
The present invention provides several preferred compositions set forth below in Table 2. These preferred compositions are designated as preferred compositions A, B, C, D, E, and F.
TABLE 2
Glass Component Preferred Compositions
Preferred
Preferred
Preferred
Component
Composition A
Composition B
Composition C
Na 2 O
7.62
7.61
7.70
K 2 O
7.44
7.44
7.52
ZnO
0.81
0.79
0.80
BaO
3.06
3.06
3.10
Al 2 O 3
20.25
20.21
20.43
SiO 2
11.50
11.49
11.61
TiO 2
0.96
0.97
0.98
ZrO 2
15.21
15.22
15.39
P 2 O 5
30.81
30.78
31.13
NiO
0.91
—
—
CuO
0.49
—
—
Co 2 O 3
0.36
1.55
0.46
M n O 2
0.57
—
—
Cr 2 O 3
—
0.88
0.44
Preferred
Preferred
Preferred
Component
Composition D
Composition E
Composition F
Na 2 O
7.35
7.39
7.73
K 2 O
7.17
7.21
7.55
ZnO
0.78
0.78
0.80
BaO
2.95
2.97
3.11
Al 2 O 3
19.52
19.62
20.52
SiO 2
11.09
11.15
11.66
TiO 2
0.93
0.93
0.98
ZrO 2
14.66
14.77
15.46
P 2 O 5
29.70
29.85
31.27
NiO
0.88
0.48
—
CuO
0.47
—
—
Co 2 O 3
0.35
4.85
0.89
M n O 2
0.55
—
—
Cr 2 O 3
—
—
—
In addition to the components set forth in Tables 1 and 2, it is also preferred to include an additive such as fluorine in an amount typically from about 0.78% to about 3.00%, preferably from about 0.88% to about 2.6%, and most preferably from about 0.91% to about 2.5% of the glass component. And, it is also preferred to include another additive such as NO 2 in an amount of typically from about 1.50% to about 4.71%, preferably from about 2.00% to about 4.61%, and most preferably from about 2.40% to about 4.56% of the glass component. These formulation ranges for the noted additives are set forth below in Table 3. Typically, after firing, about one-half of the fluorine remains in the resulting layer. Typically, all of the nitrogen dioxide is released or decomposed during firing.
TABLE 3
Additive Component Formulation Ranges
Component
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
F
0.91-2.5
0.88-2.6
0.78-3.0
NO 2
2.40-4.56
2.00-4.61
1.50-4.71
In alternate embodiments of the invention, Preferred compositions G, H and J are provided.
TABLE 4
Formulation G.
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
Component
Range G
Range G
Range G
Na 2 O
14.01-14.53
13.69-14.61
13.4-14.8
Al 2 O 3
12.95-13.45
12.72-13.59
12.6-13.8
SiO 2
18.65-19.35
18.42-19.66
18.2-19.9
P 2 O 5
23.11-23.79
22.87-24.07
22.4-24.2
SO3
0.01-0.25
0.01-0.50
0.01-0.8
K 2 O
6.27-6.93
6.02-7.15
5.7-7.4
CaO
0.48-0.91
0.37-1.03
0.2-1.20
TiO 2
3.58-4.01
3.37-4.23
3.2-4.5
Cr 2 O 3
0.64-0.98
0.55-1.09
0.4-1.3
MnO
0.05-0.39
0.01-0.54
0.01-0.70
Fe 2 O 3
1.48-1.94
1.25-2.12
1.1-2.3
Co 3 O 4
0.01-0.15
0.01-0.25
0.01-0.4
NiO
0.05-0.35
0.01-0.51
0.01-0.7
CuO
0.07-0.20
0.01-0.25
0.01-0.3
SrO
0.01-0.10
0.01-0.20
0.01-0.3
Y 2 O 3
0.03-0.15
0.01-0.21
0.01-0.4
ZrO 2
11.10-11.59
9.87-11.82
9.5-12.0
BaO
2.01-2.59
1.87-2.77
1.6-2.9
F
1.27-1.76
1.14-1.85
0.8-2.0
TABLE 5
Formulation H.
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
Component
Range H
Range H
Range H
Na 2 O
12.49-13.31
12.33-13.55
12.1-13.7
MgO
0.01-0.10
0.01-0.20
0.01-0.3
SiO 2
57.43-58.29
57.17-58.37
56.8-58.7
P 2 O 5
0.05-0.20
0.01-0.25
0.01-0.4
K 2 O
4.44-4.93
4.29-5.11
4.1-5.2
CaO
2.61-2.99
2.37-3.20
2.1-3.4
TiO 2
3.02-3.47
2.88-3.59
2.7-3.7
Cr 2 O 3
0.39-0.82
0.30-0.95
0.2-1.0
MnO
4.12-4.71
3.91-4.92
3.6-5.0
Fe 2 O 3
4.04-4.67
3.87-4.77
3.7-4.9
Co 3 O 4
1.14-1.63
0.95-1.75
0.8-1.9
NiO
0.05-0.15
0.02-0.27
0.01-0.4
CuO
1.44-1.95
1.25-2.08
1.1-2.3
SrO
0.01-0.10
0.01-0.20
0.01-0.3
ZrO 2
0.49-0.88
0.37-0.97
0.2-1.1
MoO 3
0.23-0.77
0.15-0.87
0.1-1.0
Sb 2 O 3
0.62-0.97
0.55-1.16
0.4-1.4
BaO
1.98-2.37
1.62-2.55
1.5-2.7
F
0.95-1.29
0.82-1.44
0.6-1.7
TABLE 6
Formulation J.
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
Component
Range J
Range J
Range J
Na 2 O
12.24-12.89
11.94-13.14
11.73-13.31
MgO
0.02-0.15
0.01-0.20
0.01-0.32
Al 2 O 3
17.29-17.91
16.75-18.12
16.47-18.39
SiO 2
18.57-19.37
18.12-19.66
17.77-20.04
P 2 O 5
20.58-21.22
20.45-21.39
20.32-21.48
SO3
0.01-0.15
0.01-0.27
0.01-0.40
K 2 O
5.26-5.69
4.92-5.81
4.70-6.08
CaO
0.48-0.91
0.35-0.98
0.27-1.05
TiO 2
4.21-4.63
3.97-4.89
3.51-5.14
Cr 2 O 3
2.42-2.79
2.29-2.97
2.05-3.22
MnO
0.21-0.51
0.10-0.75
0.01-0.98
Fe 2 O 3
0.82-1.41
0.69-1.58
0.55-1.75
Co 3 O 4
0.01-0.15
0.01-0.27
0.01-0.41
NiO
0.05-0.27
0.01-0.35
0.01-0.48
CuO
1.37-1.88
1.25-2.02
1.11-2.35
SrO
0.01-0.11
0.01-0.22
0.01-0.31
Y 2 O 3
0.01-0.15
0.01-0.21
0.01-0.32
ZrO 2
9.15-9.58
8.85-9.72
8.61-10.00
BaO
1.51-1.99
1.40-2.27
1.32-2.46
F
1.11-1.64
0.85-1.62
0.75-1.88
TABLE 7
Formulation K.
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
Component
Range K
Range K
Range K
P 2 O 5
27.57-27.98
27.39-28.18
27.2-28.4
Al 2 O 3
20.97-21.39
20.75-21.59
20.6-21.8
R 2 O
15.08-15.61
14.91-15.78
14.8-16.0
B 2 O 3
0.21-0.73
0.12-0.91
0.01-1.00
RO + ZnO
3.47-4.01
3.21-4.32
3.0-4.6
TiO 2 + ZrO 2
15.44-15.92
15.17-16.21
15.0-16.5
SiO 2
12.19-12.91
11.92-13.14
11.7-13.4
TABLE 8
Formulation L.
Most Preferred
Component
Range L
Preferred Range L
Typical Range L
P 2 O 5
26.87-27.42
26.69-27.71
26.4-28.1
Al 2 O 3
20.27-20.89
20.02-21.12
19.8-21.4
R 2 O
17.79-18.38
17.42-18.51
17.0-18.8
B 2 O 3
1.89-2.38
1.61-2.77
1.4-2.9
RO + ZnO
3.17-3.84
3.01-4.12
2.8-4.3
TiO 2 + ZrO 2
13.02-13.65
12.77-13.84
12.5-14.0
SiO 2
11.38-11.89
11.15-12.29
10.9-12.6
TABLE 9
Formulation M.
Most Preferred
Component
Range M
Preferred Range M
Typical Range M
P 2 O 5
19.77-20.42
19.51-20.68
19.3-20.9
Al 2 O 3
14.92-15.69
14.71-15.93
14.2-16.2
R 2 O
18.37-19.21
18.22-19.55
17.9-19.8
B 2 O 3
5.47-6.18
5.28-6.47
5.1-6.8
RO + ZnO
3.07-3.34
2.88-3.68
2.6-3.8
TiO 2 + ZrO 2
11.74-12.33
11.52-12.81
11.2-13.1
SiO 2
19.50-20.12
11.15-12.29
10.9-12.6
The glass frits comprising the glass component of the compositions according to the invention are preferably milled prior to application. Any of the conventional milling techniques can be employed. Milling fineness is not critical, but a fineness of about 2 grams being retained from a 50 gram sample using a 200 mesh sieve is presently considered optimal. Other particle size distributions may also be utilized. After milling, it may be desired to subject the milled composition to a post heat treatment such as exposure to temperatures of about 200° F. (93° C.) for about 18 hours. More broadly, the heat treatment may be undertaken after firing, and may be carried out at 70° F. to 500° F. (25° C. to 260° C.) for 1 to 50 hours, preferably 2 to 25 hours.
It will be appreciated that the compositions according to the invention can further comprise up to about 20% by weight of one or more mill additions. Suitable mill additions include, for example, clay, bentonite, magnesium carbonate, potassium nitrate, sodium aluminate, boric acid, and pigments. Inorganic materials, such as zirconia, alumina, alumina metaphosphate, spodumene, and feldspar, can also be added to the composition in order to modify the texture and/or to adjust the roughness of the fired enamel.
The compositions according to the invention are intended for use as a cover coating. The compositions can be applied like any of the known cover coat enamels for use on sheet steel. For example, the compositions can be applied directly onto pickled, nickel-coated steel. The compositions can be applied onto aluminum substrates. The compositions can be applied over fired enamel ground coated substrates using known two-coat/two-fire processes. And, the compositions can be applied over unfired ground coats using any of the known two-coat/one-fire processes (e.g., wet/wet, wet/dry, and dry/dry).
Ground Coat Compositions
The present invention also provides various ground coat compositions. These ground coat compositions generally comprise a glassy component and an additive component. These ground coat compositions have been discovered to be particularly well suited for use with the enamel compositions described herein. Moreover, it is also contemplated that the various ground coat compositions can be used in conjunction with one or more other top coat or cover coat formulations.
The glass component of the ground coat compositions preferably comprises a combination of one or more alkali oxides represented as R 2 O, one or more alkaline earth oxides represented as RO, and one or more various transition metal oxides represented herein as MO, MO 2 , and M 2 O 3 .
The formula R 2 O represents alkali oxides, preferably selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Na 2 O, and K 2 O. The formula RO represents alkaline earth oxides, preferably selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO.
The formulas MO, MO 2 , and M 2 O 3 represent transition metal oxides. MO includes NiO, CuO, and Fe 2 O 3 for example. MO 2 includes TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , and MnO 2 for example. And, M 2 O 3 includes Co 2 O 3 for example. It will be appreciated that M can be any transition metal as known in the art.
Preferably, the glass component of the ground coat compositions comprises, prior to firing, from about 14.4% to about 18.4% of one or more R 2 O; from about 8.5% to about 11.7% of one or more RO; from about 2.5% to about 5.3% of one or more MO; from about 4.0% to about 9.2% of one or more MO 2 ; from about 0.4% to about 1.4% of one or more M 2 O 3 ; from about 16.0% to about 17.2% of B 2 O 2 ; from about 2.0% to about 5.0% of Al 2 O 3 ; and from about 41.8% to about 46.2% of SiO 2 .
Table 4 set forth below lists various preferred ground coat formulations along with corresponding typical, preferred, and most preferred concentration ranges for their constituents. Table 5 presents several preferred ground coat compositions, designated herein as compositions V, W, X, Y, and Z.
In addition to the components set forth in Tables 4 and 5, it is also preferred to include an additive such as fluorine in an amount of from about 6.7% to about 9.0%, preferably from about 6.9% to about 8.8%, and most preferably from about 7.1% to about 8.6%. And, it is preferred to use another additive such as NO 2 in an amount typically from about 2.3% to about 3.3%, preferably from about 2.5% to about 3.1%, and most preferably from about 2.7% to about 2.9%. These formulation ranges are noted in Table 12.
TABLE 10
Ground Coat Formulation Ranges
Component
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
Li 2 O
2.9-3.2
2.7-3.4
2.5-3.6
Na 2 O
11.4-12.3
11.2-12.5
11.0-12.7
K 2 O
1.3-1.7
1.1-1.9
0.9-2.1
CaO
5.8-6.4
5.6-6.6
5.4-6.8
BaO
3.5-4.5
3.3-4.7
3.1-4.9
B 2 O 3
16.4-16.8
16.2-17.0
16.0-17.2
Al 2 O 3
2.4-4.6
2.2-4.8
2.0-5.0
SiO 2
42.4-45.6
42.0-46.0
41.8-46.2
TiO 2
0-1.2
0-1.4
0-1.6
ZrO 2
3.4-5.9
3.2-6.1
3.0-6.3
NiO
2.6-2.8
2.4-3.0
2.2-3.2
CuO
0.7-0.8
0.5-1.0
0.3-1.2
Fe 2 O 3
0.2-0.5
0.1-0.7
0.05-0.9
Co 2 O 3
0.8-1.0
0.6-1.2
0.4-1.4
MnO 2
1.4-1.9
1.2-1.1
1.0-1.3
TABLE 11
Ground Coat Preferred Compositions
Preferred
Preferred
Preferred
Preferred
Preferred
Com-
Com-
Com-
Com-
Com-
Com-
ponent
position V
position W
position X
position Y
position Z
Li 2 O
3.14
3.14
3.14
3.14
2.93
Na 2 O
11.43
11.43
11.43
11.43
12.23
K 2 O
1.64
1.64
1.64
1.64
1.31
CaO
6.40
6.40
6.40
6.40
5.83
BaO
4.48
4.48
4.48
4.48
3.59
B 2 O 3
16.45
16.45
16.45
16.45
16.72
Al 2 O 3
3.10
4.50
3.10
3.10
2.48
SiO 2
42.44
42.44
42.44
45.50
44.49
TiO 2
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.17
ZrO 2
4.35
4.35
5.80
4.35
3.48
NiO
2.72
2.72
2.72
2.72
2.70
CuO
0.74
0.74
0.74
0.74
0.72
Fe 2 O 3
0.29
0.29
0.29
0.29
0.47
Co 2 O 3
0.96
0.96
0.96
0.96
0.81
MnO 2
1.84
1.84
1.84
1.84
1.47
TABLE 12
Additive Component Formulation Ranges
Component
Most Preferred
Preferred
Typical
NO 2
2.7-2.9
2.5-3.1
2.3-3.3
F
7.1-8.6
6.9-8.8
6.7-9.0
Methods
The enamel compositions according to the present invention can be applied by any of the known wet application processes such as spraying, dipping, flow coating, and electrodeposition. Preferably, the compositions are dried prior to firing when the compositions are applied using a wet application process. Drying is typically accomplished using heating lamps. The drying time and temperature are not critical. The application rate of the compositions by wet application processes will vary depending upon the desired thickness of the resulting fired enamel cover coat. For example, a fired enamel cover coat having a thickness of about 140 Φm can be obtained when the application rate of the wet enamel composition is about 400 g/m 2 .
The enamel compositions can also be applied using conventional dry electrostatic application processes. In such instances, an organopolysiloxane is typically added to the compositions to facilitate electrostatic application. The application rate of the compositions by dry electrostatic processes will vary widely according to the desired thickness of the resultant enamel cover coat. Typical application rates are from about 200 g/m 2 to about 600 g/m 2 . In other terms, the organopolysiloxane may be added to the pre-fired enamel composition of the invention in an amount of 0.01-1 wt %, preferably 0.02-0.5 wt %, more preferably 0.03-0.4 wt % and still more preferably 0.05-0.25 wt %.
The enamel compositions according to the present invention are typically fired at a temperature of from about 1420 to about 1600° F. (770° C. to about 870° C.) for about 2 to about 8 minutes. More preferably, the compositions are fired at a temperature of from about 800° C. to about 850° C. for about 3 to about 6 minutes. The optimal firing conditions are 820° C. for about 3.5 minutes. It will be appreciated that firing times and temperatures are not critical, and a range of firing schedules could be used.
Upon firing, the enamel compositions according to the present invention form an enamel cover coat from which baked-on foods can be removed without the need for pyrolysis or highly alkaline cleaners. The enamel compositions according to the invention are particularly well-suited for application on the interior surfaces of oven cavities, dripping pans, cookware, and other articles that are exposed to the risk of baked-on food soiling. The compositions are also expected to find wide application in microwave ovens. The fired enamel cover coats can be produced in a wide range of colors, including bright colors such as blue and green, by varying the pigments included as mill additions.
Mill added oxide (i.e., pigments) can also be added, for example, a cobalt chrome spinel black. This also reduces the L color value of the fired color. However, excessive added oxide results in spray problems with the enamels of the invention, which are dry applied electrostatically.
Pigments may be included in the pre-fired composition of the invention in an amount of 0.01-2 wt %, preferably 0.1-1.5 wt %, more preferably 0.25-1.25 wt %, still more preferably 0.5-1 wt % and most preferably about 1 wt %.
The fired cover coat enamels according to the invention are scratch resistant, stain resistant, and maintain their easy-to-clean properties over many heating cycles. In addition, baked-on food can be easily removed from the fired cover coat enamels without the need for high temperature heating cycles or highly alkaline chemical cleaners. Most baked-on foods can be removed from the fired enamel cover coats using warm water. In a particularly preferred cleaning technique, surfaces in accordance with the invention having baked-on food residue are exposed to warm water vapor, such as having a temperature of at least 150° F. (66° C.), and most preferably steam having a temperature of about 212° F. (100° C.) for at least about 3 minutes, more preferably at least about 5 minutes, and more preferably at least about 10 minutes. Such surfaces can also be exposed to liquid water which is preferably warm and more preferably at the noted temperatures for the noted time periods. After such exposure, the food or food residue can be easily cleaned off the surface. As noted, the cleaning efforts do not require the use of harsh or caustic cleaning agents or exposure to much greater temperatures such as associated with pyrolysis.
The ground coat compositions according to the present invention can be applied by any of the known wet application processes such as spraying, dipping, flow coating, and electrodeposition. Preferably, the compositions are dried prior to firing when the compositions are applied using a wet application process. Drying is typically accomplished using forced convection or forced air. The drying time and temperature are not critical. The application rate of the compositions by wet application processes will vary depending upon the desired thickness of the resulting fired enamel cover coat.
The ground coat compositions can also be applied using conventional dry electrostatic application processes. In such instances, one or more agents are typically added to the compositions to facilitate electrostatic application. The application rate of the compositions by dry electrostatic processes will vary widely according to the desired thickness of the resultant ground coat.
The ground coat compositions according to the present invention are typically fired according to practices known in the art. It will be appreciated that firing times and temperatures are not critical, and a range of firing schedules could be used.
In accordance with the invention, multilayer coated substrates are provided. In a preferred embodiment, a substrate receives a ground coat as described herein and then also receives an enamel cover coat as described herein. The ground coat is preferably disposed between and in contact with the substrate and the enamel cover coat. However, it will be appreciated that the invention includes a wide array of other configurations.
When utilized in conjunction with one another, the ground coat and the enamel cover coat can be applied, dried, and fired in a variety of different strategies. For example, a ground coat and an enamel cover coat can be applied via a two-coat/two-fire dry process in which a dry ground coat is applied and then fired, followed by application of a dry enamel cover coat to the fired ground coat. The enamel cover coat is then fired. A two-coat/one-fire dry process can be used in which a dry ground coat is applied and then a dry enamel cover coat is applied onto the unfired ground coat. The two layers are then collectively fired. Another method involves a two-coat/two-fire wet/wet process in which a wet ground coat is applied, dried, and then fired. A wet enamel cover coat is then applied onto the fired ground coat, dried, and then fired. Yet another process is referred to as a two-coat/one-fire wet/dry process involving application of a wet ground coat, drying and then application of a dry enamel cover coat on the dried ground coat. The resulting layers are then collectively fired. In still another technique, referred to as a two-coat/one-fire wet/wet process, a wet ground coat is applied followed by application of a wet enamel coat onto the undried ground coat. A single firing is performed.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Two-Coat/Two-Fire Application
Glass frit according to the preferred composition C from Table 2 was milled into an electrostatic powder composition as shown in Table 7. This powder is designated as “Powder Enamel 1.”
TABLE 7
Powder Enamel 1 Powder Formulation
Raw Material
Powder Enamel 1
Frit C
99.5
Spinel Black Oxide
1.0
Siloxane
0.18
Fineness
1-2%/200 M Sieve
Screening
100 mesh
Post Milling Heat Treatment
200° F. (93° C.) for 18 hours
Powder Enamel 1 was applied to a steel substrate as follows. First, 33 to 40 g/ft 2 (355 to 430 g/m 2 ) of electrostatic ground coat was applied over cleaned-only ASTM A424-compliant enameling grade steel. Electrostatic ground coats suitable for pyrolytic self-cleaning ovens are preferred, but any ground coat that creates adhesion on steel could be used. If a pyrolytic self-cleaning ground coat is used, such coating is fired at about 1560° F. (850° C.) for 90 seconds at peak metal temperature. The ground coat was allowed to cool, and Powder Enamel 1 was applied at a coating density of about 34 to 40 g/ft 2 (366 to 430 g/m 2 ) and fired at about 1560° F. (850° C.) for 90 seconds at peak metal temperature.
Test plates were prepared by a two-coat/two-fire dry electrostatic process. About 34 to 40 g/ft 2 (366 to 430 g/m 2 ) of flecked blue pyrolytic ground coat were applied electrostatically to 5.5 inch by 5.5 inch (14 cm by 14 cm) cleaned Type 1 enameling steel plates. The ground coat was fired at 1560° F. (850° C.) for 4.0 minutes in the hot zone in an electric continuous furnace. Powder Enamel 1 was applied at a coating density of 33 to 47 g/ft 2 (355 to 506 g/m 2 ) and fired at 1560° F. (850° C.) for 4.0 minutes. Powder Enamel 1 fired out into a smooth glossy gray finish free from defects. The Lab color measured on a Datacolor International Spectraflash SF450 color machine was L=25.7, a=−0.8, and b=−2.5. The dark gray color can be measured in other color spaces as well. The CIELab color was L*=37.8, a*=0.8, and b*=−2.6.
It will be noted that although flecked blue pyrolytic ground coats were prepared, in many applications it may be preferred to prepare and/or provide a flecked gray pyrolytic ground coat.
Cleanability was tested against a reference standard self-cleaning pyrolytic standard, preferably the ground coat used for the water-clean enamel.
Six foodstuffs to be tested were prepared as follows:
1. AHAM mixture 2. Cherry pie filling 3. Lemon juice 4. Beef gravy 5. Ketchup 6. Egg whites (or egg beaters)
The recipe for AHAM is shown in Table 8.
TABLE 8
AHAM Mixture Recipe
AHAM Mixture
U.S.
Metric
75% Lean ground beef
4
oz.
113
g
Grated cheddar cheese
½
cup
119
mL
Whole milk
½
cup
119
mL
Granulated white sugar
½
cup
119
mL
Canned sour pie cherries
½
cup
119
mL
Dry, uncooked instant tapioca pudding mix
2
tbsp.
30
mL
Large raw egg
1
1
All-purpose flour
2
tbsp.
30
mL
Tomato juice
½
cup
119
mL
First, the panels were placed in a conventional free-standing electric range that was then preheated to 450° F. (232° C.). Second, the oven was turned off, and 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of each of the noted foodstuffs was applied to the panels. Next, the soils were baked-on at 450° F. (232° C.) for 1 hour.
The oven was allowed to cool for 15 minutes. A traditional pyrolytic enamel was soiled as a reference sample. To rate the cleanability of the coatings, the soiled panels were placed in an enameled broiler pan. To the broiler pan was added 3 to 4 cups (700 to 1000 ml) of water. The broiler pan with water and the soiled panels were then heated in the oven at 250° F. (121° C.) for 30 minutes and allowed to cool for 30 minutes.
Using a Scotch-Brite scouring sponge, it was first attempted to remove all the soils with a light rub. After evaluating and recording, the attempt was changed to a hard rub to finalize scoring. Each soil received a score according to the rating system shown in Table 9 set forth below.
TABLE 9
Rating System Per Soil
Force and Residue
Score
Light Rub Full Cleaning
5
Light Rub Some Residue
4
Hard Rub Full Cleaning
3
Hard Rub Some Residue
2
Ingredients Can't Be Removed
1
The score for each soil was summed and the totals were assigned ratings according to the criteria in Table 10.
TABLE 10
Cleanability Ratings
Cleanability Score
Class
25-30
A
20-24
B
15-19
C
10-14
D
0-9
E
Using this testing method, Powder Enamel 1 exhibited the cleanability characteristics shown in Table 11.
TABLE 11
Cleanability of Powder Enamel 1
Applied With a Two-Coat/Two-Fire Process
Powder
Soil
Pyrolytic
Enamel 1
AHAM
0
5
Cherry Pie Filling
0
4
Lemon Juice
5
5
Beef Gravy
1
5
Ketchup
1
4
Egg Whites or Egg Beaters
1
5
Total Score
8
28
Rating
E
A
As evident from the data in Table 11, a coating prepared from a two-coat/two-fire application of Powder Enamel 1 exhibited significantly better cleanability characteristics as compared to a standard self-cleaning pyrolytic coating.
Example 2
Two-Coat/One-Fire Application
Test plates were prepared by a two-coat/one-fire dry electrostatic process. A base coat was applied at a coating density of about 5 to about 7 g/ft 2 (54 to 75 g/m 2 ) followed by an application of Powder Enamel 1 at a coating density of 33 to 47 g/ft 2 (355 to 506 g/m 2 ). Test plates were fired at 1560° F. (850° C.) for 4.0 minutes.
The cleanability was tested using the procedure described in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 12.
TABLE 12
Cleanability of Powder Enamel 1
Applied With a Two-Coat/One-Fire Process
Powder
Soil
Pyrolytic
Enamel 1
AHAM
0
5
Cherry Pie Filling
0
4
Lemon Juice
5
5
Beef Gravy
1
5
Ketchup
1
4
Egg Whites or Egg Beaters
1
5
Total Score
8
28
Rating
E
A
As evident from Table 12, a coating prepared from a two-coat/one-fire application of Powder Enamel 1 exhibited significantly better cleanability characteristics as compared to the noted self-cleaning pyrolytic coating.
Example 3
Color
This is an example of a frit formulation for forming a blue version of the coating. Glass frit according to preferred composition E from Table 2 was milled into electrostatic powder composition using the formula shown in Table 13. This powder is designated as “Powder Enamel 2.”
TABLE 13
Powder Enamel 2 Powder Formulation
Raw Material
Powder Enamel 2
Frit E
99.5
Cobalt Aluminate Blue Oxide
0.25
Siloxane
0.18
Fineness
1-2%/200 M Sieve
Screening
100 mesh
Post Milling Heat Treatment
200° F. (93° C.) for 18 hours
Test plates were prepared by a two-coat/two-fire dry electrostatic process. About 34 to 40 g/ft 2 (366 to 430 g/m 2 ) of flecked blue pyrolytic ground coat were applied electrostatically to 5.5 inch by 5.5 inch (14 cm by 14 cm) cleaned Type 1 enameling steel plates. The ground coat was fired at 1560° F. (850° C.) for 4.0 minutes in the hot zone in an electric continuous furnace. Powder Enamel 2 was applied at a coating density of 33 to 47 g/ft 2 (355 to 506 g/m 2 ) and fired at 1560° F. (850° C.) for 4.0 minutes. Powder Enamel 2 fired out into a smooth glossy gray finish free from defects.
The cleanability was tested using the procedure described in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 14.
TABLE 14
Cleanability of Powder Enamel 2
Applied With a Two-Coat/Two-Fire Process
Powder
Soil
Pyrolytic
Enamel 2
AHAM
0
5
Cherry Pie Filling
0
4
Lemon Juice
5
5
Beef Gravy
1
5
Ketchup
1
4
Egg Whites or Egg Beaters
1
5
Total Score
8
28
Rating
E
A
As evident from the data in Table 14, a coating prepared from a two-coat/two-fire application of Powder Enamel 2 exhibited significantly better cleanability characteristics as compared to a standard self-cleaning pyrolytic coating.
Example 4
Two-Coat/Two-Fire, Wet/Wet
Preferred glass composition C from Table 2 can also be ground with conventional additives known to the industry for wet spray, dip, or flow coat application. Frit C was milled into a slurry according to the formula shown in Table 15 (values in parts by weight). This slurry is designated as Enamel 3. This is a recipe typically used for flow coating or dipping enamels, and other combinations of enamel raw materials could also be used.
TABLE 15
Slurry Formulation
Raw Material
Slurry Enamel 3
Frit C
100
Spinel Black Oxide
1
Ball Clay
4
Aluminum Oxide
4
Aluminum Phosphate
2
Bentonite
0.45
Magnesium Carbonate
0.4
Potassium Carbonate
0.35
Sodium Aluminate
0.031
Potassium Nitrite
0.15
Gum Arabic
0.01
Seqlene
0.018
Water
47
The slurry was applied at a coating density of 33 to 47 g/ft 2 (355 to 506 g/m 2 ) to a previously wet-applied and fired ground coated steel and fired at 1560° F. (850° C.) for 4.0 minutes. The enamel slurry fired out into a smooth glossy gray finish free from defects.
The cleanability of the resulting enamel coating was tested using the procedure described in Example 1. Results are shown in Table 16.
TABLE 16
Cleanability of Enamel 3
Applied Wet With a Two-Coat/Two-Fire Process
Soil
Pyrolytic
Enamel 3
AHAM
0
5
Cherry Pie Filling
0
3
Lemon Juice
5
5
Beef Gravy
1
4
Ketchup
1
3
Egg Whites or Egg Beaters
1
5
Total Score
8
25
Rating
E
A
As evident from the data in Table 16, a coating prepared from a wet version of Enamel 3 exhibited significantly better cleanability characteristics as compared to a standard self-cleaning pyrolytic coating.
Example 5
Two-Coat/One-Fire, Wet/Dry
A coated substrate could be formed by appropriately applying a wet ground coat composition as described herein. The ground coat would then be subjected to a drying operation. After sufficient drying, a dry enamel composition is then applied onto the dried and un-fired ground coat. The dry enamel composition can be applied in a variety of different fashions, including for example by powder coat techniques. After application of the enamel composition, the multilayer laminate is then subjected to a firing operation to collectively fire the ground coat and the enamel coat.
Example 6
Two-Coat/One-Fire, Wet/Wet
Using this method, a coated substrate could be formed by appropriately applying a wet ground coat composition onto a substrate. Prior to drying of the ground coat, a wet enamel composition is applied thereon. The resulting layered assembly is then subjected to firing conditions whereby the ground coat and the enamel coat are both collectively fired.
Many other benefits will no doubt become apparent from future application and development of this technology.
All patents, published applications, and articles noted herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
It will be understood that any one or more feature or component of one embodiment described herein can be combined with one or more other features or components of another embodiment. Thus, the present invention includes any and all combinations of components or features of the embodiments described herein.
As described hereinabove, the present invention solves many problems associated with previous type compositions, methods, and coatings. However, it will be appreciated that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.
|
A composition that upon firing, forms a low-temperature clean enamel layer is disclosed. The composition can be applied to a metal substrate to provide a low-temperature cleaning, durable coating for cooking surfaces. Also disclosed are methods of forming enamel layers and corresponding coated substrates. Various ground coats and related methods are also described. Furthermore, various multilayer coatings and structures are disclosed that include an enamel layer and a ground coat layer.
| 2
|
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to echo cancellers for telephones and conferencing terminals and more particularly to a method of controlling echo cancellation in a double talk environment.
BACKGROUND
In a telephone system it is known that incoming signals at the receiver of the terminal are frequently detected by the same terminal's microphone and, if not cancelled, the signal are re-transmitted on the transmit path to a far-end user. Such signals are known as echo signals and can be extremely annoying to telephone users.
Known echo cancellation processes rely on a process involving a Normalized Least-Mean Square (NLMS) algorithm. This algorithm is effective against echo signals that occur when the near-end user is not speaking. There are, of course occasions when the near-end user will choose to talk at the same time as the far-end user. This situation wherein the parties on opposite ends of the telephone line are talking at the same time is known as double-talk. During double-talk, the aforementioned NLMS algorithm tends to become unstable. In order to overcome this instability the known echo canceller products stop or at least slow down the adaptation process as soon as a double-talk condition is detected. However, this scheme cannot prevent the adaptive weights from diverging in the time interval immediately before the double-talk condition has been detected. In a situation where the double-talk is so weak that the double-talk detector cannot detect it, the divergence of the NLMS algorithm becomes even more serious. Also, if the echo path changes during the double talk condition (which is often the case for the acoustic hands free telephone), the NLMS algorithm cannot make the necessary adjustment because the adaptation is frozen.
As previously discussed an echo in a telephone environment is the phenomenon in which a delayed and distorted version of an original signal is reflected back to the source. In the telephone system, this echo causes impairment on the fidelity of the speech signals and is often detrimental to the users. The purpose of the echo canceller is to estimate the echo path relative to the reference signal, reproduce the echo replica and subtract it from the input signal (see FIG. 1 ).
Currently, the most commonly used echo cancellation algorithm is the NLMS algorithm, which is described as follows: Let r(n) be the far-end speech and s(n) be the near-end speech at the microphone input. The echo signal se (n) can be modeled as:
s e ( n )= h ( n )* r ( n ) (1)
where h(n) is the unknown echo path, * is the linear convolution operator.
The microphone input signal is
s in ( n )= s e ( n )+ s ( n )+ v ( n ) (2)
where v(n) is the background noise. To eliminate the echo signal s e (n), the typical NLMS algorithm first estimates the echo path ĥ(n) with the reference signal r(n) and s in (n), and subtracts the echo replica ĥ(n)*r(n) from s in (n) to cancel the echo. With the NLMS algorithm it is possible to estimate ĥ(n) recursively such that at time m: h ^ ( n ) = h ^ ( n ) + μ e ( m ) r ( m - n ) E r , n = 0 , 1 , … , N - 1 ( 3 )
where N is the length of ĥ(n), and 0<μ<2 is the step size which controls the convergence rate of the NLMS algorithm and its final residual error:
e ( n )= s in ( n )− h ( n )* r ( n )
E r is the energy of the reference signal: E r = ∑ n = 0 N - 1 r 2 ( m - n ) ( 4 )
The advantages of the NLMS algorithm are that it is simple and easily implemented. When s(n) is absent, ĥ(n) converges to the true echo path h(n). However, when s(n) is present, i.e., when a double-talk situation occurs, the NLMS algorithm will become unstable and quickly diverge from its original state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A new double-talk insensitive algorithm known herein as a double-talk normalized least mean square (DNLMS) algorithm is developed in this invention. During a double-talk condition, the DNLMS algorithm can not only stabilize its weights but also track echo path variations.
According to this invention, the NLMS algorithm is modified so that it will be stabilized during the double-talk environment. The new DNLMS algorithm is one in which the convergence rate μ is adaptively adjusted based on the double-talk condition, i.e., the power difference between s in (n) and r(n). Unlike most telephone echo cancellers where a double-talk detector is added and the adaptation is stopped as soon as a double-talk is detected, the DNLMS algorithm continues to track the echo path change during double-talk, and its cost to implement is even lower than a simple double-talk detector.
Therefore in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided in a telephone system having a receive path for receiving signals from a far end user and a transmit path for transmitting near end signals to a far end user, a method of controlling an acoustical echo canceller to cancel echo components based on the far end signal from the near end signal in a double talk condition, the method comprising: generating a replica echo signal based on the far end signal and an estimated echo path length; and controllably canceling the replica echo signal from the near end signal using an adaptively adjusted convergence rate.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of controlling an acoustical echo canceller in a telephone system to cancel echo signals from near end signals in a double talk condition, the method comprising the steps of: measuring the relative strengths of the echo signal and the near end signal; canceling the echo signal by controlling convergence rate; and adaptively adjusting the convergence rate based on the relative strengths of said echo signals and said near end signals.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided in a telephone network having a receive path for receiving signals from a far end user and a transmit path for transmitting near end signals to a far end user, an acoustical echo canceller for canceling echo components of the far end signal from the near end signal in a double talk condition, the echo canceller comprising: means to calculate the relative strengths of the echo components and the near end signal; convergence means to converge the echo components; and means to adaptively adjust the convergence rate based on the relative strengths of the echo components and the near end signal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in greater detail having reference to the attached drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates an echo generation model in a telephone network;
FIG. 2 illustrates the echo replica generation block according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows adaptation step size (μ) as a function of near end signal strength with fixed far end signal strength; and
FIG. 4 illustrates graphically the relationship between step size (μ) and relative strengths of near and far end signals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned double-talk situation most echo canceller products include a double-talk detector. When a double-talk condition is detected, the adaptation procedure is stopped and all the estimated echo weights are frozen until the double-talk condition is released. As for the double-talk detector, it uses either an energy calculation or a correlation calculation. However, because of the strong correlation in speech signals known double talk detectors have difficulty distinguishing between double-talk and echo path changes. Also, almost all double-talk detectors require an averaging time. Before a double-talk is detected, the double-talk signal may have already caused the NLMS algorithm to diverge somewhat. The problem is even worse when the far-end speech starts to quiet down. Under such circumstances, the energy level of the far-end speech (E r ) is very small and the residual error signal e(n) is very large, and a big misadjustment is made in the echo path estimation of Eq. (3) before the double-talk is detected. Small undetectable double-talk levels may also cause the divergence of the adaptive filter.
Some other algorithms suggest the use of two sets of adaptive filters to distinguish the double-talk and the echo path changes. However, the cost is dramatically increased especially when the echo path is long.
In a hands-free telephone terminal, the echo environment keeps changing because of the movement of speakers and the change of the acoustic environment. If the estimated echo weights are frozen during the double-talk, all weights must go through a reconverge procedure after the double-talk is released. Therefore, an algorithm is required whereby not only are the adaptive weights kept stable during the double-talk but changes in the echo path are tracked.
In the NLMS algorithm, μ is the key factor which controls the convergence rate and the final echo residual error. It is known that in order to guarantee the convergence of the NLMS algorithm, μ is typically in the range of 0 to 2. With a large A, there is a fast convergence rate for NLMS but the final residual error will be large. When the near-end speech is present, the adaptive weights start to diverge. This is the reason why a divergence is observed during a double-talk situation. The divergence problem becomes even more serious when the near-end signal and the far-end signal are highly correlated, (which typically is the case for speech signals). With a small μ, we have a small residual error and if the near-end signal and the far-end signal are uncorrelated in a large time window, the NLMS may still converge to its correct weights. However, the initial convergence rate is very slow with a small μ, and if the convergence is too slow, the NLMS may never converge in an acoustical environment where the environment noise is high and the echo path keeps changing. It is required that the convergence rate is at least faster than the echo path change.
In the present invention, the μ value is adjusted according to the instantaneous double-talk level. FIG. 2 shows the echo replication block according to the present invention. As shown the convergence rate is adaptively adjusted according to step size μ calculated in the echo areplica block. During the single-talk mode, μ is given its largest value and during the double talk, μ is reduced based on how strong the double-talk is. If the far-end signal is absent, μ is reduced to zero and no weights adjustment is made. In the DNLMS algorithm, the μ value is indirectly controlled through E r , the denominator in the second term of Eq. (3). The new weights adaptation follows the following formula: h ^ ( n ) = h ^ ( n ) + μ e ( m ) r ( m - n ) E , k = 0 , 1 , … , N - 1 ( 5 )
If E=E r , it is the normal NLMS algorithm, and if E>E r , it is equivalent to the reduction of μ.
In a real time implementation, the E r calculation in Eq. (4) can be equivalently replaced by the following recursive algorithm: E r = ( 1 - 1 N ) E r + r 2 ( n ) ( 6 )
In the DNLMS, we also need to calculate the energy of the near-end speech E in : E in = ( 1 - 1 N ) E in + s in 2 ( n ) ( 7 )
With E r , and E in , the E is calculated as: E = { E r , if E r > α E in β E in , Otherwise . ( 8 )
Where:
α>1, and β>α
During the single-talk mode, E in , is the echo energy and if it is α times lower than E r , we have E=E r and it is the normal NLMS algorithm. During double talk, when E in , (echo+near-end speech) is larger than E r /α, we have: E = β E in = β α · α E in > β α · α E r .
This is equivalent to saying that μ is reduced at least by β/α times: μ E < α β · μ E r
Note that μ is actually reduced inversely proportionally to E in , so that increasing near end speech activity also reduces the μ value. The relationship between the step size μ and E in is shown in FIG. 3 with a fixed E r , where the initial value of μ is 1.
In this new scheme, the adaptation continues during the double-talk and μ is adjusted according to the double-talk strength. All speech signals have voice sections, unvoiced sections and silent periods. During double talk, the active periods of the near-end speech and the far-end speech do not always overlap with each other. The μ value varies with the difference between the energy levels of the far-end speech (E r ) and the near-end speech (E in ) . When the near-end double-talk is strong, a small μ maintains a slow divergence of the weights and when the far-end speech is strong, a large μ yields a fast convergence rate. Therefore, the DNLMS can maintain the double-talk stability and track the echo path change during the double-talk, and it converges well even if the near-end signals are dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) tone signals which have on and off periods.
An example of how μ varies with the near end and the far end signal levels is shown in FIG. 4 . It can be observed that μ is high at optimum times and no double-talk hang-over time is needed to prevent the divergence during the tails of near-end speech.
There are other ways to calculate the value E beside Eq. (8). The instantaneous energy E e of residual error e(n) can be used instead of that of E in , i.e., E e = ( 1 - 1 N ) E e + e 2 ( n ) ( 9 )
If E e is used instead of E in , in Eq. (8), α can be chosen to be a large number during the single-talk because E e is the echo residual energy which is much smaller than E in . With the large α value, DNLMS will be more sensitive to the double-talk. As soon as the double-talk happens, αE e will be larger than E r and μ is reduced instantaneously. This will make the adaptation more stable during the double-talk. The problem of using E e is that during the initial convergence period and when the echo path changes, αE e will be larger than E r even during the single-talk mode. As a result, large α value may cause the slow convergence rate with a small μ value. But smaller α is required for the initial convergence.
Another scheme is to choose the minimum value between α 1 E in and α 2 E e (α 1 >0, α 2 >α 1 ), and E can be calculated in the following two steps: E 1 = { α 2 E e , α 1 E in > α 2 E e α 1 E in , α 1 E in < α 2 E e ( 10 )
and E = { E r , if E r > E 1 β E 1 , Otherwise . ( 11 )
Where during the double-talk, μ is reduced at least by β times μ E = μ β E 1 < μ β E r
With a careful choice of α 1 and α 2 , E 1 =α 1 E in is used during the initial convergence period and when the echo path changes (E e is large). E 1 =α 2 E e is used when the DNLMS is well converged. This last scheme takes the advantages of both the first scheme and the second one, i.e., sensitive to the double-talk when the NLMS is well converged and fast convergence during double-talk and echo path changing. However, it requires extra computations in comparison with the first two schemes.
In specific tests for the acoustic echo canceller it was found that the following parameters for α and β are appropriate for common room environments:
Scheme 1 (using E r and E in ) : The initial value of μ is set at 1. It was determined that the echo return loss is at least 6 dB and α was set: α=5. β is chosen as 50 such that the μ is reduced at least 10 times during the double-talk.
Scheme 2 (using E r and E e ) : The initial value of μ is still set at 1. α is chosen as 50 under the condition that the echo return loss is at least 6 dB and the NLMS gives at least 10 dB echo suppression. Again the μ is reduced at least 10 times during the double-talk and β is chosen as 500.
Scheme 3 (using E r and E e ) : The initial value of μ is still set at 1 and the other parameters are chosen as α 1 =5, α 2 =50 and β=10. All these are based on the same assumptions and requirements: the echo return loss is at least 6 dB, the NLMS gives at least 10 dB echo suppression, and the value of μ is reduced at least 10 times during the double-talk.
In all the above parameter selections, it is assumed that the echo return loss is at least 6 dB. This means that with those parameters, the best echo suppression can be achieved for the echo return loss around 6 to 20 dB (which includes most practical environments). However, the situation when echo path has up to 6 dB gain can also be handled with those parameters.
Test results show that during a double talk condition, adaptation weights are stabilized and echo path changes can be tracked. It was found that all the three E − calculation schemes perform similarly and the preference will depend on the environment: echo delay, echo loss and the possible double-talk strength.
In accordance with the present invention the following aspects are obtained:
a). A double-talk insensitive and stabilized NLMS algorithm is developed.
b). The echo path can be tracked during the double-talk with no extra cost.
c). The adaptation weights do not need to be frozen during the double-talk.
d). The adaptation step is adaptively adjusted based on the double-talk strength.
While certain embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other variations and alternatives can be made without departing from the basic concept. It is to be understood that such alternatives and variations will fall within the full scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
|
A method of canceling echo signals in a telephone network operating in a double talk mode has been developed. A system for implementing the method is also presented. In the invention the conventional normalized least mean square (NLMS) algorithm for echo cancellers is modified such that echo path changes continue to be tracked even after a double talk condition has been detected. The modified algorithm, known herein as a double-talk normalized least mean square (DNLMS) algorithm adaptively adjusts the convergence rate based on the power difference between the echo signal or the residual signal and the far end signal.
| 7
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a device which can be attached to a vehicle and used for lifting and towing other vehicles. Specifically, this invention relates to a double cylinder tilt recovery system.
[0002] Many types of devices have been used in the past for connecting and towing vehicles. These types of devices generally operate with one or more hydraulic cylinders to raise the vehicle which is to be towed. One problem with these type of devices is, however, that in order to get the strength from a hydraulic cylinder to raise a heavy vehicle the hydraulic cylinder must be very large. The downfall of a large cylinder is that it operates or extends very slowly. Therefore, when the operator is done using the towing device and wishes to stow the boom of the towing device getting the boom to the stowed position is a very slow process. Thus, there is a need for an improved and faster operating towing device.
[0003] In light of the foregoing, it is a primary feature or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved double cylinder tilt recovery system.
[0004] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a towing device which can be easily attached to vehicles, such as a road tractor.
[0005] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a two-stage cylinder which is faster than traditional single stage cylinders.
[0006] A further feature or advantage of the invention which has power to lift vehicles, yet stows faster than comparable powered lifts.
[0007] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is the provision of a double cylinder tilt recovery system which is economical to manufacture, durable in use, and efficient in operation.
[0008] One or more of these or other features or advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The foregoing features or advantages may be achieved by a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles comprising a boom which pivots up and down for connecting to and raising a portion of a vehicle which is to be towed, a mounting frame, a means for attaching the mounting frame to a towing vehicle, and a two-stage cylinder assembly operatively connected to the mounting frame and the boom for tilting the pivoting boom relative to the mounting frame.
[0010] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles which has a boom that is a telescoping boom.
[0011] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles which has a two-stage cylinder that has a first stage piston and a smaller second stage piston.
[0012] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles wherein a second stage of a two-stage piston extends only after the first stage piston has fully extended.
[0013] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable to about vertical stowing position when the device is mounted to a towing vehicle and both stages of a two-stage cylinder are extended.
[0014] A still further feature or advantage of the current invention is a two-stage cylinder wherein the second stage piston travels within a small piston tube and the small piston tube is affixed within a large cylinder rod and the large cylinder rod is affixed to the large piston.
[0015] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles which has a boom that pivots up and down.
[0016] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles which has a two-stage cylinder wherein the small piston travels within a small piston tube and the small piston tube is affixed within a large cylinder rod and the large cylinder rod is affixed to the large piston.
[0017] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles which has a kingpin for mounting to a road tractor.
[0018] A further feature or advantage of the current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles which has one or more lift cylinders for lifting the towing device relative to the mounting frame. In addition, the device may have guide rollers which travel in a track to guide the lifting with the cylinders and the boom. The device may also comprise a push rod operatively connected between the two-stage cylinder and the boom.
[0019] One or more of the foregoing features or advantages may be achieved by a vehicle towing device for mounting to a road tractor comprising a towing vehicle attachment assembly for mounting the device to the road tractor, a boom lift assembly operatively connected to the towing vehicle attachment assembly, the boom lift assembly having one or more hydraulic cylinders for lifting the boom assembly in a linear plane and a two-stage cylinder assembly operatively connected between the boom lift assembly and the boom for pivoting the boom about a pivot point for lifting vehicles attached to the boom for towing.
[0020] One or more of the foregoing features or advantages may also be achieved by a two-stage hydraulic cylinder assembly comprising a large cylinder body, a large piston which travels linearly within the cylinder body, a large hollow piston rod connected to the large piston which travels linearly with the large piston and extending out of the large cylinder body, a small hollow piston tube connected within the large piston rod which travels linearly with the large piston rod, a small piston which travels linearly within the small piston tube and a small piston rod connected to the small piston which travels linearly with the small piston within the small piston tube and extends outside of the small piston tube.
[0021] A further feature or advantage of the present invention involves a two-stage hydraulic cylinder assembly wherein a small piston tube is welded to a large cylinder rod.
[0022] A further feature or advantage of the present invention involves a two-stage hydraulic cylinder assembly where a large piston extends linearly within the large cylinder body before a small piston extends linearly within the small piston tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the current invention with a boom shown in multiple locations.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the current invention with the boom shown in multiple locations.
[0025] FIG. 3 is an elevation view of one embodiment of the boom lift assembly.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a cut away side view of one embodiment of the boom lift assembly.
[0027] FIG. 5 is another elevation view of one embodiment of the boom lift assembly.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a cut away view showing one embodiment of the two-stage cylinder assembly.
[0029] FIGS. 7-10 are side cut away views showing one embodiment of the tilt recovery auto lift system of the current invention with the boom in multiple positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of the tilt recovery auto lift system assembly 10 of the current invention. The invention is a device which mounts to a towing vehicle and connects to and lifts a vehicle which is to be towed. A two-stage cylinder assembly 38 for tilting a boom 14 allows the boom to be raised and lowered, for use and stowing, much faster than traditional vehicle towing recovery systems.
[0031] Both FIGS. 1 and 2 show the lift system 10 with the boom assembly 14 in multiple positions. It is preferred, but not necessary, that the boom 14 be a telescoping boom. In addition, the lift system assembly 10 generally comprises a vehicle towing attachment assembly 12 . The vehicle towing attachment assembly 12 preferably has a kingpin 13 for attaching to a towing vehicle (not shown) at a fifth wheel plate of a road tractor. The preferred towing vehicle attachment assembly 12 is like that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,735 and 6,036,428 for Kooima, which are both herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, any towing vehicle attachment assembly 12 which allows the tilt recovery auto lift system assembly 10 of the current invention to be attached to a towing vehicle will work with the current invention.
[0032] The invention also has a boom lift assembly 16 which attaches to a boom lift assembly mounting frame 20 and preferably uses one or more vertical hydraulic lift cylinders 18 attached between the boom lift assembly mounting frame 20 and the boom lift assembly lifting frame 22 for raising and lowering the boom lift assembly 16 and the boom assembly 14 .
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a close-up side view of one embodiment of the boom lift assembly 16 . The boom lift assembly 16 has a boom lift assembly mounting frame 20 which mounts to a towing vehicle attachment assembly 12 . The boom lift assembly mounting frame 20 can be permanently mounted or affixed to the towing vehicle attachment assembly or may be removable.
[0034] The vertical hydraulic lift cylinders 18 which can raise or lower the boom lift assembly 16 including the boom lift assembly lifting frame 22 with respect to the boom lift assembly mounting frame 20 . One or more vertical guide rollers 24 are preferred to travel within a vertical lift guide track 26 . The rollers 24 guide the travel of the boom lift assembly lifting frame 22 . It is preferred that the vertical lift guide track 26 be linear so that when the boom lift assembly lifting frame 22 raises and lowers the boom lift assembly 16 can travel in a linear motion up and down raising and lowering the boom assembly 14 .
[0035] The boom assembly 14 pivotally mounts to the boom lift assembly 16 with connector rods or pins (not shown) at the boom pivot point 30 on the boom pivot bracket 28 and also at the push rod 32 . This is best shown in FIGS. 7-10 .
[0036] FIG. 4 shows a cut away view of the boom lift assembly 16 of FIG. 3 . This view shows back ribs 36 attached to the boom lift assembly mounting frame 20 . In addition, the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 is shown attached to the boom lift assembly lifting frame 22 at the two-stage cylinder pivot point 34 . The two-stage cylinder pivot point 34 is preferably a pin which allows the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 to rotate about the two-stage cylinder pivot 34 .
[0037] A large cylinder rod 52 and a small piston rod 58 travel in and out of the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 and move a clevis 42 . It is preferred that the clevis 42 be attached with a pin to both the push rod 32 , for pivoting the boom assembly 14 , and a cylinder containment roller 44 . A cylinder containment roller 44 preferably travels within cylinder roller track 46 to guide the travel of the large cylinder rod 52 and the small piston rod 58 within the boom lift assembly 16 . This helps to prevent damage or binding of the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 when lifting heavy vehicles.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows an elevation view of the boom lift assembly 16 as viewed from the boom assembly 14 towards a towing vehicle. In this view, a vertical hydraulic lift cylinder 18 and the back ribs 36 are not shown on the right hand side for clarity sake.
[0039] FIG. 6 shows a cut away view of the preferred embodiment of the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 . The two-stage cylinder assembly 38 is constructed with a large cylinder body 48 . The cylinder body is preferably steel or some other rigid material capable of withstanding the pressures generated within the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 .
[0040] A large piston 50 travels linearly within the large cylinder body 48 . The large piston 50 should be sized large enough to be able to generate enough lifting force to be able to lift and tow vehicles which are to be towed with the current invention. There should be a small gap between the inside of the large cylinder body 48 and the large piston so as to allow lubricant or pressurizing fluid to pass between the inside of the large cylinder body 48 and the large piston. However, a gap between the piston 50 and the large cylinder body 48 should still be small enough to seal so that fluid pressure can move the piston 50 within the large cylinder body 48 as is customary in hydraulic cylinders. Additionally, the large piston 50 may be encircled by one or more piston rings or seals to help create the needed seal to build pressures to move the large piston 50 within the large cylinder body 48 .
[0041] Pressurized fluid enters the large cylinder body 48 through the large piston extend fluid port 66 to create greater pressure or force above the large piston 50 and pushes the large piston 50 downward within the large cylinder body 48 . As the large piston 50 moves downward it displaces the fluid below the piston so that the fluid flows out of the large piston retract fluid port 68 . To retract the large piston 50 , fluid then flows into the large piston retracted fluid port 68 creating a greater pressure or force below the large piston 50 and displacing the fluid above the large piston 50 so that the fluid then flows out of the large piston extend to the fluid port 66 and the large piston 50 is able to move upward.
[0042] A rigid large piston rod/tube 52 is attached to the large piston 50 . The large piston rod/tube 52 will be referred to as a rod because it is attached to the large piston 50 and travels linearly with the large piston 50 to extend and retract in and out of the large cylinder body 48 . However, the large piston rod 52 is hollow inside thereby resembling a tube. There are one or more large rod seals 62 which keep the pressurizing fluid within the large cylinder body 48 .
[0043] A small piston tube 54 is attached within the large piston rod 52 . It is preferred that a weld joint 60 attach to the small piston tube 54 within the large piston rod 52 . However, any attachment means to attach the small piston tube 54 within the large piston rod 52 can be used. A fluid passageway 74 should be maintained between the small piston tube 54 and the large piston rod 52 so that fluid may flow between the two parts for actuating the second stage of the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 .
[0044] A small piston 56 is located within the small piston tube 54 and travels linearly within the small piston tube 54 . The small piston 56 travels linearly within the small piston tube 54 as fluid enters the small piston extend fluid port 70 with a force or pressure to slide the small piston 56 within the small piston tube 54 . A small gap should be between the small piston 56 and small piston tube 54 for allowing a lubricant to lubricate the sliding action of the two parts. However, as with the large piston 50 , one or more seals or piston rings may be used to reduce flow of pressurizing fluid past the small piston 56 .
[0045] To retract the small piston 56 , fluid flows through the small piston retract fluid port 72 in the large piston rod 52 and through the small piston retract fluid port 73 in the small piston tube 54 for pushing the small piston 56 back through the small piston tube 54 .
[0046] A rigid small piston rod 58 is attached to the small piston 56 and travels linearly with the small piston 56 within the small piston tube 54 . A small rod seal 64 seals the bottom end of the small piston tube 54 to prevent leakage of pressurizing fluid. It is preferred that a clevis 42 be attached to the end of the small piston rod 58 for pushing the push rod 32 thereby pivoting the boom assembly 14 about the boom pivot point 30 . The clevis 42 can also rest on the ends of the large piston rod 52 for added pressure and strength when pushing the clevis 42 for operating the boom assembly 14 . This only works for the travel distance of the large piston rod 52 . Then, once the large piston rod 52 reaches the extent of its travel, the second stage of the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 , the small piston 56 and the small piston rod 58 travel beyond the travel distance of the large piston 50 and the large piston rod 52 . At this point, the clevis 42 is moved by the small piston rod 58 .
[0047] FIGS. 7-10 show cut away views of the tilt recovery auto lift system 10 with the boom assembly 14 in various positions. The cut away views 7 - 10 show how the two stages for the two pistons 50 , 56 and rods 52 , 58 travel within the two-stage cylinder assembly 38 and pivot the boom assembly 14 about the boom pivot point 30 to attach to and tow a vehicle, and also to store the boom assembly 14 when not in use.
[0048] FIG. 7 shows both the small piston 56 and the large piston 50 in an unextended or retracted position thereby causing the boom assembly 14 to be approximately 100 below horizontal position. FIG. 8 shows the small piston 56 unextended and the large piston 50 approximately halfway extended, thereby causing the boom assembly 14 to be approximately horizontal. FIG. 9 shows the small piston 56 unextended and the large piston 50 fully extended, as would be in many situations for towing a vehicle, thereby causing the boom assembly 14 to be approximately 20° above horizontal. FIG. 10 shows both the small piston 56 and the large piston 50 fully extended to place the boom assembly 14 in an approximately vertical stowing position. The boom assembly 14 is shown in these positions for example only and is not meant to limit the invention with extension of pistons and boom assembly 14 position.
[0049] In summary, the invention comprises a two-stage cylinder assembly 38 . A large bore diameter piston 50 has a large rod 52 with a small cylinder with a small piston 56 built into the large piston rod 52 . The force of the large piston 50 is necessary to properly tilt the boom assembly 14 with a full load on it. This action with the large piston 50 is very slow and is not acceptable to entirely stow the boom assembly 14 to its full vertical position. Therefore, the small piston 56 will take over and promptly finish storing the boom assembly 14 . An advantage of the two-stage lift is that it has the power to lift heavy vehicles, yet can stow the boom much more quickly than similarly powered single stage lifts. This is because large powerful cylinders are inherently slower than smaller cylinders under similar conditions.
[0050] The small piston rod 58 has a clevis so the large piston rod 52 can push the clevis 42 when tilting and lifting a heavy load. The two-stage cylinder assembly 38 will be contained within the boom lift assembly 16 by rollers 44 placed on a through pin that rides in a track 46 which is attached to each inside of the boom lift assembly 16 .
[0051] Being built in this manner, the boom assembly 14 will have a pivot point 30 close to the vertical movement of the boom assembly 14 , giving maximum boom tilt with minimum distance between pivot points. This will also give a true tilt without moving the crossbar and load forward or back during the tilting operation as in other towing devices. The boom lift assembly 16 will raise approximately straight up and down via one or more vertical cylinders 18 placed along the side of the boom lift assembly 16 . The boom lift assembly 16 will ride up and down between pairs of rollers 24 mounted to ribs 36 that are a part of the mounting frame 20 . The boom lift assembly 16 preferably has a track 26 attached to each side to accommodate and guide the vertical guide rollers 24 .
[0052] Designs of the current invention can fit to both trucks and road tractors. The device can be mounted to the towing vehicle in any manner, such as mounted to the frame, or the fifth wheel plate or any other means to attach the current invention to a towing vehicle.
[0053] The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.
|
The current invention is a portable wheel lift device for lifting and towing vehicles comprising a boom which pivots up and down for connecting to and raising a portion of a vehicle which is to be towed. The invention comprises a mounting frame, a means for attaching the mounting frame to a towing vehicle and a two-stage cylinder assembly operatively connected to the mounting frame and the boom for tilting the pivoting boom relative to the mounting frame.
| 1
|
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an improved ice thickness control system and associated sensor probe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Ice-making machines are known in the art. They can take various forms, but share the general basic attribute that water is brought into contact with a cold element, such as an ice plate or coil, which is cooled to below the freezing point of water. The cold element may be submerged in a pool of water, or the water may be provided in a flow over the cold element. In either design, ice will begin to form on the surface of the cold element, growing in size over time. Eventually, when enough ice is formed, it is “harvested,” so that it may be used as cubes, etc.
[0003] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,919 discloses an automatic ice-making machine including a water reservoir 10 and a cold plate 14 with a surface shaped so as to form ice cubes. A pump 12 pumps the water from the reservoir over the cold plate. The cold plate is maintained at a temperature below freezing so that a thickness of ice 16 forms on the cold plate. A capacitance-sensing circuit 20 is used to determine when the built-up ice should be harvested.
[0004] It will be appreciated that all ice-making machines need a system, preferably an automated system, for determining when the ice has built up sufficiently to be harvested. It is important to be able to consistently harvest the ice at the right time, when the mass of ice being harvested has the appropriate thickness such that the resulting ice cubes will meet required dimensional tolerances. For example, if the ice is allowed to become too thick before harvesting, the ice cubes will tend to bind to each other, making them hard to separate. Alternatively, if the ice is harvested while it is still too thin, the ice cubes will be undersized, which is undesirable from the end user's perspective, as they will melt too quickly. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an ice-making machine which can accurately determine when the ice should be harvested.
[0005] Typical prior art systems have used a variety of methods to detect the build-up of a sufficient amount of ice. Mechanical systems use micro-switches which are actuated when the ice surface contacts the switch. Such systems suffer from many drawbacks, including interference of ice with actuating parts, switch hysteresis, and tolerances.
[0006] Electrical resistance systems use metal a bridge sensor which conducts electricity when water is flowing over it. During the ice-making cycle, as the ice mass becomes thicker, it forces the flowing water to splash out further, eventually making continuous, or nearly continuous contact with the metal bridge, resulting in a substantially consistent signal in the associated circuit. This conductive signal is then interpreted by the system as an indication that the ice is thick enough to harvest. A serious drawback of this method is that water used in ice-making machines often contains impurities, which over time will coat a metal bridge sensor and stop it from conducting an electrical signal (the so-called “liming effect”). When this happens, the sensor must be serviced or replaced. In locations where there is a relatively high level of water impurities, this coating with impurities (“liming up”) may occur very quickly. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an ice-making machine ice sensor which is less susceptible to the liming problem than known sensors.
[0007] It is also known to use thermal detection systems which use temperature sensors placed appropriately such that when the ice builds out to and contacts the sensor, a unique thermal signature is presented to the detector. However, the prior art thermal detection systems have a poor signal-to-noise ratio, which makes them unable to provide reproducible harvesting cycles.
[0008] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an ice-making machine sensor which has no moving parts, does not suffer from liming problems, and which can accurately and reproducibly determine when the ice should be harvested.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Accordingly, the invention addresses this need by providing an improved ice thickness sensing and control system using an improved temperature sensor and control logic having several adjustable delay times to optimize performance.
[0010] It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the control logic, including that implementing the delay times, may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination of thereof, as a matter of design choice. Accordingly, the term “circuitry” as used herein means any combination of hardware, firmware, or software used to implement the control logic.
[0011] The invention is generally directed to an ice thickness control system which uses a temperature sensor mounted near the cold plate. As the ice thickens and gets closer to the sensor, the sensed temperature gets colder; finally when the ice is thick enough that it touches (or nearly touches) the sensor, the sensor will detect a very low temperature and will “notify” the control system to begin the harvesting process.
[0012] The invention is generally directed to a liquid-solidifying machine comprising a cold element, a liquid source, a temperature sensor, and circuitry associated with the sensor. The cold element includes a solid-forming surface which may be cooled to below the solidification point of the liquid. The liquid source provides liquid to the solid-forming surface such that a thickness of solid forms on the surface. The temperature sensor is provided with sufficient current that it self-heats to above the ambient temperature when the liquid-solidifying machine is in use. The circuitry associated with the sensor is operative to sense the temperature signal from the sensor, and detects when solid material formed on the cold surface is to be harvested.
[0013] In one embodiment, the liquid-solidifying machine is an ice-making machine; the liquid used in the system is water, and the solid is water ice. The temperature sensor in this embodiment self-heats sufficiently that no ice forms on the exterior surface of the sensor, preferably at least about 25° F. above ambient temperature when the machine is in use, more preferably at least about 75° F. above ambient temperature when the machine is in use. The temperature sensor is preferably a thermistor-type sensor, and may comprise a bead in a metal housing. The temperature signal from such sensors is not adversely affected by the deposition of impurities, from the liquid, on the exterior surface of the sensor. The temperature sensor may comprise a thermistor bead in a metal housing, the metal housing being mounted in a carrier, the position of the sensor relative to the solid-forming surface being adjustable.
[0014] The ice-making machine of the present invention comprises a cold element, a water source, a temperature sensor, and control logic associated with the sensor. The cold element includes an ice-forming surface which may be cooled to below the freezing point of water. The water source provides water to the ice-forming surface such that a thickness of ice forms on the surface during an ice-making cycle. The control logic detects when ice formed on the cold surface is to be harvested, and comprises a temperature signal threshold value, signal-sensing circuitry, threshold persistence circuitry, and harvesting cycle initiation circuitry. The temperature signal threshold value indicates when the thickness of ice is sufficiently close to the sensor such that it can be harvested. The signal-sensing circuitry is operative to sense the temperature signal from the sensor. the threshold persistence circuitry determines that the temperature signal has consistently remained above the threshold value for a threshold persistence time duration since the temperature signal first exceeded the threshold value. The harvesting cycle initiation circuitry initiates a harvesting cycle, during which the ice is removed from the ice-making surface.
[0015] The control logic may further comprise circuitry for determining that, starting from the beginning of the ice-making cycle, a minimum harvest time duration has elapsed, before the harvesting cycle can be initiated. It may also further comprise circuitry for determining that, starting from the end of the threshold persistence time duration, a harvesting delay time duration has elapsed, before a harvesting cycle can be initiated. The control logic may further comprise circuitry for determining that, starting from the end of the harvesting cycle, a recycling delay time duration has elapsed, before another ice-making cycle can be initiated.
[0016] A method of operating an ice-making machine is also provided, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a cold element; (b) providing a water source; (c) providing a temperature sensor; (d) providing circuitry associated with the sensor; (e) providing the circuitry with a temperature signal threshold value (which indicates when the thickness of ice is sufficiently close to the sensor such that it can be harvested); (f) initiating an ice-making cycle (during which the ice-making surface is cooled to below the freezing point of water, and water is provided to the ice-forming surface such that a thickness of ice forms on the surface); (g) a threshold persistence determination step, in which it is determined whether the temperature signal has consistently remained above the threshold value for a threshold persistence time duration since the temperature signal first exceeded the threshold value; and (h) a harvesting cycle initiation step, during which the ice is removed from the ice-making surface. The cold element includes an ice-forming surface which may be cooled to below the freezing point of water. The water source can provide water to the ice-forming surface. The circuitry associated with the sensor detects when ice formed on the cold surface is to be harvested, said circuitry being operative to sense the temperature signal from the sensor.
[0017] The steps (f) through (h) may be performed in alphabetical order, and may be repeated more than once. The method may include the further step of determining that, starting from the beginning of the ice-making cycle, a minimum harvest time duration has elapsed, before a harvesting cycle can be initiated. The method may also include the further step of determining that, starting from the end of the threshold persistence time duration, a harvesting delay time duration has elapsed, before a harvesting cycle can be initiated. The method may also include the further step of determining that, starting from the end of the harvesting cycle, a recycling delay time duration has elapsed, before another ice-making cycle can be initiated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in which like elements are labeled similarly and in which:
[0019] [0019]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the ice-making machine of the present invention, including a temperature sensor and temperature-detection circuitry;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a temperature sensor;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 3 illustrates the temperature signals present in the temperature-detection circuitry of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIGS. 4 A- 4 C are schematic views of the ice-making machine of the present invention, with various amounts of ice formation, corresponding to various temperature signals depicted in FIG. 3; and
[0023] [0023]FIG. 5 is a flowchart describing an exemplary logic flow of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, an ice-making machine is schematically depicted as including a vertical cold plate 10 , a water source 20 , and a refrigeration system 30 . It can be seen that the surface 12 of the cold plate on which the ice forms may be shaped with ridges and valleys so as to provide discrete cubes of ice when the ice is harvested. In this shaping aspect, the cold plate may be analogized to a vertically oriented ice cube tray as found in standard home refrigerators.
[0025] In operation, water 22 from source 20 flows over the ice-forming surface 12 . Due to the refrigeration cooling the plate, the water turns to ice 23 , progressively building up in thickness, as measured from surface 12 , over time. When the system determines that the ice is fully formed, it is harvested.
[0026] The harvesting may be accomplished using a valve system, for example, such that instead of cold liquified gas being pumped past the cold plate to cool it, the exhaust or hot gas from the cooling compressor can be pumped past the cold plate, warming the plate and causing the ice to fall away. The completion of the harvesting step can be determined by known methods, either implicitly (determining that the harvesting has succeeded a given period of time after the cold plate was warmed up), or by a direct physical harvested-ice sensor, such as a mechanical flap switch which senses when the ice cubes drop away from the plate.
[0027] The thermistor probe temperature sensor 40 is depicted in FIG. 2. In order to achieve accuracy and repeatability in the determination of the appropriate harvest time, a self-heated thermistor bead 42 is encapsulated in a metal housing 44 , which is then in turn mounted in a carrier 46 . The housing may be a thin-walled food-grade metallic well, such as a nickel-plated eyelet, in which the thermistor bead can be housed with the bead touching the extreme interior wall of the eyelet. The eyelet may then be inserted into the carrier and sealed. The carrier may be a molded plastic part, and may further be provided with a set screw 48 to allow adjustment of the separation between the sensor and the ice-forming surface, in order to allow for adjustment of the harvested ice thickness, and to ensure that the sensor is positioned at the same separation from the ice-forming surface 12 at the beginning of each ice-making cycle. The sensor is preferably of low mass, designed so that it has maximum physical protection while still having the minimal practicable thermal mass.
[0028] As seen in FIG. 2, the sensor is preferably positioned near an area of minimum ice thickness (i.e., near a “ridge” on the cold plate). This insures that at such time as the ice is sufficiently thick to be harvested, the sensor has not become embedded in, or surrounded by, the ice, as would occur if it was positioned near an area of maximum ice thickness (i.e., near a “valley” on the cold plate).
[0029] Referring to FIG. 3, a graph of a signal in the temperature sensing circuit versus time is depicted. The graph shows the “temperature signal” which is physically the voltage signal from the thermistor probe. In typical circuits, such as shown here, the voltage signal is inversely proportional to the actual sensed temperature.
[0030] During the initial portion 101 of the ice-making cycle, the sensor 40 is sensing a steady-state temperature. This corresponds to the situation depicted in FIG. 4A, in which there is little or no ice formation, such that the ice mass 23 is a substantial distance from the sensor 40 . In this regard, the self-heating feature of the sensor is significant, because the current in the thermistor is sufficient to heat it through the resistive heating effect, and thus the temperature of the sensor is internally biased. Depending on the level of current supplied and the physical characteristics of the thermistor, the self-heating effect may be substantial, biasing the temperature of the sensor above any possible ambient air temperature which would be expected during the normal operation of the ice-making machine, for example to 150° F.
[0031] When exposed only to the air, the temperature sensed by the sensor will stabilize at its self-heated temperature. As the approaching ice mass forces the water curtain over the sensor, the sensed temperature will drop down, and eventually, when a sufficient amount of the water curtain covers the sensor, the sensed temperature will drop below the threshold temperature. For consistency with usage in the art, the condition when the sensed temperature drops below the threshold value which indicates that the ice is ready to harvest may be referred to as the temperature threshold being “exceeded.”
[0032] The thermistor-type sensor is advantageous because it does not operate based on conductivity, and thus the signal from the thermistor-type sensor is not adversely affected even when it becomes coated water or deposits from the water.
[0033] The voltage value will remain substantially constant at the low steady state value, while the ice thickness 23 begins to build up on the plate (but while it is still substantially far away from the sensor). As the water begins to get closer to the sensor however (portion 103 of the ice-making cycle, and as depicted in FIG. 4B), the sensed temperature will begin to decrease, with a resulting increase in the voltage. Ultimately as the water actually comes into contact with and envelops the sensor (portion 105 of the ice-making cycle, and as depicted in FIG. 4C), the sensed temperature will reach a minimum steady state value, and the voltage will correspondingly reach a high steady state value, which will persist until the harvesting process is performed, at which time the ice will fall away from the plate and the sensor, again exposing the sensor to the ambient temperature, thus increasing its temperature (portion 107 of the ice-making cycle). Following the harvesting, the system can be configured to automatically begin another ice-making cycle. The system may include a recycling delay time duration between the end of the harvesting cycle and the start of the subsequent ice-making cycle.
[0034] In general terms, the ice is ready for harvesting when the voltage exceeds a temperature signal threshold value 109 corresponding to the low steady state temperature of the sensor when the ice gets sufficiently close to the sensor. As a practical matter, the harvesting threshold voltage value should be set slightly below the maximum voltage which is produced by the sensor when it is fully enveloped in ice.
[0035] Based on practical considerations as determined by research and experimentation, there are three different delays, or time durations, which may be provided in the system:
[0036] The first delay or time duration is the Minimum harvest time delay (X). The temperature sensed by the thermistor is essentially ignored for a time X starting from the beginning of the ice-making cycle. This serves as a “reasonableness test,” reflecting the fact that basic physical laws dictate that the ice cannot possibly be ready to harvest until a certain minimum amount of time has elapsed in the cycle, regardless of what the sensor indicates.
[0037] In the example of FIG. 3, it can be seen that temperature signal does not reach the threshold until after the delay X has expired. In a properly operating system, this would generally be the case.
[0038] The second delay or time duration is the Threshold persistence (Y). During the intermediate part 103 of the ice-making cycle, the temperature signal from the thermistor will not provide a consistently smooth or consistent value but rather exhibits fluctuations, seen as the “jaggies” in the graph of FIG. 3. The jaggies in the signal are particularly a problem as the ice surface gets close to the thermistor, since the running water flowing on the outer surface of the ice will tend to splash; the splashing droplets of water hitting the thermistor will cause the thermistor to momentarily sense a low temperature although it is not actually appropriate yet to perform the harvest. Thus this delay or duration Y may be implemented to require that the signal persists above the harvest threshold value for a certain amount of time (referenced to when the threshold is first exceeded), before harvesting may begin. If the threshold is only exceeded momentarily, and the signal dips back below the threshold before time Y has elapsed (as occurs at 111 in FIG. 3), harvesting will not begin. But when the signal exceeds the threshold and stays above the threshold for at least delay Y (as at 113 ), harvesting may begin, as long as other conditions (for example, the minimum harvest time delay) allow it.
[0039] The third delay or time duration is the Harvesting delay (Z); this is an optional delay or duration which may quite possibly be set to zero. It is adjusted based on the ambient temperature of the ice sensor, and is provided give the option of making sure the ice is sufficiently fully formed or “cured.” This delay Z is referenced to the end of the delay Y, and is graphically reflected as the right-hand portion of the flat “plateau” region 115 of the graph of FIG. 3.
[0040] [0040]FIG. 5 illustrates a logic flow chart for one implementation of the logic using the delay times discussed above. The logic process 200 begins the ice-making cycle in step 205 . A test is performed in step 210 to determine whether the minimum harvest time delay (X) has elapsed, to serve as a “sanity check” in the logic, to ensure that harvesting cannot begin before the ice can reasonably be expected to be ready to harvest. Processing does not proceed to step 215 until step 210 determines that the minimum harvest time delay has elapsed. In step 215 , a test is performed to determine whether the temperature threshold has been exceeded, indicating that the ice mass may have built up sufficiently to be ready to harvest. Processing does not proceed to step 220 until step 215 determines that the temperature threshold has been exceeded. In step 220 , a test is performed to determine whether the temperature has persisted beyond the threshold for threshold persistence time delay (Y), to ensure that the temperature sensed in step 215 was not a transient spike, such as that caused by a splash of cold water. In the illustrated embodiment, if the persistence delay has not been satisfied, the logic simply stays in a loop at step 220 until it is satisfied. In an alternate embodiment however, the logic for the “NO” output of step 220 may return control to above step 215 , such that processing does not return to step 220 until the test of 215 is satisfied. When it is determined that the persistence delay has been satisfied, processing proceeds to step 225 , where a test is performed to determine whether the harvesting delay (Z) has elapsed. Processing does not proceed to the harvesting step 230 until that delay has elapsed. When processing has proceeded to step 230 , and the harvesting has been performed, processing returns to step 205 , where a new ice-making cycle is initiated.
[0041] The present invention is discussed herein with reference to a preferred embodiment using a ice plate, but one of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the invention is not limited to ice plate systems, but rather finds general application for use with any ice-making system such as those employing ice banks or ice packs. Indeed, the system is not limited to ice-making machines, but may generally be used in any application in which it is desired to detect the formation of ice. It will be further be appreciated that although the present invention is discussed in an embodiment of an ice-making machine, the invention is more generally applicable to any system in which any material (not only water) in its liquid state is cooled to its solid state. The modifications appropriate for such other applications may readily be realized by those of ordinary skill in the art and who have been equipped with the understanding of the structure and operation of the present invention as set forth in the above description. It will also be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the thermistor bead temperature sensor disclosed herein may be used whether or not the delay times are incorporated into the control system, and vice versa. Finally, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the details of the design of the temperature sensor thermistor, the sensing circuitry, and the related software is a routine matter of design choice, and that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments of those features depicted herein.
|
The present invention provides an improved system and method for sensing of ice, particularly applicable in the control of ice thickness in automatic ice-making machines. The ice-making machine may be of the conventional type using a cold plate with water flowing over it. A thermistor bead temperature sensor is encapsulated in a metal housing, which is in turn mounted on a carrier. The position of the carrier is adjustable relative to the cold plate. The control system has several variable delays or time durations which optimize system performance: 1. Minimum harvest time delay, relative to the start of the ice-making cycle; 2. Threshold persistence time delay, requires that the signal sensor persists above the harvest threshold value for a certain amount of time (referenced to when the threshold is first exceeded), before harvesting may begin; 3. Harvesting delay is an optional delay provided give the option of making sure the ice is sufficiently “cured.” These delay times may be implemented in hardware (by being built into the control logic), software, or by a combination of both hardware and software. The improved sensor and control concepts offer their own benefits and may be used separately or together.
| 5
|
[0001] This is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 13/874,114 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of gaming and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for gaming that enhances the player experience by automatically and randomly selecting a multiplier and automatically and randomly applying the multiplier to a single payline—or up to no more than ten percent (10%) of the total number of paylines—among a plurality of paylines at the start of each game. All paylines are created equal. The paylines are pre-defined by the system, and each pay Line has the same odds of occurrence (payouts/wins) and functionality as the other paylines. No user input is required for selection of the multiplier or selection of the payline(s) to which the multiplier is applied.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Gaming machine manufacturers are currently challenged with creating anticipation and excitement for the player with their gambling features. Many of the current popular gambling machines have a matrix of symbols with multiple paylines or combinations of ways to win with some sort of bonus feature as the main event that increases the odds of winning for the player during that mode. During the bonus mode, the game likely has increased odds to bigger awards and a higher payback percentage to the player, as well as additional game features that create more excitement. These additional game features may or may not include variations on the main game. For example, bonus features that would be considered variations on the main game include award multipliers, increased odds of getting wilds or other valuable symbols, and free games. One example of a bonus feature that would not be considered a variation on the main game is providing a series of “pick” screens where the player picks an object from several objects, and an award value is given. Another example of a bonus feature that would not be considered a variation on the main game is allowing the player to trigger a spin of a wheel with prizes on each segment and awarding the player the value of the segment to which the wheel indicator points when it stops spinning. The present invention would be considered a bonus-type feature that is ongoing (continuous) in the main game.
[0006] Many of the popular mainstream gaming machines have multiple paylines (ways to win) with the bet being spread over these many paylines. Because the bet is spread over these multiple ways to win, any one payline win may not result in a very meaningful award. It is fairly typical for a lot of games to be played and money lost (by the player) during the non-bonus mode. As a result, the challenge to gaming manufacturers is to design a game that maintains the player's attention during the base/main game by providing the perception that awards that are more frequent and/or more attainable. The present invention ensures that the player continues to be entertained during the main game due to the constant anticipation of hitting a multiplier payline with a relatively generous payout.
[0007] The present invention creates anticipation at game start because the player knows that a multiplier will be applied in every game and that this multiplier may be relatively large (e.g., 25×). This makes the player feel that there is potential for a meaningful award on a single payline in every game played in a multi-payline game. The present invention makes the multiplier value and multiplier payline clear to the player at game start, which makes it easy for the player to identify the conditions that will lead to enhanced winnings. Because the multiplier is applied to a relatively small percentage of the total number of paylines (preferably, no more than ten percent (10%)), the gaming manufacturer can offer a large range of multipliers (for example, from 4× to 25×). The fact that the paylines are pre-defined by the system and that all paylines are created equal (i.e., each payline has the same odds of occurrence (payouts/wins) and functionality as the other paylines) also increases player trust.
[0008] There are a number of multiplier-type gaming methods, none of which both dynamically selects the multiplier and applies it to a dynamically selected and pre-defined payline (or a limited number of pre-defined paylines) at the start of the game. These include U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,124 (Baerlocher et al., 2001) (applying enhancements to certain reel symbols or their backgrounds); U.S. Pat. No. 6,558.254 (Baerlocher et al., 2003) (applying enhancements to certain symbols or their backgrounds); U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,356 (Baerlocher et al., 2004) U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,360 (Marks et al., 2005) (displaying an active border that at least partially surrounds a game matrix and is configured to randomly select and display game and payline multipliers); U.S. Pat. No, 7,749.073 (Thomas et al., 2010) (allowing players to select paylines to define active paylines; allowing players to activate enhanced paylines; randomly selecting a game outcome in response to a wager input and displaying the game outcome as symbols aligned along the active paylines and the enhanced payline); U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,616 (Moody, 2012) (assigning a randomly selected multiplier to activated paylines); U.S. Pat. No. 8,177,622 (Englman, 2012) (in response to a winning outcome, awarding a player a winning award, modifying the background of a cell associated with the winning outcome, and causing an alteration in the wagering game upon modification of the background); U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,938 (Gilmore et al., 2012) (invoking a win multiplier feature when a displayed combination yields a predetermined award and meets a predetermined criterion).
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to create the perception in the mind of the player that a meaningful award can be applied and that meaningful awards are attainable during every game play. It is another object of the present invention to introduce a greater degree of unpredictability (and, therefore, excitement) into the game by providing a large range of multipliers (which can only be done if the multipliers are applied to no more than a limited number of paylines). It is yet another object of the present invention to display a dynamic (i.e., automatically and randomly selected) multiplier on the screen at game start and to visually connect that multiplier to a specific “multiplier” payline that is also dynamically selected from among all of the available paylines.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is a gaming method for adding a bonus feature to a main game comprising: providing a gaming machine with a display screen, wherein the display screen is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; providing a plurality of paylines, wherein, each payline comprises one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly selecting a multiplier value from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly applying the selected multiplier value at game start to a single payline to create a selected multiplier payline, wherein all of the pay lines in the plurality of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and displaying the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline to the user on the display screen. In a preferred embodiment, the selected multiplier payline is highlighted with a border around the cells that comprise the selected multiplier payline. Preferably, the selected multiplier value is displayed in the left-most cell of the selected multiplier payline.
[0011] In an alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaming method for adding a bonus feature to a main game comprising; providing a gaming machine with a display screen, wherein the display screen is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; providing a given number of paylines, wherein each payline comprises one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly selecting a multiplier value from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly applying the selected multiplier value at game start to a limited number of paylines in the given number of paylines to create at least two selected multiplier paylines, the limited number being, no greater than ten percent (10%) of the given number of paylines, wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, and wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and displaying the multiplier value and the selected multiplier paylines to the user on the display screen. In a preferred embodiment, the selected multiplier payline is highlighted with a border around the cells that comprise the selected, multiplier payline. Preferably, the selected multiplier value is displayed in the left-most cell of the selected multiplier payline.
[0012] In an alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaming method for adding a bonus feature to a main game comprising: providing a gaming machine with a display screen, wherein the display screen is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; providing a plurality of paylines, wherein each payline comprises one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly applying a multiplier value at game start to a single payline to create a selected multiplier payline, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and displaying the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline to the user on the display screen.
[0013] In another alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaming method for adding a bonus feature to a main game comprising: providing a gaming machine with a display screen, wherein the display screen is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; providing a given number of paylines, therein each payline comprises one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly applying a multiplier value at game start to a limited number of paylines in the given number of paylines to create at least two selected multiplier paylines, the limited number being no greater than ten percent (10%) of the given number of paylines, wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, and wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and displaying the multiplier value and the selected multiplier paylines to the user on the display screen.
[0014] In another alternate embodiment the present invention is a gaming method for adding a bonus feature to a main game comprising: providing a gaming machine with a display screen, wherein the display screen is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; providing a given number of paylines, wherein each payline comprises one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly selecting at least two multiplier values from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly applying the selected multiplier values at game start to a limited number of paylines in the given number of paylines to create at least two selected multiplier paylines, the limited number being no greater than ten percent (10%) of the given number of paylines, wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, and wherein all of the paylines in the given number of pay lines are automatically activated in the main game; and displaying the multiplier values and the selected multiplier paylines to the user on the display screen.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline are displayed to the user on the display screen at game start. In another preferred embodiment, the multiplier value and the selected multiplier paylines are displayed to the user on the display screen at game start, in yet another preferred embodiment, the multiplier values and the selected multiplier paylines are displayed to the user on the display screen at game start.
[0016] The present invention is also a gaming apparatus comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: provide a display screen that is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; provide a plurality of paylines, each payline comprising one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly select a multiplier value from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly apply the selected multiplier value at game start to a single payline to create a selected multiplier payline, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines are automatically activated in the main game: and display the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline to the user on the display screen. In a preferred embodiment, the selected multiplier payline is highlighted with a border around the cells that comprise the selected multiplier payline. Preferably, the selected multiplier value is displayed in the left-most cell of the selected multiplier payline.
[0017] In an alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaming apparatus comprising: a display device; an input device: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: provide a display screen that is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; provide a given number of paylines, each payline comprising one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly select a multiplier value from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly apply the selected multiplier value at game start to a limited number of paylines in the given number of paylines to create at least two selected multiplier paylines. the limited number being no greater than ten percent (10%) of the given number of paylines, wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, and wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and display the multiplier value and the selected multiplier paylines to the user on the display screen, in a preferred embodiment, the selected multiplier payline is highlighted with a border around the cells that comprise the selected multiplier payline. Preferably, the selected multiplier value is displayed in the left-most cell of the selected multiplier payline.
[0018] In an alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaining apparatus comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: provide a display screen that is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; provide a plurality of paylines, each payline comprising one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly apply a multiplier value at game start to a single payline to create a selected multiplier payline, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, wherein all of the paylines in the plurality of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and display the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline to the user on the display screen.
[0019] In another alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaming apparatus comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: provide a display screen that is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; provide a given number of paylines, each payline comprising one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly apply a multiplier value at game start to a limited number of paylines in the given number of paylines to create at least two selected multiplier paylines, the limited number being no greater than ten percent (10%) of the given number of paylines, wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, and wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines are automatically activated in the main game; and display the multiplier value and the selected multiplier paylines to the user on the display screen.
[0020] In another alternate embodiment, the present invention is a gaming apparatus comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: provide a display screen that is comprised of a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns; provide a given number of paylines, each payline comprising one cell from a plurality of columns on the display screen; automatically and randomly select at least two multiplier values from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly apply the selected multiplier values at game start to a limited number of paylines in the given number of paylines to create at least two selected multiplier paylines, the limited number being no greater than ten percent (10%) of the given number of paylines, wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines automatically qualify for multiplier status, and wherein all of the paylines in the given number of paylines ate automatically activated in the main game; and display the multiplier values and the selected multiplier paylines to the user on the display screen.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline are displayed to the user on the display screen at game start. In another preferred embodiment, the multiplier value and the selected multiplier paylines are displayed to the user on the display screen at game start. In yet another preferred embodiment, the multiplier values and the selected multiplier paylines are displayed to the user on the display screen at game start,
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a screenshot before game start showing the randomly selected multiplier payline.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a screenshot. alter a game has been played showing a winning payline that is not the multiplier payline.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a screenshot after a game has been played showing a winning payline that is also the multiplier payline.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a screenshot showing twenty-five (25) paylines in a 25-payline game.
[0026] FIG. 5 Is a diagram of a screenshot showing the Base Award Table.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0027] 1 . Display screen
[0028] 2 Cell
[0029] 3 Symbol.
[0030] 4 Payline
[0031] 5 Multiplier
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0032] As shown in FIG. 1 , the display screen 1 is comprised of a plurality of cells 2 arranged in rows and columns. Each cell 2 contains a symbol 3 . The columns function as “reels” that spin (rotate vertically) at game start. When each reel has finished spinning, the game is completed, and the player wins or loses based on the combination of symbols appearing in the cells 2 . A pay line 4 is comprised of one symbol 3 from each of the columns in the display screen 1 . In the example shown in FIG. 1 , there are three rows and five columns; however, the present invention is not limited to any particular number of rows or columns.
[0033] FIG. 5 (Base Award Table) provides an example of what is needed to constitute a winning payline. For example, two alligators or two spades would not constitute a winning payline, but two elephants (or two lions) would. Five elephants results in more credits than five bells. The credits corresponding to five-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, three-of-a-kind and two-of-a-kind for each of the eight symbols are presented in FIG. 5 . The present invention is not limited to any particular type or number of symbols, nor is it limited to any particular formula for ascribing points to a particular combination of symbols.
[0034] FIG. 4 provides an example of a game with twenty-five (25) different paylines. As shown in this figure, each payline comprises one symbol from each of the five columns (or reels). In a preferred embodiment, the paylines are pre-programmed and are not individually definable by the user. To achieve a winning payline, the player must get three-, four- or five-of-a-kind of any of the eight symbols, or two-of-a-kind of the first two symbols (elephant and lion). The repeating symbols must be adjacent to one another in the payline (e.g., a spade in each of columns 1, 2 and 3 in the rows corresponding to the payline) to count as five-, four-, three- or two-of-a-kind.
[0035] Referring back to FIG. 1 , there is no winning payline because none of the twenty-five (25) paylines shown in FIG. 4 meets the criteria set forth in FIG. 5 (Base Award Table). At game start, the invention highlights one and only one of the paylines as the “multiplier” payline and displays a multiplier 5 (in this case, 25×) in the left-most column (or reel) of that payline. The multiplier may be displayed anywhere on the screen, as long as it is clear to the player that the multiplier applies to the highlighted payline (the multiplier is preferably indicated at the start of the payline, as shown). The “multiplier” payline may be highlighted in any manner that makes it clearly visible to the player at game start.
[0036] Displaying the multiplier and highlighting the multiplier payline is concurrent with the player starting the game, The player initiates the game (typically by pressing a button on the screen or on the gaming machine console), and all reels spin. The “multiplier” payline preferably stays highlighted during the spinning of the reels and upon completion of the game (until the next game is commenced). FIG. 1 shows what the screen would look like if the player did not win anything at all. In other words, in this screenshot, not only did the player not win on the “multiplier” payline, but he did not win on any of the twenty-four (24) other paylines shown in FIG. 4 .
[0037] Note that the “multiplier” payline shown in FIG. 1 is payline number 4 (in FIG. 4 ). In the present invention, all of the paylines in a game are capable of being selected as the “multiplier” payline, and the invention automatically and randomly selects the multiplier payline at the start of each game. (The multiplier pay line is shown to the player by highlighting that particular payline on the screen, as shown in FIG. 1 .) This feature adds greater interest to the game because the payline to which the multiplier is applied varies. No action or intervention from the player is necessary to activate a payline or to qualify it for “multiplier” status. In a preferred embodiment, the player is required to play all paylines; in other words, he cannot select fewer than all of the available paylines to play in a given game, nor can he select which paylines will qualify for multiplier status or to which payline(s) the multiplier will apply. Instead, the system automatically treats all paylines as qualified for multiplier status and automatically and randomly selects the payline to which the multiplier will apply. Unlike some of the prior art references, no user intervention (other than placing the initial minimum wager) is required to “activate” any given paylines or to qualify them for multiplier stains (everything happens automatically at game start), and the paylines that qualify for multiplier status are the same paylines that are used (automatically activated) in the main game.
[0038] In FIG. 2 , the game has resulted in a winning payline (in this ease, payline 3 on FIG. 4 ), but the winning payline is not the “multiplier” payline, which remains highlighted. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the winning payline is indicated with a line that extends through the middle of each cell in the winning payline; however, the present invention is not limited to any particular way of designating a winning payline. In this case, the winner weald earn the number of credits indicated on the Base Award Table ( FIG. 5 ) without any multiplier.
[0039] In FIG. 3 , the game has resulted in a winning payline that is also the “multiplier” payline (that is, the same payline that is highlighted in FIG. 1 ). In this case, the winner would earn the number of credits indicated on the Base Award Table ( FIG. 5 ) multiplied by the multiplier value, which in this example is 25. The present invention automatically and randomly selects the multiplier value (from a variety of multiplier values) that is applied at the start of each game. As used herein the term “dynamically” (in reference to both the selection of the multiplier from among a plurality of multiplier values and the selection of the multiplier payline from among a plurality of pre-defined paylines) means both automatically and randomly. In a preferred embodiment, animation is used to highlight a winning multiplier payline.
[0040] With regard to “credits won” (in the lower left-hand corner of the display screen in FIGS. 1-3 ), these credits are calculated by the system based on the bet placed by the player, the particular combination of symbols in the winning payline (based on the Base Award Table shown in FIG. 5 ), and whether the winning payline is a multiplier payline. For example, referring to FIG. 1 , the credits won is zero. This is because there is no winning payline. Referring to FIG. 2 , the credits won are 500. This is because the winning payline (in this case, payline “ 3 ” shown in FIG. 4 ) contains five spades. According to the Base Award Table, five adjacent spades in a payline are worth 125 credits. The “Credits per Line” in the upper left-hand corner of the display screen indicates how many credits per line the player has bet. In this case, the player has bet 4 credits per line; therefore, the winning payline shown is actually worth 500 credits (125 times four). Referring to FIG. 3 , the winning payline (in this case, payline “ 4 ” shown in FIG. 4 ) contains five spades, but it is also the multiplier payline. The multiplier is “25×”; therefore, the total credits won by the player is actually 12,500 (500 times 25).
[0041] Note that although the above examples apply the multiplier to a single payline, in an alternate embodiment, the multiplier may be applied to up to no more than ten percent (10%) of the total number of paylines. For example, in a game in which there are a total of 25 different paylines (as shown in FIG. 4 ), the multiplier could be applied to up to two different paylines. In a game with a total of 50 different paylines. the multiplier could be applied to up to five different paylines. It is important to limit the number of paylines to which the multiplier applies to a relatively small number (small in relation to the total number of paylines) in order to keep the game economically feasible. In other words, the fewer the number of paylines to which the multiplier is applied, the greater the multiplier values (e.g., 25×) that can be used. This limitation makes the game more meaningful and exciting for players because the potential rewards of hitting a multiplier payline are greater.
[0042] In an alternate embodiment the system applies a single multiplier to a dynamically selected payline or limited number of paylines. In this embodiment, the multiplier is not dynamically selected. In yet another alternate embodiment, the system dynamically selects more than one multiplier value and applies a multiplier value to each of the paylines in the selected number of paylines; in other words, the same multiplier value is not necessarily applied to each of the selected paylines when there is more than one selected payline. In the latter embodiment, only one multiplier value is applied to each selected payline, although the multiplier values applied to the selected paylines may be different.
[0043] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
|
A gaming method for adding a bonus feature to a main game comprising: providing a display screen comprised of cells arranged in rows and columns; providing a plurality of paylines, each payline comprising one cell from a plurality of columns; automatically and randomly selecting a multiplier value from among a plurality of multiplier values; automatically and randomly applying the selected multiplier value to a limited number of paylines to create one or more selected multiplier paylines; and displaying the multiplier value and the selected multiplier payline(s) to the user on the display screen.
| 6
|
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] In general, this invention relates to the field of building construction. More particularly, the present invention relates to the following:
[0000] 1. Composite membrane wood floor diaphragm for new buildings and strengthening of the existing buildings to provide improved load transfer capacity and resistance of membrane of wood floor diaphragm to gravity and lateral loads, such as earthquake and/or wind for buildings with wood floor framing; and
2. A sound suppression system installed beneath a plywood subfloor that offers floor-to-floor sound suppression operating in the eighty (80) to ninety (90) decibel range.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wood Structures
Horizontal Diaphragm
[0002] According to the American Wood and Forest Association's “Details for Conventional Wood Frame Construction”, wood frame construction continues to be the predominant method of constructing homes and apartments. This is due to the inherent strength and durability of wood frame buildings. Increasingly, wood framing is also being utilized in the construction of commercial and industrial mid-rise buildings. Wood frame buildings are economical to build and to heat and cool down, providing comfort for the occupants. Moreover, wood construction is readily adaptable to a wide variety of architectural building styles.
[0003] There are two (2) predominant styles of wood frame construction in the building industry: balloon and platform (see, e.g., FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 ). In general, balloon framing is a technique that suspends the floors from the walls. Vertical wood studs extend the full height of the walls of a balloon frame building, and floor joists are fastened to the studs with nails. Balloon construction is a system of framing a wooden building, whereby all vertical structural elements of the exterior bearing walls and partitions consist of single studs that extend the full height of the frame, from the top of the sill plate to the roof plate, and all floor joists fasten by nails to the studs.
[0004] The balloon-frame house with wood cladding, invented in Chicago in the 1840s, aided the rapid settlement of the western U.S. The introduction and ensuing popularity of balloon frame construction coincided with the intensification of the settlement of Wisconsin and the opening of Wisconsin's forests to the lumber industry. By 1892, the vast amount of milled lumber available made balloon frame construction an inexpensive and expedient choice for Wisconsin builders, and wood frame buildings of all descriptions became ubiquitous on the landscape. This method of construction was common until the late 1940s.
[0005] The balloon style of construction has mostly been discontinued due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to the overall low fire resistance and the high cost of lengthy studs, which together inhibits the use of the balloon method of construction in multi-story buildings. This led the industry to the platform style of construction, in which each floor of the building is built as a separate unit from floors above and below it. In North America, with its abundant softwood forests, the framed building received an extensive revival after World War II in the form of platform framing. Since that time, platform framing has become the predominant form of wood frame construction.
[0006] In a contemporary multi-story building, a general platform construction sequence can be briefly described as follows. Reference is made to FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 . FIG. 1 shows a typical section view cut through the exterior bearing wall, where the floor framing is perpendicular to the exterior wall. This typical section ( FIG. 1 ) pertains to a platform construction and illustrates a typical floor joist bearing over the bearing one-sided shear wall below with an upper story bearing shear wall above, conceptually showing typical/standard gravity and lateral load transfer connections, structural floor diaphragm and other major non-structural elements, such as exterior stucco, drywall and flooring, etc.
[0007] FIG. 2 shows a typical section view cut through the interior bearing wall where the regular wood joist floor framing on the left side is parallel to the subject wall below and above and the wood framing on the right hand side is perpendicular to the interior wall above and below. This typical section pertains to platform construction and it illustrates a typical floor joist bearing over the bearing one-sided shear wall below with an upper story bearing shear wall above, conceptually showing typical/standard gravity and lateral load transfer connections, structural floor diaphragm and other major non-structural elements (such as exterior stucco, drywall and flooring, etc.).
[0008] Upon completion of the earthwork (i.e., excavation for the foundation), a foundation is typically laid and installed. Thereafter, first floor walls are erected, ending with a double top plate 4 on top of the studs 1 . Then, the floor framing elements, such as floor joists 3 and blocking 7 , or floor joists 26 and blocking 28 and 29 if an engineered wood framing system is utilized, are added. The subfloor plywood 11 is then constructed. Subfloor 11 is generally defined in the construction industry as “rough” floor, typically plywood, over which flooring material 18 is laid. Subfloor membrane 11 is attached to the floor framing system below with fasteners 24 in accordance with the floor diaphragm fastening schedule, forming a structural floor diaphragm that is defined and discussed in a greater detail below. After the second floor base plate 8 is installed over the subfloor, the wall studs 2 go up to the third-floor level to a top plate again. Over that top plate, the process is repeated for the next floor up and so forth. The ceiling structure at the roof level and the rood structure itself are installed over the very last double top plate. Once rough framing of the structure is complete (i.e., the structure skeleton is erected), including but not limited to the installation of shear transfer hardware 6 and 9 , then other non-structural elements of the building, such as but not limited to exterior stucco 12 , exterior building paper and wire mesh 13 , interior drywall sheathing 14 , wall thermal insulation 15 , floor thermal insulation 16 , and interior drywall ceiling sheathing 23 are scheduled for installation, traditionally postponing the installation of flooring material 18 towards the very end of the structure construction sequence.
[0009] The advent of contemporary construction technologies brought engineered wood to the construction industry market as an alternative material choice to the traditional wood. Engineered wood products, see FIGS. 3 and 4 , are typically used in a host of structural applications, ranging from home construction to agricultural buildings to large commercial structures.
[0010] FIG. 3 shows a typical section view cut through the exterior bearing wall where an engineered wood I-beam floor framing is perpendicular to the exterior wall. This typical section pertains to platform construction and it illustrates a typical engineered wood I-beam floor joist bearing over the bearing one-sided shear wall below with an upper story bearing shear wall above, conceptually showing typical gravity and lateral load transfer connections, structural floor diaphragm and other major non-structural elements, such as exterior stucco, drywall and flooring, etc.
[0011] FIG. 4 shows a typical section view cut through the interior bearing wall where an engineered wood I-beam floor joist framing on the left side is parallel to the subject wall below and above and an engineered wood I-beam floor framing on the right hand side is perpendicular to the interior wall(s) above and below. This typical section pertains to platform construction and it illustrates a typical engineered wood I-beam bearing over the bearing one-sided shear wall below with an upper story bearing shear wall above, conceptually showing typical gravity and lateral load transfer connections, a structural floor diaphragm membrane, and other major non-structural elements such as exterior stucco, drywall and flooring, etc.
[0012] In both residential and commercial construction, engineered wood products are typically used in longer span floors with reduced or limited deflection criteria, walls, and roofs. Use of engineered wood applications have not introduced any principal changes to the normal platform construction sequence briefly described above.
[0013] Blocking noise from floor-to-floor is the most common, yet challenging request in soundproofing. While a lack of a desired level of floor sound suppression persists in the construction industry, the current industry interpretation of the term “sound barrier” refers to a system that decreases propagation of sound traveling through the floor system. Regretfully, sound suppression continues to play role of a sound or noise propagation control rather than a sound barrier system.
[0014] Rick Berg's article “Using a Sound Barrier With Wood Flooring” in the June/July 2002 edition of Hardwood Floors Magazine recognizes significant ongoing customer demand for a “ . . . better job of controlling sound transmission between living quarters,” noting that building codes typically specify two types of sound-control ratings: IIC (Impact Insulation Class) and STC (Sound Transmission Class). A rating of 50 decibels for each class is generally is a standard requirement. The IIC class relates to sound transmitted as a result of impact on a surface, such as footsteps on a floor for example. The STC class relates to airborne sounds, such as voices and music. Sound control underlayments often carry an STC rating, as well as an IIC rating. However, flooring products really have a substantial effect only on impact sounds.
[0015] The aforementioned article reveals that “in some cases, we've seen developers asking for a IIC in the 60s. . . . Sometimes you can achieve that in a concrete structure with suspended ceilings, but you can't expect to be in the 60s with a wood-frame structure. The structure itself limits that.” In reality, a rating in the range of 50 decibels or even 60 decibels for wood frame structures is well below the desired range of high 80 decibels or even 90 decibels. Current art pertinent to the acoustic materials in the industry include materials for sound insulation in wood frame construction that typically rely on employing of one (1) or more types of noise propagation reduction systems from the following general list:
[0016] 1. Use of actual flooring materials as soundproof material. Obviously, and as said in the aforementioned article, different flooring materials have very different sound transfer qualities. Carpet flooring, for an example, is a material with one of the highest soundproof ratings. However, it is highly problematic due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the major known issues of indoor air quality, and serviceability issues associated with particle residue retained between the carpet pad and carpet itself. Such residue is known to cause allergies, breathing problems, respiratory infections and asthma. Furthermore, accumulation of moisture and, as a consequence, most likely growing bacteria such as mold that is not removable by means of regular cleaning, creates a major problem for the consumers, not to mention the overall high maintenance factor.
[0017] 2. Use of sound control underlayment, such as cork or even an engineered noise control insulation mat that is intended to limit only a certain percentage of impact noise between the floors. If sound control underlayment is employed, it is normally installed between the flooring 18 and plywood sheathing 11 (refer to FIGS. 1 to 4 ). Sound control underlayment is not called out in FIGS. 1 to 4 since it does not embody the industry standard or mandatory requirement in all the typical cases.
[0018] 3. Interior drywall sheathing 23 per FIGS. 1 to 4 or, in older construction, use of so called acoustic ceiling, also known in the industry as “popcorn ceiling” instead of drywall sheathing 23 . The “popcorn ceiling” can be found in some of the older structures since it was popular from the late 1950's through the early 1980's. Even if difficulty in cleaning and the issue of architectural appearance are negated and not considered as main factors against use of acoustic ceilings, the main prohibiting factor against this type of ceiling today is the presence of asbestos.
[0019] Interior drywall sheathing 23 itself is not very effective as a primary sound reduction system. Some local building and safety jurisdictions suggest addition of ⅝ inch gypsum board to the existing ceiling construction, while other jurisdictions, depending on building occupancy and other factors beyond the scope of this discussion, simply require doubling drywall sheathing 23 to achieve a satisfactory reduction in noise propagation. In either case, even a 0.5 inch thickness increase in ceiling board system essentially means an increase on the overall dead load of the floor system by 2.5 pounds per square foot. Obviously, such an approach offers a less than desirable solution from both the design gravity load standpoint and the design lateral load increase standpoint. Meanwhile, all of the systems described above offer a noise transmission reduction remedial solution that operate in the 50 decibel range or at the very best 60 decibel range.
[0020] Although the acoustic engineering society has made attempts in the past to work on finding a solution in form of an improvement in the current state of the art, the building community has created an opposition that has thus far blocked these attempts due to the increase in the cost of construction. However, a lack of a proper noise blocking barrier can lead to medical problems associated with exposure to noise. Complications, related to the exposure to certain levels of noise in different environments, may result in an undesirable outcome. For an example, exposure to noise in the hospital or at school is a nuisance that inflicts various negative impacts on patient's and student's nervous system.
[0021] Currently, the industry has not yet offered to the consumer a floor-to-floor noise blocking barrier that can operate in the high 80s decibel range or even 90 decibel range, despite the tendency toward higher population densities in urban areas. Privacy at home has become of greater importance, not to mention the rapidly developing trend of multi-level housing that brings the neighbor noise issue to the forefront, highlighting a need for exceptional, non-remedial solutions in form of an adequate noise blocking barrier.
[0022] In structural engineering, a diaphragm is generally defined as structural system used to transfer lateral loads to shear walls or frames primarily through in-plane shear stress. These lateral loads are usually the result of wind and earthquake loads, but other lateral loads such as lateral earth pressure or hydrostatic pressure can also be resisted by diaphragm action. Diaphragms are usually constructed of plywood or oriented strand board in timber construction, metal deck or composite metal deck in steel construction, or a concrete slab in concrete construction.
[0023] The Second Edition of Dictionary of Architecture & Construction by Cyril Harris defines a diaphragm as “A floor slab, metal wall panel, roof panel, or the like, having a sufficiently large in-plane shear stiffness and sufficient strength to transmit horizontal forces to resisting systems.”
[0024] The diaphragm of a structure often does double duty as the floor system and roof system of a building, or the deck of a bridge, which simultaneously supports gravity loads. The common floor diaphragm serves a dual purpose by supporting vertical forces (from loads such as furniture, people, snow, uplift, and its own dead load) and by transmitting horizontal forces (from wind pressure or earthquake accelerations) to the vertical load resisting elements of the structure, such as the shears walls. In the wood frame structure, shear walls play the role of lateral support during the lateral load transfer action. In a common form of sheathed construction, the diaphragm membrane is usually a planar system of sheathing connected to the frame members, intended to act together to withstand considerable in-plane forces. Diaphragm stiffness is an important parameter in the design of wood framed structures to calculate the predicted deflection, and thereby determine if a diaphragm may be classified as rigid or flexible. The two primary types of diaphragms are identified in the industry as flexible and rigid. This classification controls the method by which load is transferred from the diaphragm to the supporting structure below. Flexible diaphragms resist lateral forces depending on the tributary area, irrespective of the flexibility of the members to which they are transferring force. On the other hand, rigid diaphragms transfer load to frames or shear walls depending on their flexibility and their location in the structure.
[0025] Parts of a diaphragm include: the membrane, used as a shear panel to carry in-plane shear; the drag strut member, used to transfer the load to the shear walls or frames; and the chord, used to resist the tension and compression forces that develop in the diaphragm, since the membrane is usually incapable of handling these loads alone.
[0026] According to the “HISTORY OF YARD LUMBER SIZE STANDARDS” by L. W. SMITH, Wood Technologist and L. W. WOOD, Engineer (Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture), early standards called for green rough lumber to be of full nominal dimension when dry, but the requirements have changed over time. For example, in 1910, a typical finished 1-inch (25 mm) board was 13/16 inch (21 mm). In 1928, that dimension was reduced by 4%, and yet again by 4% in 1956. In 1961, at a meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Committee on Grade Simplification and Standardization agreed to what is now the current U.S. standard: in part, the dressed size of a 1 inch (nominal) board is fixed at ¾ inch; while the dressed size of a 2 inch (nominal) lumber was reduced from 1⅝ inch to the today's standard of 1½ inch. Therefore, currently, typical 2× joist 3 is actually 1.5 inches thick.
[0027] More often use of the open space or open floor design concept in contemporary architectural designs require wood floor diaphragms to span farther and farther horizontally without a support (walls, column, etc.). In many cases, architectural design parameters create situations where walls above a floor are not aligned with or not located directly beneath the walls on that floor, thereby requiring certain parts of the floor diaphragm to be responsible for the lateral load transfer from walls above down to the walls below through the floor diaphragm. This situation automatically leads to development of higher stresses within the horizontal diaphragm. The same and/or similar challenges are described in the SEAOSC's article “Thinking Outside the Box: New approaches to very large flexible diaphragms” by John W. Lawson, SE of Kramer & Lawson, Inc. (Tustin, Calif.). However, the aforementioned article notes that “wood roof diaphragms are being required to span farther horizontally with higher shear stresses.”
[0028] It is certainly understood that especially high span, flexible wood diaphragm behavior is somewhat similar to the behavior of a beam subjected to bending (flexure). A horizontal wood diaphragm span between vertical supports, for example shear walls in the out-of-plane direction, as schematically shown on FIG. 6 . Because of the beam-like behavior in the out-of-plane direction as schematically demonstrated in FIG. 6 , lateral force 20 application throughout the diaphragm system causes a different type of stresses to occur within the different components of the diaphragm.
[0029] Besides the lateral forces (caused by earthquake, strong wind, etc.) that travel through the diaphragm and cause shear stresses, due to the beam-like behavior in the out-of-plane direction diaphragm, there are also forces or force components that occur in the membrane of the diaphragm and act in direction 49 as shown on FIG. 7 (also FIGS. 5A and 5C ), imposing forces onto the plywood panels 11 , perpendicular to the direction of the edge spacings 22 that run parallel to (or along) the direction of floor joist 3 or 26 . Subject forces 49 imposed in the direction as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5D pull the plywood away, imposing forces in the same direction onto the fasteners 24 . Force 49 is also perpendicular to the direction of lateral force 20 and, correspondingly, reaction (and shear transfer) force 41 . This action, development and corresponding imposition of a sufficient amount of force in the direction 49 will cause excessive stresses in: (1) the most vulnerable area from the structural point region 37 of wood panel 11 on FIG. 5A and, correspondingly, region 41 on FIG. 5C ; (2) fastener 22 on FIG. 5A and FIG. 5D ; and (3) joist 3 of FIG. 5A or joist 26 on FIG. 5C , causing cracking or splitting 50 as schematically shown on FIG. 5B and FIG. 5D .
[0030] The issue (1) above can also occur if fasteners 24 are located too close to the edge of plywood panels. For a regular construction assembly where 2× framing such as 3 is used, based on the dimension 36 and 22 , the dimension 37 would be approximately within one quarter inch. That is in the best case scenario, neglecting normal intolerances associated with field installation that happens routinely. The dimension 40 of FIG. 5C per current standards varies from 1¾ inch for TJI 110 joists to 3½ inches for TJI 560 joists. The heavier the joist 26 , the longer the joist span and, correspondingly, the heavier the resulting diaphragm loads. This leads to the introduction of staggered fasteners, spaced closer when dimension 40 jumps to values higher than 1¾ inch. A staggered nailing pattern again leaves the same problem unresolved for at least 50% of the fasteners, located closest to the edge of panel 11 , not offering much higher number than 37 on FIG. 5A , and fasteners 24 are still too close to the edge of plywood panels 11 . Therefore, it is evident that the problem of fasteners 24 being too close to the edge of plywood panel 11 exist in both cases. This issue of fasteners 24 located too close to the edge of plywood panels 11 in this type of construction leaves an automatic failure path for plywood to tear through the nails and pull away, as shown on FIGS. 5B and 5D .
[0031] Issue (2) is likely to result in an overstressing in fastener 22 to the point of loss of structural integrity and corresponding flexure (bending), as schematically shown on FIG. 5B and FIG. 5D . Issue (3) above shall be described as crack or split (separation) development 50 as schematically shown on FIG. 5B and FIG. 5D due to localized stress occurrence, caused by the force exerted by each fastener 24 in the row onto the joist 3 on FIG. 5A or joist 26 on FIG. 5C , in the direction of force 49 , perpendicular to the wood grain as shown.
[0032] As also discussed in the aforementioned SEAOSC's article, a proposed remedy for issue (1) would be the “multiple lines of nails, on 3× and 4× framing, with special inspection.” In addition, the following statement is made in the article: “As in all wood diaphragms, closely spaced nails that align with the wood grain could cause wood splitting that compromises the nail's gripping strength. The use of a staggered nailing pattern and wider framing members minimizes the risk of lumber splitting due to tight nail spacings.” The subject statement reflects one current solution for both roof and horizontal floor diaphragm construction.
[0033] The industry standard 4 foot by 8 foot plywood panels 11 are to be typically installed in the wood diaphragm construction in the transverse direction (perpendicular) to the direction of floor joist. Panels 11 are typically staggered and edge spacing lines between plywood panels are thereby normally spaced every 4 feet apart. The aforementioned remedial solution suggests use of 3× or 4× framing at least every 4 feet where panel joints 22 occur. If framing joists are spaced at 16 inches on center, then every third member would be a 4× or 3× wood beam instead of the 2× joist. This offers an almost cost prohibitive, less than practical solution that also increases the dead load of the structure, inadvertently causing an increase in the design seismic load. Higher mass of the structure (dead load) simply means higher seismic load. The natural difference in stiffness between the typical 2× joist and a 4× or 3× wood beam used as a joist in case of uniform long floor diaphragm may also invite issues with uneven gravity load distribution and transfer within the floor system, posting unexpected potential issues with overall floor system long term performance. Obviously, use of 4× or 3× wood beams do not offer an acceptable solution for the issues (1), (2) and (3) above.
[0034] As also mentioned earlier, flooring material is traditionally not a part of the structural system of typical wood frame building. Normally, flooring material is not accounted for by the building designers to structurally resist gravity or lateral loads. From a structural standpoint, flooring self-weight or dead load is simply an additional mass to be considered for the gravity and lateral load design of the floor system as part of the structure and, consequently, design of corresponding portions of the structure responsible for carrying and resisting extra loading exerted by this mass.
[0035] The average life expectancy of a regular wood structure is in the neighborhood of one hundred years, depending on a number of factors. Throughout the life of the structure, it is usually expected that flooring will be changed periodically. Frequency of removal and replacement with new flooring normally depends on the type and overall serviceability and durability of the flooring material. Traditionally, flooring material in the industry is not used as part of the structural system of the building, often, carpet flooring is installed temporarily, solely to expedite the escrow closure process during the property acquisition and/or in efforts to obtain a formal certificate of occupancy in the new or remodeled building.
[0036] Not utilizing flooring as part of the structural system of the building traditionally creates challenges in the industry, including, but not limited to, moot points during the design phase. The structure is designed to carry a certain weight. Whether the structure is designed to carry 1 pound per square foot or 15 pounds per square foot weight of the floor makes a major difference. Often times, not being able to define and, therefore, not knowing the weight of the flooring material while the architectural design decisions related to the flooring choice has not been made or is being changed numerous times during the design process inserts a definiteness issue between the offices of the architect and the engineer. It is the engineer who is simultaneously estimating the structural design of the building, often times not knowing and only assuming a certain weight of the flooring material. This negatively affects both cost of the design and cost of the project during the construction phase. Conservative design for an additional weight may not always represent the safest and most economical design.
[0037] To summarize, putting aside the aforementioned challenges that transpire during the design phase due to lack of knowledge of the material weight while designing the actual structure, not utilizing flooring material as part of the structure creates a situation in the industry where flooring material is an afterthought that constitutes merely a burden to the structure of the building, an additional or added extra weight to be carried from the gravity load and lateral load transfer standpoints, without any participation in load resistance.
[0038] Strengthening or seismic rehabilitation of the diaphragms in the existing structures as part of the overall seismic strengthening program for the existing buildings is an important development in the current building industry that presents additional challenges. Reference is made to the Chapter 22 of “Diaphragm Rehabilitation Technique” of FEMA 547, and “Techniques for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings”. Although the aforementioned document also states that “Diaphragm failures are less commonly observed in earthquakes,” the same document reveals a significant problem related to “the disruption caused by strengthening the diaphragm [that] can be quite significant, so diaphragm rehabilitation is less commonly employed than adding global strength and stiffness, or improving connection paths.”
[0039] In general, FEMA 547 calls inadequate diaphragm strength and/or stiffness as a main deficiency to be addressed by FEMA's rehabilitation technique. FEMA 547 refers to the addition of new wood structural panel sheathing as the “traditional and common approach to diaphragm strengthening,” also stating that “adding fastening and blocking to existing wood structural panel sheathing can also be done.” Furthermore, FEMA 547 on page 22-1 specifically calls for and describes the following proposed techniques:
[0040] I. Replacing existing sheathing with new wood structural panel sheathing.
[0041] II. Wood structural panel sheathing overlays with new blocking
[0042] III. Wood structural panel sheathing overlays without new blocking
[0043] Although FEMA 547 addresses the existing wood structural panel diaphragm related issues, mentioning that “an issue that often arises is whether existing joists, which are typically thicker than the code assumed 1½″, can count as 3× blocking. Some engineers ratio values between 2× and 3× code capacities . . . . ” The specific problem, associated with stresses caused by the force 49 (see FIGS. 5A , 5 B and 6 ), that occur in the existing wood structural panel diaphragm as described above, is not mentioned.
[0044] Another problem related to the use of the proposed remedies by FEMA such as the wood structural panel sheathing overlay technique(s) is the imposition of permanent weight (dead load) onto the existing structural system that may be incapable of carrying such additional dead load without strengthening and/or structural alterations. Although FEMA 547 states that “adding structural wood panel sheathing over existing sheathing adds weight to diaphragm . . . this rarely poses a problem,” it is said thereafter that “the engineer should consider the issue.” Since plywood weight is equal to 3 pounds per square foot per inch of thickness, even the addition of a ⅝ inch thick plywood panel overlay will cause a permanent increase in the dead load by at least 2 pounds per square foot. Without analysis of the existing structure and possible strengthening of the gravity load resisting system of the existing structure, such an increase in dead load creates an additional burden in form of the overstress, excessive deflections, or in some rare cases even a so called near failure state situation within the existing gravity load resisting system that exists in the older buildings.
[0045] Inasmuch as there has been worldwide attempts to develop conceptually new earthquake resisting systems for the buildings, such attempts are mainly focused on vertical earthquake resisting elements. The floor diaphragm as part of the structural earthquake resisting system attracts less attention than vertical earthquake resisting elements, such as shear walls, moment resisting frames, braced frames, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0046] Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following exemplary details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.
[0047] One object of this invention is an introduction of a composite membrane of a structural wood floor diaphragm comprised of an end grain mosaic parquet floor directly attached to a plywood subfloor by means of a high strength adhesive. As a result of creating the aforementioned composite membrane of structural wood floor diaphragm, flooring material is being employed to positively contribute to the structural system of a new or existing wood diaphragm of a building by means of its participation in gravity and lateral load resistance action, as well as a lateral load transfer mechanism. Thereby, flooring material is being included into the actual structural system of the new or existing wood frame building.
[0048] Another object of this invention is an introduction of four-way interlocking parquet designs denoted “Single Board Basket Weave” and “Double Board Basket Weave,” respectively. Both of these designs are made from sizes of long components such as, for example, 3 inches by 9 inches, 3 inches by 12 inches, or 2¼ inches by 9 inches, and small components about 3 inches by 3 inches or 2¼ inches by 2¼ inches. Design “Double Board Basket Weave” has a higher structural strength due to the fact that all long components are doubled and glued together.
[0049] Another object of this invention is an installation of parquet designs “Single Board Basket Weave” and “Double Board Basket Weave” over a plywood subfloor diagonally while long components (9 inches to 12 inches in length) create a bridging over the edge spacing between plywood panels, holding those plywood panels together and providing reinforcement of this vulnerable region within a plywood subfloor. For the new building construction as well as for the purposes of strengthening (rehabilitation) of the plywood panel diaphragms of the existing buildings, a mosaic parquet floor system does not continue under the wall framing. This bridging action provides an improved resistance to forces in a direction perpendicular to the direction of in-plane lateral (seismic or wind) diaphragm force application, thus improving resistance to the initial tributary seismic or wind forces applied to the floor diaphragm. This installation noticeably improves the ability of the wooden diaphragm to withstand adverse lateral load conditions caused by earthquake and/or strong wind.
[0050] Another object of this invention is to demonstrate a system for installing flooring material in a new wood framed building after completion of the plywood subfloor installation, extending the flooring material all the way underneath the succeeding wall framing, but prior to the construction of the subsequent floor wall framing. This installation system provides advanced improvement in a diaphragm's capacity to withstand lateral loads by increasing shear load resistance capacity in the direction parallel to the wall by installing shear transfer connectors all the way through the entire composite membrane of the wood diaphragm, rather than just plywood sheathing alone.
[0051] Another objective of this invention is the introduction of a multi-purpose sound barrier system that will offer a floor-to-floor noise blocking barrier that can operate in the high 80 decibel or even 90 decibel range. This multi-purpose sound barrier system is installed in the free space between the floor joists. This system also serves the dual purpose of floor thermal insulation and fire protection. The multi-purpose sound barrier system may be used in new building construction and can further be utilized during the course of strengthening (rehabilitation) existing buildings wherever space access between the floor joists is feasible.
[0052] There are essentially three kinds of glue joints of the wood:
[0053] End to end, which has the lowest bonding;
[0054] End to edge, which has a medium bonding strength; and
[0055] Edge to edge, which has the highest bonding strength.
[0000] In view of the foregoing, another object of the invention is a wooden membrane in the form of an end grain mosaic parquet construction, where all the joints of the components are edge to edge and made in sizes from 2 inches to 12 inches to provide a high number of glue joints, which will increase structural strength of such construction.
[0056] A preferred embodiment of the foregoing parquet construction involves making this end grain mosaic parquet membrane from Douglas fir, because of its relatively high density, large sizes of the trees, and plentiful supply of such timber.
[0057] Another object of this innovation is making an end grain parquet flooring 0.53 inches thick, which will become 0.50 inches thick after sanding. This thickness is a preferred parameter for being part of composite membrane of wood structural diaphragm due to its stiffness compatibility with plywood.
[0058] Another object of this invention is reprocessing of Douglas fir lumber through its heat treating. During this process, due to high temperatures (e.g., over two hundred degrees Celsius), cells of the wood collapse and melt together. As a result, moisture cannot travel through the wood, making it highly moisture-resistant, and allows usage of such lumber in exterior conditions. During the heat treating process, all resin, as a part of Douglas fir, bakes out, making the wood porous and therefore, increases its gluing capacity. This process also removes the sugars and resins that provide a food source for mold, mildew, rot, and insects. The heat treatment also causes the wood to become more porous as the sugars and resins are removed, making the gluing process more effective.
[0059] Another object of this invention is utilizing different regimes of heat treating process (variations of temperatures and duration of the process) which will provide numerous color variations of heat treated Douglas fir, allowing a production of many aesthetically pleasing products.
[0060] Another object of this invention is utilizing an adhesive for an application between all components of parquet panels with a high structural strength after its curing. This adhesive should have a level of viscosity that can be placed by an application and remain inside those spaces. This adhesive should have an open time window between 45 to 90 minutes, and after its curing, gain rigidity while still having a sufficient degree of elasticity to be able to deform reversibly under stresses within glue joints to allow a certain degree of in-plane flexibility in order to permit minor deformations of the entire flexible composite wood membrane system due to its expected movement under lateral forces applied to the diaphragm.
[0061] Another object of this invention is a method of preparation of mosaic parquet panels for its installation, while an adhesive is applied between each joint of all components of the panels.
[0062] Another object of this invention is a method of an application of parquet panels and transverse and longitudinal boards over a plywood subfloor by placing them over an adhesive, beginning a distance about 1″ from its final position and sliding each component over the adhesive into its final position. This sliding movement provides an even distribution of adhesive underneath the panels and will force excess adhesive to be pushed through the edges to the surface, filling all spaces of the joints between panels, transverse and longitudinal boards, providing an ideal glue bond of the entire parquet membrane.
[0063] Another object of this invention is the coloring of both adhesives (for panel application and parquet installation.) Color of those adhesives should be comparable with the color of growth rings of Douglas fir after its finishing.
[0064] An object of this invention is a protection of installed parquet flooring by applying pressure sensitive covered plastic tape over unprotected areas of the flooring, which allows the flooring to be unfinished indefinitely during construction process, regardless of area of installation (inside/interior or in outside conditions before walls and roofs are installed).
[0065] Another object of this invention is the application of an adhesive to all components of parquet panels to attain structural strength after its curing. This adhesive has a level of viscosity that can be placed by an application and remain inside those spaces. This adhesive has an open time window between 45 to 90 minutes, and after curing, gain rigidity while still having sufficient degree of elasticity.
[0066] Another object of this invention is a method of preparation of mosaic parquet panels for its installation, while an adhesive is applied between each joint of all components of the panels.
[0067] Another objective of this invention is the coloring of both adhesives (for panel application and parquet installation). Color of the adhesives should be comparable with the color of the wood after its finishing.
[0068] Another object of this invention is a protection of an installed parquet flooring by applying a pressure sensitive covered plastic tape over the unprotected areas of the flooring, which allows the flooring to be unfinished indefinitely during construction process.
[0069] Another object of this invention is a multi-purpose sound barrier system that will offer a floor-to-floor noise blocking barrier that can operate in the high 80s decibel level or even 90s decibel range. This multi-purpose sound barrier system is to be installed in the free space between the structural elements; such as, for example the steel beams supporting the concrete slab. This system also serves a dual purpose of floor thermal insulation and fire protection. The aforementioned multi-purpose sound barrier system is intended for new building construction, and can be utilized to reinforce existing buildings wherever space between the structural elements and supporting concrete slab is accessible.
[0070] Another object of this invention is a packaging of assembled mosaic parquet panels and its individual components, which are not a portion of the panels within one hour after its assembly. Packages are sealed by tape similar to the tape that is used in the parquet assembly. Such packaging is important to protect the end grain wood from absorbing moisture or otherwise be affected by humidity changes that can lead to expansion or shrinkage of the boards.
[0071] Another object of the invention is the placing of end grain mosaic parquet panels or boards and individual components inside a wrap or sealed container and kept in such wrap or sealed container until approximately one hour before installation. Keeping the panels wrapped or sealed in a container prevents changes in the dimensions of the panels which can lead to difficulties during the installation process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0072] In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiments are described as an example only without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0073] FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 show prior art constructions;
[0074] FIG. 7 is a schematic of a single board basket weave configuration mosaic parquet pattern;
[0075] FIG. 8A is a cross sectional view, partially enlarged, illustrating an application of adhesive between components of a panel;
[0076] FIG. 8B is a cross sectional view of the panels of FIG. 8A after an application of the adhesive;
[0077] FIG. 9A is a schematic view of a single board basket weave configuration;
[0078] FIG. 9B is a cross-section view of a panel installed over plywood subfloor;
[0079] FIG. 9C and FIG. 9D illustrate installation of a single board basket weave configuration;
[0080] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of an installation of transverse and longitudinal boards on the side of a first row of parquet panels in a single board basket weave configuration;
[0081] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of an installation of a second row of panels in a single board basket weave configuration;
[0082] FIG. 12 illustrates an application of a tape over unprotected areas of parquet flooring;
[0083] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a double board basket weave configuration;
[0084] FIG. 14A is a cross sectional view, partially enlarged, illustrating an application of adhesive between components of a panel;
[0085] FIG. 14B is a cross sectional view of the panels of FIG. 8A after an application of the adhesive;
[0086] FIG. 15A is a schematic view of a double board basket weave configuration;
[0087] FIG. 15B illustrates a cross-section view of a panel installed over plywood subfloor;
[0088] FIG. 15C and FIG. 15D illustrate an installation of a double board basket weave configuration;
[0089] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of an installation of double board insert panels and double board locking panels on the side of a first row of parquet panels in a double board basket weave configuration;
[0090] FIG. 17 is a schematic view of an installation of a second row of panels to the configuration of FIG. 16 ;
[0091] FIG. 18 illustrates an application of a tape over unprotected areas of parquet flooring;
[0092] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view at floor level of a wood frame building through the exterior bearing shear wall;
[0093] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view at floor level of a wood frame building through the interior bearing shear wall;
[0094] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view, partially enlarged, cut through the wood floor;
[0095] FIGS. 22-28 are various cross-sectional views, partially enlarged, cut at floor level of an engineered wood frame building through the exterior bearing shear wall; and
[0096] FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 are enlarged portions of the cross-sectional view of a mosaic parquet floor system installed over the edge spacing of plywood panels located over the wood floor joist.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Glossary of Symbols (Legend of Numerical Symbols)
[0000]
# 1 : 2× wall wood studs (below/underneath floor joist)
# 2 : 2× wall wood studs (above floor joist)
# 3 : 2× floor wood joists
# 4 : 2× double top plate, nailed together
# 5 : Shear wall sheathing and nailing
# 6 : Shear transfer connector
# 7 : 2× or 3× blocking between the floor joists
# 8 : 2× or 3× base plate
# 9 : Shear wall diaphragm edge nailing
# 10 : Shear transfer metal connector
# 11 : Horizontal structural plywood sheathing or plywood subfloor
# 12 : Exterior stucco
# 13 : Exterior building paper and wire mesh
# 14 : Interior drywall sheathing
# 15 : Wall thermo insulation between the studs
# 16 : Floor thermo insulation between the joists
# 17 : Floor special multi-purpose fire and sound proof insulation between the floor joists;
# 18 : Flooring, not a part of structural system of the building
# 19 : Four-way interlocking end grain mosaic parquet floor system as part of the proposed composite membrane of horizontal diaphragm of a structure;
# 20 : w s —lateral (seismic or wind) diaphragm force acting horizontally
# 21 : Deflected shape (exaggerated) of the diaphragm membrane
# 22 : Edge spacing between plywood panels
# 23 : Interior drywall ceiling sheathing (single or double sheathing);
# 24 : Plywood sheathing fastener (connector) to floor joist below
# 25 : Section cut through the floor system—See FIG. 21 ;
# 26 : Engineered wood I-beam floor joist framing;
# 27 : Composite flexible wood diaphragm membrane
# 28 : Web stiffener at each bearing
# 29 : 2× or 3× blocking (engineered wood)
# 30 : Section cut through the floor system—see FIG. 24
# 31 : Centerline of plywood sheathing fastener
# 32 : Centerline of edge spacing between plywood panels
# 33 : Thickness of fastener
# 34 : Distance from the centerline of the wood fastener to the edge of the floor joist.
# 35 : Distance from the centerline of the wood fastener to the edge of the plywood.
# 36 : Width of the floor joist
# 37 : Distance from edge of fastener to the edge of plywood
# 38 : Distance from the centerline of the wood fastener to the edge of the engineered wood floor joist
# 39 : Distance from the centerline of the wood fastener to the edge of the plywood
# 40 : Width of flange of engineered floor joist
# 41 : Reaction force at double plate level
# 42 : Section cut through the floor system—see FIG. 5A or 5 C (Similar).
# 46 : Floor multi-purpose fire and sound proof insulation
# 49 : Force component acing in a direction perpendicular to the direction of lateral (seismic or wind) diaphragm force
# 50 : Crack or split development within the wood joist or the engineered wood joist
# 101 : Long board of parquet
# 102 : Small board of parquet
# 103 : Tape to assemble parquet panel
# 104 : Transverse board
# 105 : Insert board
# 106 : Single board basket weave panel
# 107 : Thickness of parquet component
# 108 : Adhesive, applied between components of parquet panel
# 109 : Two position table for application of adhesive between components of parquet panel
# 110 : Adhesive to install parquet over subfloor
# 111 Space between two panels of parquet in the beginning of the installation
# 112 : Tape to cover unprotected areas of installed parquet floor
# 113 : Double board basket weave panel
# 114 : Double board transverse subunit
# 115 : Double board longitudinal subunit
# 116 : Section cut through here—refer to FIG. 9B for section view
# 117 : Section cut through here—refer to FIG. 15B for section view
[0159] FIGS. 7 to 12 show a parquet configuration for a hardwood floor that has boards arranged in a designated pattern to form an interlocking single unit. In a first preferred embodiment, FIG. 7 illustrates a board pattern referred to herein as a “Single Board Basket Weave” which is used to overlay on top of a plywood subfloor. Single board basket weave comprises modules of four long rectangular shaped boards with a typical proportion of about 1:3 and measurements of, for example, about 3 inches by 9 inches and four small square boards of about 3 inches by 3 inches. A panel of single board basket weave can consist of two, three, four, or more modules, assembled in one panel.
[0160] A preferred panel 106 of single board basket weave comprises at least two modules. In FIG. 7 , each panel 106 of single board basket weave comprises four long boards 101 arranged in an end-to-end “T-shaped configuration, e.g., a series of boards arranged longitudinally, interrupted by transverse boards which are bisected by the longitudinal boards, where this pattern is repeated. There are also eight small boards 102 that are placed at the four corners of the intersection between the longitudinal and transverse boards. These twelve boards form the panel 106 as shown in FIG. 7 . To interlock this panel with another panel, longitudinal boards 105 are placed at the small board, large board, small board interface, with transverse boards 104 placed in the boards between the small boards. Then a new panel is placed up against the transverse boards 104 , and the pattern is repeated. All components are preferably made from heat treated Douglas fir lumber with surfaces of all components of the design in end grain cut, and, therefore, all sides of those components are edge grained. All components have straight edges. Once assembled, the panel 106 may be preferably held together with transparent plastic tape 103 with a pressure sensitive adhesive applied on one side. The adhesive side of the tape is installed on the top of the panel, holding all components together.
[0161] FIG. 8A shows an application of adhesive between each component of a panel 106 . To form a panel of this type, a panel 106 is turned upside down and placed over a two position table top 109 having a linear position and an arced position. The surface of the table includes a sheet of adhesive tape 103 . The table top 109 is set in the arced position ( FIG. 8A ) so that all edges of the components of the panel are opened in a V-shaped position (see inset, FIG. 8A ), where adhesive 108 is placed between the elements by an applicator (not shown). This adhesive 108 should have a medium level of viscosity and stay in such condition preferably between forty five to ninety minutes. After curing, the adhesive becomes rigid and, at the same time, still has a sufficient degree of elasticity within the glue joints. Adhesive 108 may be preferably colored to match the color of the selected wood after parquet flooring finishing.
[0162] FIG. 8B shows the panel 106 after the table top 109 has been moved to the flat position, such that when the top portions of the adjacent boards are brought into proximity with each other, the V-shaped gap is reduced and the adhesive 108 fills the entire space between the components of the panel.
[0163] FIG. 9A shows an installation of a first panel of a single board basket weave 106 over a plywood subfloor. In a preferred embodiment, the panel 106 is placed diagonal (at a 45° angle) to the joints 22 of plywood underneath. In this manner, the exposed joints or edges of the plywood is covered by multiple panels, creating additional security and reinforcement in the overlaying panels.
[0164] FIG. 9B shows a cross-section 116 of the panel and subfloor of FIG. 9A . A preferred thickness of all boards 107 is 0.53 inches, which becomes 0.50 inches after sanding. The cross sectional view shows a single board basket weave parquet panel 106 installed over plywood 11 by placing it into adhesive 110 applied on the surface of the plywood. This adhesive becomes rigid after curing and provides a high strength bond between the parquet 106 and the plywood 11 . Adhesive 110 , same as adhesive 108 , may be colored to match the color of the boards after parquet flooring finishing.
[0165] FIG. 9C shows an installation of a second single board basket weave panel 106 over plywood. The second panel is placed within a distance 111 of about 1 inch from the first panel.
[0166] FIG. 9D shows the first two panels of the single board basket weave 106 in their final, installed position. As the panels are pushed along the plywood, adhesive moves up and fills the spaces between the panels, wetting the vertical edges to provide an even stronger bond after its curing.
[0167] FIG. 10 shows an installation of a set of transverse boards 104 and longitudinal boards 105 on the side of a first row of installed single board basket weave parquet by placing the boards in adhesive on the plywood about 1 inch from their final position and slid into place, providing a movement up of the adhesive 110 on the vertical edges.
[0168] FIG. 11 shows an installation of a second row of panels 106 over plywood. At first, one panel 106 is placed over adhesive about 1 inch outside of its final position and moved into position by sliding it horizontally. Then the second panel 106 is placed over the adhesive 110 about 1 inch outside of its final position and moved into position by sliding it horizontally. During such installation adhesive 110 moves up the side of the parquet, filling all the edges of the joints between the panels.
[0169] FIG. 12 shows an application of tape 112 over unprotected areas of installed parquet flooring. Tape 112 is similar to tape 103 and placed over the parquet by putting its adhesive applied surface on the top of the installed parquet. Width 111 of such tape may be about 3 inches wider than the width of long board 101 of the parquet.
[0170] FIG. 13-18 show a double board basket weave design and method of its installation over a plywood subfloor. Both single board basket weave and double board basket weave are made from the same materials, treated in the same fashion, produced, assembled, and installed in the same way. The primary difference between these designs is that the transverse boards and longitudinal boards in the double board basket weave are produced and installed as small subunits, consisting of two boards assembled with tape.
[0171] FIG. 13 shows a panel of double board basket weave 113 , consisting of eight long boards 101 and eight small boards 102 , where long board 101 is of rectangular shape and preferably made in the proportion of about 1:4 with measurements about 3 inches by 12 inches or 2¼ inches by 9 inches. Small board 102 is preferably square with sizes accordingly about 3 inches by 3 inches or 2¼ inches by 2¼ inches. A panel 113 is assembled with transparent plastic tape 103 with a pressure sensitive adhesive applied on one side. The adhesive side of the tape is installed on the top of the panel, holding all components together. Additionally, a panel of double board basket weave parquet has two sets of double transverse locking boards 114 and two sets of double longitudinal boards 115 .
[0172] FIG. 14A shows adhesive between each component of a panel of double board basket weave 113 . The panel 113 is turned upside down and placed over a two position table top 109 , with the tape 103 installed on the bottom. A table top 109 is set in an arced position such that all edges of the components of the panel are opened in a v-shaped position, where adhesive 108 is placed by an applicator (not shown). This adhesive has a medium level of viscosity and stays in such condition between forty five to ninety minutes. After curing, the adhesive will become rigid and, at the same time, still have a sufficient degree of elasticity within the glue joints.
[0173] FIG. 14B shows a double board basket weave panel 113 in closed/flat position on the table, where adhesive 108 fills the entire space between the components of the panel.
[0174] FIG. 15A shows an installation a double board basket weave panel 113 over a plywood subfloor. The panel is preferably placed diagonally (on 45 degree angle) with respect to the joints 22 of plywood underneath.
[0175] FIG. 15B shows a cross-section 117 of FIG. 15A . A thickness of all of the components 107 is roughly 0.53 inches, which will become 0.50 inches after sanding. A double board basket weave parquet panel 113 is installed over the plywood 11 by placing it into adhesive 110 applied on the surface of the plywood. This adhesive becomes rigid after curing and provides a high strength bond between the parquet and the plywood. Adhesive 110 , same as adhesive 108 , may be colored to match the color of the selected wood of the parquet after the parquet flooring's finishing.
[0176] FIG. 15C shows an installation of a second double board basket weave panel 113 over a plywood subfloor. A second panel is placed at a distance 111 of about 1 inch from first panel.
[0177] FIG. 15D shows the first two panels of a double board basket weave 113 in the final/installed position. During the movement of the panel of about 1 inch over the plywood, adhesive moves up and fills spaces between the panels, providing a strong glue bond after curing.
[0178] FIG. 16 shows an installation of sets of double transverse locking panels 114 and double board longitudinal panels 115 on the side of a first row of installed double board basket weave parquet by placing the boards in adhesive and applied on the plywood about 1 inch from their final position and slid together, providing a movement up of the adhesive 110 on all edges to provide a structurally strong glue bond after its curing.
[0179] FIG. 17 shows an installation of a second row of panels 113 over plywood. At first, one panel 113 is placed over the adhesive about 1 inch outside of final position and moved in final position by sliding it horizontally. Then the second panel 113 is placed over adhesive 110 about 1″ outside of its final position and moved into its final position by sliding it horizontally. During such installation adhesive 110 moves up the side of the parquet, filling all the edges of the joints between the panels, providing a structurally strong glue bond after its curing.
[0180] FIG. 18 shows an application of tape 112 over the unprotected areas of installed parquet flooring. Tape 112 is similar to tape 103 and placed over the parquet by putting its adhesive applied surface on the top of the installed parquet. A width 111 of such tape preferably is about 3 inches wider than a width of long board 101 of the parquet.
[0181] For FIG. 19 , FIG. 20 , FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 , the mosaic parquet floor system 19 does not continue under the wall framing of a new or existing wood frame building. Instead of a non-structural flooring 18 , as described in the Background of Invention, installed over the subfloor 11 , the four-way interlocking end grain mosaic parquet floor system 19 is diagonally installed over the plywood subfloor 11 by means of a high strength adhesive 110 . The aforementioned end grain mosaic parquet floor 19 diagonally installed over to the plywood subfloor 11 beneath by means of a high strength adhesive 110 achieves formation of a composite membrane of structural wood floor diaphragm 27 . As a result of creating the aforementioned composite membrane of structural wood floor diaphragm 27 , the flooring material 19 is positively contributes to the structural system of a new or existing wood diaphragm building by means of its participation in gravity and lateral load resistance, as well as acting as a lateral load transfer mechanism. Thereby, the flooring material is being included into the actual structural system of the new or existing wood frame building.
[0182] A bridging is created over the edge spacing 22 between plywood panels 11 , holding the plywood panels 11 together and, thus, providing reinforcement of vulnerable regions within plywood subfloor. For new building construction as well as for the purposes of strengthening (rehabilitation) of the plywood panel diaphragms of the existing buildings, this bridging action provides improved resistance to forces in a direction perpendicular to the direction of in-plane lateral (seismic or wind) diaphragm force application, thus improving resistance to the initial tributary seismic or wind forces applied to the floor diaphragm.
[0183] For FIG. 25 , FIG. 26 , FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 , a mosaic parquet floor system 19 continues under the wall framing of a new or existing wood frame buildings. Instead of non-structural flooring 18 (see Background of Invention) installed over the subfloor 11 , the four-way interlocking end grain mosaic parquet floor system 19 is diagonally installed over the plywood subfloor 11 beneath by means of a high strength adhesive 110 . The aforementioned end grain mosaic parquet floor 19 diagonally installed over to the plywood subfloor 11 by means of high strength adhesive 110 achieves the formation of a composite membrane of structural wood floor diaphragm 27 . As a result of creating the aforementioned composite membrane of structural wood floor diaphragm 27 , parquet floor 19 positively contributes to the structural system of a new or existing wood diaphragm of building by means of its participation in gravity and lateral load resistance action, as well as a lateral load transfer mechanism. Thereby, flooring material is included into the actual structural system of the new or existing wood frame building.
[0184] In FIG. 25 , FIG. 26 , FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 , the flooring system 19 is installed underneath the of the succeeding wall framing, prior to the construction of the subsequent floor wall framing. In FIGS. 25 and 27 , the flooring system 19 is installed all the way up to the end of base plate 8 and the end of plywood sheathing 11 , since the floor system ends past that point. In FIG. 26 and FIG. 28 the flooring system 19 continues together with plywood sheeting 11 beyond the limits of the wall framing above. The succeeding (second) floor base plate 8 is installed over the composite membrane 27 .
[0185] Shear transfer connectors 6 are installed all the way through the base plate 8 and the entire composite membrane of the wood diaphragm 27 , while penetration into the blocking 7 on FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 and, correspondingly, through blocking 29 on FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 , remains the same.
[0186] FIG. 21 shows typical cross-sectional cut through the new or existing floor in the direction perpendicular to the wood floor joists 3 , with the composite membrane of structural wood floor diaphragm 27 shown on top of floor joists 3 and attached to the floor joists 3 with fasteners 24 . Blocking 7 between the floor joists 3 is schematically shown beyond. FIG. 24 is similar to FIG. 21 , however engineered wood joist 26 is shown instead of wood joist 3 , and blocking 29 is shown instead of blocking 7 .
[0187] Multi-purpose fire and sound-proof insulation 17 shown in FIGS. 19-28 offers a floor-to-floor noise blocking barrier that operates in the high 80s decibel or even 90s decibel range. The special floor multi-purpose fire and sound proof barrier 17 is installed in the space available between:
[0188] a) The floor joists 3 per FIG. 19 , FIG. 20 , FIG. 21 , FIG. 25 , FIG. 26 ; and
[0189] b) Engineered wood floor joists 26 per FIG. 22 , FIG. 23 , FIG. 24 , FIGS. 27 and 28 .
[0000] In all cases, insulation 17 shall be mounted prior to the installation or re-installation (in case of existing building rehabilitation) of ceiling sheathing 23 .
[0190] FIG. 29 shows an enlarged portion of the cross-sectional cut through the new or existing floor of a wood framed structure improved with the composite membrane 27 , comprised of a four-way interlocking end grain mosaic parquet floor system 19 diagonally installed over the plywood subfloor 11 by means of a high strength adhesive 110 . FIG. 29 specifically depicts the typical area where an element of the installed mosaic parquet floor system 19 bridges over the edge spacing 22 of the plywood panels 11 located directly over the wood floor joist 3 . Flooring material 19 is installed over the plywood subfloor 11 diagonally for structural reasons discussed above. Plywood sheathing 22 is attached to the framing below with fasteners 24 . FIG. 30 is similar to FIG. 29 ; however an engineered wood joist 26 is shown on FIG. 30 instead of the wood joist 3 per FIG. 29 .
|
A composite membrane of wood floor diaphragm for construction of new buildings and strengthening of existing buildings to provide improved load transfer capacity and enhanced resistance to gravity and lateral loads, such as earthquake and/or wind for buildings with wood floor framing. The composite membrane extends beneath the wall framing to utilize the composite membrane diaphragm as a load and shear bearing element.
| 4
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mercury dosing of electrical discharge devices and, more particularly, to an improved mercury vapor generating composition and assembly which rapidly releases mercury vapor when the composition is elevated to a predetermined temperature.
A variety of electrical discharge devices, including mercury vapor rectifiers, cold cathode display devices, mercury arc lamps, and fluorescent lamps, contain fill gases in which mercury vapor is a key component. The mercury is introduced into the lamp or the like during manufacture. Liquid mercury, for example, can be introduced directly into a lamp during the exhaust cycle which occurs after the high temperature bake-out cycle of the discharge lamp is completed. However, this technique has several disadvantages. Control over the quantity of mercury introduced into the lamp is poor due to evaporation and exhaust during the cycle. Therefore, excess mercury, typically 2 to 3 times the required amount, is introduced into the lamp to ensure that a sufficient residual quantity remains. The mercury which escapes from the lamp during processing not only necessitates frequent cleaning of the vacuum system but also poses a health hazard to the operators of the vacuum system.
In another approach to mercury dosing, a glass or metal capsule containing a measured quantity of mercury is sealed within the discharge lamp. The mercury is released by thermal breaking of the capsule after the lamp is made. Although mercury vapors are reduced in the lamp production area, the use of the mercury containing capsule is not entirely satisfactory for other reasons.
A third approach to mercury dosing of electrical discharge devices utilizes mercury-containing intermetallic compounds which are sufficiently stable to withstand a discharge lamp bake-out cycle of about 600° C. yet which release mercury at a predetermined temperature above that of the bake-out cycle. The mercury-releasing composition is sealed into the discharge lamp and then is heated to release the mercury vapor. A mercury-releasing device containing an intermetallic compound of mercury with titanium or zirconium is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,589, issued Apr. 18, 1972 to Della Porta et al. The disclosed compounds, including Ti 3 Hg, Zr 3 Hg and mixed compounds such as Zr 2 TiHg, are sufficiently stable to permit high temperature outgassing of a discharge lamp at 500° C., lamp sealing and subsequent mercury emission at 550° C.-950° C. The time required to dispense all of the mercury depends on the temperature to which the composition is heated because the rate of mercury emission is dependent upon its diffusion out of the solid intermetallic compound. The disclosed compositions typically require 25-30 seconds at temperatures over 900° C. for suitable mercury vapor emission. Since fluorescent lamps are typically processed on a production line at a rate of one per second, an emission time of 30 seconds necessitates simultaneous heating of at least 30 lamps.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mercury-releasing device and compound which has a low mercury vapor pressure up to 600° C. A further object is to provide a compound which rapidly releases mercury at a predetermined temperature between 770° C. and 1280° C. In releasing device and compound which does not release gases which would contaminate the discharge device when heated to release mercury.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, these and other objects and advantages, are achieved in a mercury-releasing device comprising a mercury vapor generating composition and a holder for the composition. The mercury vapor generating composition comprises an intermetallic compound of mercury and a material selected from the group consisting of zirconium, titanium, and combinations thereof mixed with a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, and combinations thereof. The relative proportions of the intermetallic compound and the metal are selected to provide reaction and melting between the material and the metal at a predetermined temperature between 770° C. and 1280° C. whereupon mercury vapor is rapidly released from the compositions. The composition may be held by an iron or steel cup. The composition may also be pressed into a wire mesh supported by a piece of iron or steel. In both arrangements, the composition may be protected from contamination by a rupturable metal foil that dissolves into the melt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B are examples of mercury-releasing assemblies for holding the composition of the invention within a lamp, tube, or the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention an intermetallic compound of mercury is mixed with a metal. Upon heating this mixture undergoes a reaction resulting in a sudden melting of the mixture and a rapid evolution of mercury. The intermetallic compound of mercury is chosen to include one or more metals of Group IVB of the Periodic Table, and preferably is Ti 3 Hg and Zr 3 Hg which are known to have good thermal stability. The metal is chosen from Groups VIII or IB of the Periodic Table and is preferably nickel or copper or an alloy thereof. Both nickel and copper will form eutectics with titanium and zirconium.
Hansen: Constitution of Binary Alloys, 2nd edition published by McGraw Hill Book Co. has phase diagrams of Ni-Ti, Ni-Zr, Cu-Ti, and Cu-Zr systems. There it can be seen that a binary eutectic composition of 28.5 wt.% Ni and 71.5 wt% Ti melts at approximately 950° C.; of 17 Wt.% Ni and 83 wt.% Zr melts at 961° C.; of 50 wt.% Cu and 50 wt.% Ti melts at about 975° C.; and of 58.9 wt.% Cu and 41.1 wt.% Zr melts at about 890° C. With other eutectic proportions of Ti and Ni melting temperatures of 770° C. to 1280° C. may be obtained.
The eutectic melting temperatures are seen to be much lower than the melting points of elemental titanium and zirconium which are 1668° C. and 1852° C. respectively or nickel and copper, which are 1453° C. and 1083° C. respectively.
Ternary and quaternary eutectics are also known, so that as a feature of the invention, the mixture may include three or four metals.
In the preferred composition, the intermetallic compound is Ti 3 Hg and the elemental metal is Ni. A weight ratio of six parts of pure Ti 3 Hg to one part Ni corresponds to the binary Ni-Ti eutectic composition of 28.5 wt.% Ni.
The intermetallic compound and the metal are ground or otherwise divided into particles fine enough to pass through a 325 mesh per inch screen. The particulate components are mixed as solids and the resulting composition is pressed into a crucible or holder adapted for insertion into a lamp, tube, or the like. The components preferably have a weight ratio corresponding to a eutectic composition. The crucible or holder must be capable of holding the molten eutectic without disintegrating and yet capable of releasing mercury vapor. Iron and steel are suitable at these temperatures and are wet by the molten eutectic thereby allowing it to spread over a larger area. Either metal may be used as a support carrier.
It has been found that the intermetallic compound, particularly Ti 3 Hg, reacts with water vapor and other volatile compounds during lamp processing at or below 600° C. forming oxides and hydrides. After the lamp is sealed and when the compound is eventually heated to over 600° C. it gives off hydrogen which can make the lamp or the like non-functional. These contaminations can be absorbed by a getter, but a getter is an additional expense to be avoided.
As a feature of the invention the components are sealed off from contamination in the ambient atmosphere during processing of the lamp or the like, thereby preventing absorption of water and hydrogen in the first place.
In the mercury-releasing assembly 10 shown in cross-section by FIG. 1, the mixed components 11 are pressed into a steel cup 12. The opening of the cup is then weld sealed with nickel or copper foil 13 for preventing subsequent contamination of the components 11. Later, when the assembly 10 is heated, the foil 13 ruptures under the pressure of the released mercury or by dissolution into the molten eutectic. Tab 21 is used to support the cup and is welded to a support wire within the lamp or the like.
In the mercury-releasing assembly seen in cross-section in FIG. 2, the mixed components 15 are pressed by a roller into the mesh of a metal screen 16 backed by support piece 17 of iron or steel to help retain the molten composition. The screen metal may be steel which substantially resists the eutectic melt or it may be nickel or copper which rapidly dissolve in it. A layer of nickel or copper foil 18 may be used to seal the components from the atmosphere until the foil is ruptured by the pressure of the released mercury or by dissolution of the nickel or copper into the eutectic melt in contact with it. Both the nickel and the copper of the screen and the foil will melt with the components, and the amount of nickel or copper in the foil and screen can offset the amount of nickel and copper used in the mixture. Tab 22 aids mounting.
These mercury dispensing assemblies can be shaped into any configuration suitable for mounting within the lamp or the like by means of support tabs or fasteners.
The mercury dispensing assembly is mounted within the lamp or the like which is then further processed at temperatures below 600° C. The lamp or the like may be filled with rare gas, if desired, and sealed. The mercury dispensing device is then heated resistively by radio frequency energy or other means to the eutectic temperature.
As the temperature increases, mercury is gradually released by decomposition of the intermetallic compound. The mercury must diffuse through the solid phase of the mixture until the mixture reaches the eutectic temperature where upon the mixture undergoes a sudden melting into a liquid phase. The mercury is then rapidly released from the decomposition of the intermetallic compound and passes easily through the molten composition to the surface of the melt where, due to its high vapor pressure at these temperatures, it flash evaporates. Close to one hundred percent of the available mercury is evaporated within five or ten seconds, leaving a molten eutectic.
The described mercury-releasing assemblies and compositions are stable at the temperatures used to bake-out lamps and the like but when heated to a predetermined temperature will much more rapidly release mercury vapor than will other devices having intermetallic compounds of mercury. The predetermined temperature is dependent on which eutectic is chosen and may range from about 770° C. to 1280° C. for Ti-Ni eutectics.
While there has been shown and described what are at the present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
|
A mercury-releasing assembly for dosing lamps, tubes, and the like with a charge of mercury, contains a mixture of an intermetallic compound of mercury and a metal. When the mixture is heated to a particular temperature the mixture reacts yielding a molten eutectic and mercury vapor. The mixture may be protected from contamination by a foil shield which ruptures under pressure of the released mercury.
| 7
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The current application is a continuation application of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/430154, filed on Apr. 27, 2009, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the current application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
[0003] This invention relates to methods for servicing subterranean wells, in particular, fluid compositions and methods for remedial operations during which the fluid compositions are pumped into a wellbore and make contact with well cements placed during primary cementing or previous remedial cementing operations.
[0004] During construction of a subterranean well, remedial operations may be required to maintain wellbore integrity during drilling, to cure drilling problems, or to repair defective primary cement jobs. Wellbore integrity may be compromised when drilling through mechanically weak formations, leading to hole enlargement. Cement slurries may be used to seal and consolidate the borehole walls. Remedial cementing is a common way to repair defective primary cement jobs, to either allow further drilling or to provide adequate zonal isolation for efficient well production.
[0005] During well production, remedial cementing operations may be performed to restore production, change production characteristics (e.g., to alter the gas/oil ratio or control water production), or repair corroded tubulars.
[0006] During a stimulation treatment, the treatment fluids must enter the target zones and not leak behind the casing. If poor zonal isolation behind the production casing is suspected, a remedial cementing treatment may be necessary.
[0007] Well abandonment frequently involves placing cement plugs to ensure long-term zonal isolation between geological formations, replicating the previous natural barriers between zones. However, before a well can be abandoned, annular leaks must be sealed. Squeeze cementing techniques may be applied for this purpose.
[0008] Common cementitious-fluid systems employed during squeeze-cementing operations include, Portland cement slurries, calcium-aluminate cement slurries, and organic resins based on epoxies or furans.
[0009] Portland cement slurries prepared from, for example, ISO/API Class H or Class G cement, are by far the most common cementitious fluids employed in remedial cementing operations. They perform satisfactorily in many applications; however, when the size of the void from which fluid leakage occurs is very small, the cement-particle size may be too large to enter and seal the void. This problem has been mitigated to a significant extent by grinding Portland cement clinker to a finer particle-size distribution. An example of a fine-particle-size, or “microfine,” Portland cement system is SqueezeCRETE™, available from Schlumberger. Generally, SqueezeCRETE systems are capable of sealing voids or cracks as small as about 100 micrometers.
[0010] Despite the success of microfine cements, leaks may still occur when the voids or cracks in the cement sheath are smaller than 100 micrometers. It is therefore desirable to provide means to seal such small voids and cracks in or adjacent to the cement sheath and provide zonal isolation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention provides means to seal voids and cracks in or adjacent to a cement sheath in a subterranean well, and provide zonal isolation by by
involving a pumpable aqueous sealant composition for establishing hydraulic isolation in a cemented subterranean well, comprising a slurry of aluminosilicate particles, aluminum compound/silica particles, or aluminium compound/silicate particles, and combinations thereof.
[0013] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses pumpable sealant compositions with the ability to enter and seal cement-sheath voids and cracks smaller than 100 micrometers. It will be appreciated that, although the primary focus is to preferably seal voids and cracks smaller than 100 micrometers, the invention is not limited to this size criterion. The compositions may be injected into voids and fractures in, or adjacent to, a cement sheath.
[0014] The composition of the aluminosilicate particles preferably includes, but is not limited to, kaolin, metakaolin, fly ash, blast furnace slag, zeolites (artificial or natural) and pozzolans (artificial or natural) and mixtures thereof When a slurry containing these materials enter voids or cracks in set Portland cement, the materials react with calcium hydroxide at the cement surfaces, forming calcium silicate compounds and establishing a seal. The particle size of the disclosed aluminosilicate and silicate particles is preferably less than or equal to 15 micrometers, and more preferably less than or equal to 10 micrometers.
[0015] The fluid compositions may also contain alkali swellable polymers, superabsorbent polymers, weighting materials, dispersants and buffers to adjust the fluid pH.
[0016] In another aspect, the present invention aims at a method of servicing a cemented wellbore in contact with a subterranean formation, comprising first preparing an aqueous sealant composition comprising a slurry including aluminosilicate particles, aluminum compound particle/silica particle blends or aluminum-compound particle/silicate-particle blends and combinations thereof; second pumping the sealant composition into voids in the wellbore that are adjacent to set cement; and third allowing the sealant composition to react with the set-cement surfaces and form a set product, thereby forming a seal. Said method of servicing a subterranean well comprising preparing a pumpable aqueous suspension of particles comprising aluminosilicates, or a mixture comprising aluminum compounds and silica or silicates, and combinations thereof, wherein the size of the particles is less than or equal to 15 micrometers and preferably less than or equal to 10 micrometers. The suspension being preferably allowed to flow into voids and cracks in, or adjacent to, the cement sheath until the suspension gels and forms a seal.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] At the outset, it should be noted that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system related and business related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. In addition, the composition used/disclosed herein may also comprise some components other than those cited. In the summary of the invention and this detailed description, each numerical value should be read once as modified by the term “about” (unless already expressly so modified), and then read again as not so modified unless otherwise indicated in context. Also, in the summary of the invention and this detailed description, it should be understood that a concentration range listed or described as being useful, suitable, or the like, is intended that any and every concentration within the range, including the end points, is to be considered as having been stated. For example, “a range of from 1 to 10” is to be read as indicating each and every possible number along the continuum between about 1 and about 10. Thus, even if specific data points within the range, or even no data points within the range, are explicitly identified or refer to only a few specific, it is to be understood that inventors appreciate and understand that any and all data points within the range are to be considered to have been specified, and that inventors possessed knowledge of the entire range and all points within the range.
[0018] The inventors have surprisingly found that suspensions of aluminosilicate particles less than about 15 micrometers in size, and preferably less than 10 micrometers in size will, upon entering voids or cracks that are in contact with Portland cement, gel and form a seal. Other suitable suspensions may be made of aluminum compounds (e.g., colloidal alumina) combined with silica or silicate particles. In addition, latexes may be added to the suspensions.
[0019] It will be appreciated that, unlike Portland cement slurries, the disclosed suspensions have no cementitious properties in and of themselves. Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that the particles react with residual calcium hydroxide in the set Portland cement to form calcium silicate hydrate gel and establish a seal. Set Portland cement contains roughly 20 wt % calcium hydroxide when cured below 110° C. The increased pH resulting from exposure to calcium hydroxide may also activate or accelerate the dissolution and polycondensation of the aluminosilicates, leading to the formation of a solid containing SiO4 and AlO4 tetrahedra linked by shared oxygen atoms.
[0020] It will also be appreciated that the disclosed suspensions may respond to other cements that provide multivalent ions including, but not limited to, lime/silica blends, lime/pozzolan blends, calcium aluminate cement, Sorel cement, chemical modified phosphate ceramic and geopolymers.
[0021] The particle suspensions may be, but are not limited to, suspensions of kaolin, metakaolin, fly ash, blast furnace slag, natural zeolite, artificial zeolite, natural pozzolan, artificial pozzolan, or combinations thereof. The preferred liquid phase is water. Because the suspension will not set on its own accord, it may be prepared in advance, stored, and transported to the wellsite as needed.
[0022] The structure of the material formed will depend on the initial fluid composition, the ratio between silica and aluminum in particular, and the pH. Other soluble silicate compounds (e.g., NaSiO3), hydroxides (e.g., NaOH and KOH) and phosphate compounds such as sodium hexametaphosphate may be added to modify the rheological and setting properties of the material. The structure of the final material is also affected by the temperature and pressure.
[0023] In a preferred embodiment, low- or high-density particles may be added to adjust the fluid density. Appropriate high-density particles include common weighting agents such as ilmenite (FeTiO3), hematite (Fe2O3), barite (BaSO4) and manganese tetraoxide (Mn3O4).
[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the disclosed particle suspensions may incorporate alkali swellable polymers, superabsorbent polymers, or both. The alkali swellable polymers are preferably added in the form of a latex.
[0025] Alkali swellable latex particles swell when exposed to an alkaline pH, causing the fluid to viscosify. Non lomiting examples of suitable commercially available alkali swellable latexes include TYCHEM™ 68710-00 (available from Dow Chemical), ACRYSOL™ U615 (available from Rohm & Haas), ALCOGUM™ SL-120 and SL-920 (available from Alco Chemical, a National Starch Company), VISCALEX™ HV30 (available from Ciba Specialty Chemicals), the Latekoll™ series of products available from BASF, and Synthomer™ 9532 (available from Synthomer). Buffers may be incorporated to maintain an acidic fluid pH until the fluid is exposed to the cement surface. In addition, antifoam agents, defoamers and dispersants known to those skilled in the art may be added to modify the fluid rheological properties.
[0026] Superabsorbent polymers are swellable crosslinked polymers that, upon exposure to water, form a gel. They can absorb and store many times their own weight of aqueous liquids. Suitable superabsorbent polymers include, for example, the acrylic-base Sterocoll™ series from BASF.
[0027] One method of applying the disclosed invention in a subterranean well comprises pumping one or more of the reactive aluminosilicate particles, aluminum compound particle/silica particle blends, or aluminum-compound particle/silicate-particle blends and combinations thereof into a subterranean well that has been cemented. The fluids may also contain weighting materials, buffers, antifoam agents, defoamers and dispersants.
[0028] Another method of applying the disclosed invention in a subterranean well comprises adding alkali swellable polymers, superabsorbent polymers or both to one or more of the aluminosilicate, aluminum compound/silica or aluminum compound/silicate suspensions described earlier into a subterranean well that has been cemented. The fluids may also contain latexes, weighting materials, buffers, antifoam agents, defoamers and dispersants. The particle suspension enters voids, cracks or both in the cement sheath. The particles then react with the cement sheath and establish hydraulic isolation.
[0029] For the methods described above, fluid placement may incorporate a variety of remedial techniques generally known to those skilled in the art.
[0030] The following examples serve to further illustrate the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
[0031] Fluids containing metakaolin have been tested. The metakaolin MetaStar™ 501 from Imerys was used. MetaStar™ 501 is a highly reactive pozzolan with an average particle size below 5 micrometers.
[0032] Three formulations, shown in Table 1, were investigated. Formulation 1 was a dispersion of metakaolin in water to which sodium hexameta-phosphate [(NaPO3)6] had been added as a dispersant. In Formulation 2, a sodium silicate solution (containing ˜60% water and ˜40% Na2SiO3) had also been added to the fluid, while in Formulation 3 a small amount of potassium hydroxide had been further added as activator.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Metakaolin-base fluid compositions.
Formulation
1
2
3
MetaStar 501
57.05
56.22
55.99
(wt %)
H 2 O
42.78
42.89
42.81
(wt %)
(NaPO 3 ) 6
0.17
0.17
0.17
(wt %)
Na 2 SiO 3
—
0.72
0.72
(wt %)
KOH
—
—
0.32
(wt %)
[0033] Rheology measurements were performed at 25° C. for the different formulations. The shear stress was measured as a function of shear rate in the range 5-500 s−1. For all the formulations, the plastic-viscosity (PV) values, obtained by assuming a linear dependence between shear rate and shear stress, varied between ˜70 cP and ˜140 cP.
[0034] To check the stability of the different dispersions, all of the fluids were aged for 4 hours at ambient temperature. After this time no significant traces of sedimentation were observed. Rheology measurements were performed again. The results showed no significant differences in the PV values. Therefore, it is evident that the rheological properties are stable for several hours. This suggests that no chemical reactions are taking place.
EXAMPLE 2
[0035] The reactivity of the compositions described in Table 1, exposed to calcium hydroxide, was investigated. Some solid Ca(OH)2 was added to the different formulations. Visual observations and measured PV values after the addition of different quantities of Ca(OH)2 are reported in Table 2. Adding 0.5 wt % to 2 wt % calcium hydroxide caused a significant viscosity increase leading to the formation of pastes and solid materials. Thus, the presence of Ca(OH)2 activates the fluids which start and triggers the formation of calcium silicate hydrates.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Properties of Formulations 1-3 after addition
of different amounts of Ca(OH) 2 .
Ca(OH) 2
Formulations
added
1
2
3
0%
Liquid
Liquid
Liquid
PV ~70 cP
PV ~72 cP
PV ~140 cP
0.5%
Viscous liquid
Viscous liquid
Gel/paste
PV ~500 cP
PV ~90 cP
1%
Gel/Paste
Solid
Solid
1.5%
Gel/Paste
Hard solid
Hard solid
2%
Solid
Hard solid
Hard solid
[0036] It can also be observed that, for Formulations 2 and 3 which contain some silicate, a solid structure was obtained by adding less Ca(OH)2. This may suggest that the presence of sodium silicate leads to the formation of some geopolymeric structures.
EXAMPLE 3
[0037] To investigate the reactivity of the fluids in contact with Portland cement, Formulations 1 and 2 (described in Table 1) were poured on top of a cement core. After about 1 hour, the formation of a solid layer on the cement surface was observed. This confirms the reactivity of these fluids when in contact with a Portland-cement surface.
EXAMPLE 4
[0038] To test the properties of repaired materials, experiments were performed to evaluate the adhesive properties of the different fluid formulations. A Portland-cement core (height: 5 cm; diameter: 2.5 cm) was cut vertically into two halves. One of the surfaces was covered with a thin layer of metakaolin fluid, and the halves were joined. For all of the formulations described in Table 1, the halves were glued together and were difficult to separate. The presence of sodium silicate (Formulations 2 and 3) enhanced this effect.
EXAMPLE 5
[0039] Experiments were performed with fluids containing SuperFine Class F fly ash (from Scotash), with an average particle size below 10 micrometers. The fluid formulations are presented in Table 3.
FORMULATION
[0040]
[0000]
TABLE 3
Compositions of fluids containing fly ash, and properties of materials
obtained after curing.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Class F
59
56
54
50
50
50
50
fly ash
(wt %)
H 2 O
41
39
39.4
50
50
50
50
(wt %)
Na 2 SiO 3
—
—
1.6
—
—
—
—
(wt %)
Ca(OH) 2
—
5
5
—
2.9
4.7
6.4
added
(wt %)
After 1-
Liquid,
Paste
Solid
—
—
—
—
hour
PV~20 cP
curing at
60° C.
After 1-
Liquid,
Solid
Hard
—
—
—
—
day
PV~20 cP
solid
curing at
60° C.
After 10
—
—
—
Liquid
Solid
Hard
Hard
days
solid
solid
curing at
60° C.
[0041] Formulation 1 is a dispersion of fly ash in water. Formulation 2 contains some Ca(OH)2 to test reactivity. Formulation 3 contains a small amount of sodium silicate solution (containing ˜60% water and ˜40% Na2SiO3). All the blends were prepared at room temperature and placed in an oven at 60° C. after mixing. After 1 hour the resulting materials were compared. As shown in Table 3, the simple dispersion of fly ash (Formulation 1) remained liquid. Rheology measurements showed that the PV, calculated by applying a linear dependence between shear stress and shear rate, was ˜20 cP. Formulation 2 became a paste, proving that the fly-ash dispersion became reactive after the addition of Ca(OH)2. Composition 3 developed into a hard solid, confirming that the presence of extra silicate leads to the formation of a different solid structure as observed for fluids containing metakaolin. After 24 hours at 60° C., the materials were compared again. No significant differences are observed for Formulation 1, which remained a liquid with approximately the same viscosity, while Formulations 2 and 3 continued to harden and form stronger solids. Formulations 4-7 were 50:50 blends by weight of fly ash and water. Formulation 4 contained no calcium hydroxide and was still liquid after ten days. Formulations 5-7 became solid.
EXAMPLE 6
[0042] A blend of alkali swellable latex (ASL) and metakaolin was prepared. For these experiments the metakaolin MetaStar 501 from Imerys and the alkali swellable latex TYCHEM 68710-00 from Dow Reichold were used. This ASL is a styrene-butadiene based latex with a particle size smaller than 200 nm. The formulation tested contained 90% wt of ASL and 10% wt of metakaolin. The metakaolin was added slowly to the ASL, and the blends were mixed for several minutes. Rheology measurements were performed. The shear stress was measured as a function of shear rate in the range 5-500 s −1 . The PV values, obtained by assuming a linear dependence between shear rate and shear stress, are reported in Table 4. To verify stability, the two blends were left at room temperature for 4 hours. After storage the two formulations remained fluid. Rheology measurements detected showed no significant differences from the results obtained upon mixing.
[0000]
TABLE 4
PV values obtained at 25° C. for blends containing 90 wt % ASL
and 10 wt % metakaolin after mixing and after 4 hours storage.
Blend ASL 90%/metakaolin 10%
Pv (cP) at 25° C.
14
Pv (cP) at 25° C. after 4 hr
18
EXAMPLE 7
[0043] Experiments were performed to evaluate the adhesive properties of the ASL/metakaolin blend. As described in Example 4, a Portland-cement core (height: 5 cm; diameter: 2.5 cm) was cut vertically into two halves. One of the surfaces was covered with a thin layer of ASL/metakaolin fluid, and the halves were joined. After a few minutes the halves were glued together and were difficult to separate. The adhesion improved with time.
[0044] Although various embodiments have been described with respect to enabling disclosures, it is to be understood the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Variations and modifications that would occur to one of skill in the art upon reading the specification are also within the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
|
This invention relates to methods for servicing subterranean wells, in particular, fluid compositions and methods for remedial operations during which the fluid compositions are pumped into a wellbore and make contact with well cements placed during primary cementing or previous remedial cementing operations.
| 2
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/893,496, filed June, 2001 and entitled “HYPERSONIC AND ORBITAL VEHICLES SYSTEM”, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/188,208, filed Nov. 10, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,527). This application claims priority from prior U.S. Provisional Patent Applications serial Nos. 60/064,771, filed Nov. 10, 1997, 60/064,772, filed Nov. 10, 1997 and 60/064,769, filed Nov. 10, 1997. The entire disclosures in these applications are expressly incorporated herein by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention pertains to an air breathing hypersonic propulsion module (ABPM) that, when attached to a manned Space Cruiser vehicle, will revolutionize manned access to orbit in terms of low cost, operational flexibility and responsiveness. The invention also pertains to an effective development program for the ABPM and the Space Cruiser.
[0004] 2. Discussion of Prior Art
[0005] Discussed herein is the following family of related vehicles:
[0006] (a) the small, highly maneuverable manned Space Cruiser for commercial, civil and military intraspace and transatmospheric operations such as: (1) In-space servicing of space assets, (2) Autonomous intraspace and transatmospheric operations, (3) Intraspace transportation and logistics, and (4) Crew addition, exchange, return and rescue.
[0007] (b) the X-# aircraft, the X-series hypersonic research and test aircraft which combines a shortened single-seated Space Cruiser (without the Cruiser's rocket engine) with a hypersonic propulsion module that combines an air-augmented rocket mode with ramjet and scramjet modes. The X-# is launched from a SR-71 aircraft, is fully recoverable at helicopter-suitable sites and has the flight-to-flight option to fly unmanned;
[0008] (c) the X-1S, the hypersonic, transatmospheric and orbital research and test vehicle which combines the single or tandem-seated Space Cruiser with the reusable air breathing hypersonic propulsion module derived from the X-# aircraft program, is very-low-cost-to-orbit and is launched from a C-130J freighter aircraft.
[0009] (d) the Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle (ALCV), the production, operational space vehicle version of the X-1S research vehicle, for commercial, civil and military on-orbit servicing of spacecraft and for other operations in support of national, international and foreign space asset activities. The ALCV combines the single or tandem-seated Space Cruiser with the reusable air breathing hypersonic propulsion module (ABPM) derived from the above X-1S program, is very-low-cost-to-orbit, and is launched from a C-130 derivative L-100-30F or C-130J freighter aircraft;
[0010] The present patent application also describes an initial, integrated development and flight test plan for the development, testing and use of the X-# and X-1S vehicles. The development and test program has as primary objectives: (1) To provide the hypersonic and orbital research and test vehicles while saving up to or more than hundreds of millions of dollars relative to the alternative means, and (2) To provide the hypersonic air-breathing propulsion module technology for very-low-cost-to-orbit, aircraft launch of the Space Cruiser for commercial, civil and military space operations. The vehicle system concepts and planning are consistent with national objectives of active participation in appropriate advanced aerospace concepts, technology and development and of supporting synergistically the military, NASA, and the private sector.
[0011] The optimal hypersonic propulsion engine for the X-1S and the ALCV is evidenced to be the rocket-based combined-cycle engine (RBCC). The RBCC results in a substantial (appx. 50%) reduction in scramjet maximum speed required to be attained. The X-series program is configured to also provide the modular option for the flight testing of non-RBCC type engines such as ramjet/scramjet and the pure scramjet engines.
[0012] In addition to the foregoing manned spacecraft and vehicles present safety concerns that are unique to the space and orbital environment in addition to the concerns in common with aircraft and ground structures and vehicles. The invention disclosed herein addresses the solution of safety concerns for astronauts in spacecraft and space vehicles by means of providing both a sanctuary module or “container” and transportation of the container for the astronauts to a safe place. The safe place can be for example: (1) within the spacecraft (that contains the abnormality or other safety concern) such as a space station or space vehicle, 92) in space after leaving the danger area, (3) in a spacecraft of lifecraft vehicle capable of standing-off from the danger area, and (4) in a spacecraft or lifecraft vehicle capable of transporting the inhabited container to Earth.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the space cruiser vehicle and the air breathing hypersonic propulsion module (ABPM) it employs.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 is a chart listing the properties of the air launch cruiser vehicle (ALCV).
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a SR-71 aircraft carrying an X-# aircraft for launch.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 4. is a graph of the flight envelope experienced by the SR-71 aircraft when launching a X-# aircraft.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 5 diagram depicting a detailed testing option of a possible configuration for controllable cowls and struts of an aircraft.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 6 is a graph of the flight envelope experienced by an X-1S aircraft and the ALCV with a rocket-based combined-cycle.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 7 is a diagram of a method for stowing and deploying the ALCV from commercial aircraft.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 8 is a chart of research and flight test programs for air launched aircraft and spacecraft.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 9 is a chart comparing alternative fuel performances.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 10 is a graph relating satellite orbit altitude to plane-change angle displaying the advantages of a synergetic plane change.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 11 is a diagram of a possible design depicting the inner and outer shells as well as equipment location for the ALCV.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 12 is a graph relating performance projections of the ALCV to weight.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 13 is an artist's depiction of the ALCV.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 14 is a diagram of the ALCV being used as a lifecraft or personnel transport.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 15 is a diagram of the ALCV being used as a lifecraft implementing the Space Station Freedom's Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).
FOREWORD
[0028] This Foreword section provides a brief overview of the Space Cruiser system, its applications and its users, to provide the reader with an initial understanding of the context in which the present invention is placed. The application is generally directed to the development of air launch for the Cruiser system. It emphasizes the development and use of the experimental X-# hypersonic research aircraft and the X-1S hypersonic, transatmospheric and intraspace research vehicle, these being key to both the development of air launch for the Cruiser system and to future hypersonic, transatmospheric and intraspace research and technology development.
[0029] Also, after the reader has read the entire patent application, it is suggested that this Foreword section be re-read to provide a much more thorough contextual understanding of the development logic, applications and users of the Cruiser system and the context of air launch.
[0030] [0030]FIG. 1 presents the ABPM system development overview in block diagram format. The presentation begins at the upper left with reference to the Intraspace Access Synergy Group 11 (IASG). Example Group participants 12 are listed. The primary purpose of the Synergy Group is to provide an initial, cooperative, integrated plan for the balance of the Cruiser system development and applications program. The Group is tasked with the criterion of optimally working together, with a minimum of parochialism or proprietary constraints in its development of the Cooperative Integrated Plan.
[0031] The Group's work begins with receiving an in-depth presentation and data on what has been accomplished to date in developing the Cruiser system concept, its applications, its users, etc. After IASG discussion each member returns to the member's organization to initially evaluate that organization's potential role, requirements, participation and support with respect to the program. Subsequent IASG meetings synergistically develop and result in the Cooperative Integrated Plan as 13 the key output document.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 1 then illustrates the development paths, in parallel, of the two main projects, the Space Cruiser 14 and its air breathing propulsion module 15 (ABPM).
[0033] As indicated, the Cruiser configurations (models) are to be developed and operated prior to the availability of the ABPM. Expendable launch vehicles 16 (ELV) will be used to launch the Cruisers for both commercial 17 and military missions 18 .
[0034] Moving down to the ABPM development path in FIG. 1, the first ABPM model, termed the ABPM-71, is configured to be carried and launched by the SR-71 series aircraft and is attached to a truncated Cruiser that does not have the aft cockpit and does not have the Cruiser's plug cluster rocket engine. A low-cost, dummy truncated Cruiser may be used with the ABPM-71 during initial flight tests. The truncated, single seated Cruiser with its ABPM-71 propulsion module is designated herein the X-#19 experimental hypersonic aircraft.
[0035] When the ABPM-71 has been flight-test-proven sufficiently, a larger ABPM-130 is then configured based on the design of the ABPM-71, but improved as a function of the results of the X-# flight tests, that attach to the full-size Cruiser, constituting the X-1S 20 experimental vehicle for hypersonic, transatmospheric and intraspace research and testing. The X-1S is fully capable of orbital and suborbital flight. It is launched from a C-130 stretched (15 feet) freighter aircraft such as the L-100-30F and the new C-130J.
[0036] As indicated both the X-# and the X-1S vehicles will be used in long-term flight test programs such as was accomplished with the X-15 program in which the X-15 was launched 199 times. The very large flight envelopes of the X-#19 and the X-1S 20 vehicles in comparison with the X-15 and the technologies inherent in achieving and using these envelopes equate to the opportunity to accomplish a great deal more with each relative to what was possible with the X-15.
[0037] A primary and early objective of the X-1S flight test program is to qualify the ABPM for commercial production and use. When thus qualified the ABPM is then fully available for both commercial and military operations use in the Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle 25 (ALCV) as indicated in FIG. 1. The Cruiser 14 part of the ALCV can be any of the Cruiser models.
[0038] The Cruiser 14 can then be launched either by an ELV 16 or air launched, the choice being a function of for example: mission requirements such as the Cruiser's post-launch mission maneuverability requirements and whether or not an ELV 16 is required so that a substantial payload can accompany the launch of the Cruiser 14 . In contrast to ELV launch, air launch results in very low cost to orbit, great flexibility with respect to the geographic launch position (e.g., can be global) and launch azimuth, avoidance of weather-induced launch constraints and quick-response launch independent of ELV 16 and ELV launch pad availability.
[0039] As FIG. 1 indicates, customers 21 for the commercial Cruiser services include commercial, government (including NASA), foreign customers and the military. Satellites are typically very valuable assets as a result of their return on investment (ROI) or the value of their in-space functions. Servicing these valuable space assets (by, for example: replacing consumables, updating the configuration, repairing the spacecraft or performing combinations of such services) offers valuable service to the spacecraft owner, operator or underwriter and such services constitute the major part of the basis for commercial viability of Cruiser system operations.
[0040] [0040]FIG. 1 further illustrates that the Space Cruiser commercial fleet can be organized into a Civil Reserve Aerospace Fleet 22 (CRASF) in emergency support of the military, analogous to the vital Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF).
[0041] Specific military mission categories are listed and identified as “Fast Moves”. These are part of the inventor's Fast Moves concept for military use of the Cruiser system.
[0042] At the top of FIG. 1 there is reference to use of the Lifecraft model 23 version of the Cruiser as the Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV) for the International Space Station (ISS) and other space rescue and return operations. The Lifecraft model 23 is the subject of U.S. Provisional patent application serial No. 60/064,777, filed Nov. 10, 1997, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein. The Lifecraft 23 is capable of returning two persons rapidly to Earth in a “shirt-sleeve” (no spacesuit) environment, with or without a space-suited pilot or other third person in the pilot's seat. To minimize the length of the Orbiter's payload bay used in launching one or more of the Cruiser ACRVs, the Lifecraft 23 can be installed in the payload bay diametrically (cross-axis) with its nose section folded back under its aft section, enabling other payloads to be carried in the bay at the same time.
[0043] [0043]FIG. 1 further depicts, at the lower left, the use of Space Shuttle External Tanks as in-space hangars 24 for all Space Cruiser users for pre-positioning of Cruiser consumables and equipment and satellite supplies for satellites that are within reach of Cruisers operating with hangar support. In essence, the point is to have logistic and Cruiser hangars in space “where the action is” and to minimize absolutely the need to return to Earth and/or to re-launch in accomplishing missions.
[0044] Succinct as it is, FIG. 1 clarifies, as an overall result, the potential for commercial, civil and military cooperative, synergistic, and mutually highly cost-effective development and use of the Space Cruiser system. The Space Cruiser system includes the production Space Cruiser models; the two X vehicles: the X-#19 aircraft as the world's first hypersonic-flight test bed aircraft; the X-1S 20, the first intra space X-series vehicle and the production, operational Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle 25 (ALCV).
[0045] The non-toxic, non-cryogenic propellants hydrogen peroxide and JP-5 are the preferred propellants for the entire Cruiser system (i.e., the X-# aircraft ABPM, the Cruiser and its ABPM in the X-1S space vehicle and both the Cruiser and the ABPM in the operational air launched Cruiser vehicles for commercial, military, etc. use).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0046] I. Introduction
[0047] This invention described below pertains to an air breathing, hypersonic propulsion module 15 with variations which when attached to the aft end of the Space Cruiser 14 (FIG. 1) result in:
[0048] (1) a military/NASA air-launched, manned and unmanned hypersonic aircraft for conducting needed research in hypersonic flight technologies for the Government and industry;
[0049] (2) a military/NASA air-launched, manned space vehicle for conducting needed research in orbital and transatmospheric flight; and
[0050] (3) very low cost to orbit, and an otherwise unobtainable degree of operational flexibility and responsiveness for the Space Cruiser 14 in commercial, military and NASA use.
[0051] The resulting vehicle family will synergistically benefit aerospace industries, commercial space enterprises, the military, NASA, other Government agencies and those served by these organizations.
[0052] Air launch is the preferred launch method described herein for the hypersonic and orbital research vehicles and the private-sector Space Cruiser 14 , i.e. for the unified experimental and operational vehicular family. Other launch methods may be used in special circumstances. Other launch method categories for the S pace C ruiser family include the Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV), the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), the Space Shuttle, the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) and the Transatmospheric Launch Vehicle (TAV).
[0053] The military/NASA hypersonic research aircraft vehicle is termed the X-#19. It is assumed that the X-#19 would be designated a number as an X-series vehicle. The military/NASA manned all-envelope, hypersonic, intraspace and transatmospheric research space vehicle is termed the X-1S 20, signifying that it would be the first X-series vehicle capable of intra space flight research. The production operational air launched vehicle is termed herein the Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle 25 (ALCV) and is basically the same as the X-1S 20 vehicle.
[0054] A. Military/NASA X-Series (X-#) Hypersonic Research Aircraft Vehicle
[0055] The X-#19 hypersonic research vehicle is launched from the top of a SR-71 series aircraft. The vehicle consists of a single place, Cruiser-derived (truncated) airframe and Cruiser subsystems plus an air breathing propulsion module 15 (ABPM) which is attached to its aft end. The Cruiser's plug-cluster rocket engine (PCE) is deleted. The propulsion module is basically a propellant tank and a rocket-based combined-cycle (RBCC) engine that includes internal rocket modes (cycles) and air breathing ramjet and scramjet modes. Whereas the propulsion module attaches like a stage, an ABPM configuration using an integrated ramjet/scramjet engine (without the rocket modes) may for example also be used in the test program. It is planned that the ABPM would be developed primarily by military/NASA. It is designated specifically herein as the ABPM-71.
[0056] The rocket and ramjet modes of the RBCC engine can be started and checked out prior to launch, while the X-#19 remains captive on top of the SR-71, as was done with the ramjet of the Lockheed forty-two foot 11,200 pound D-21 drone at altitudes of about 80,000 feet, at speeds of about Mach 3.2. The X-#19 is fully recoverable and, with the possible exception of thermally damaged components, is fully reusable. The X-#19, the X-1S 20 and the commercial ALCV 25 do not require runways. Because they land under a controllable parafoil 26 , they only require helicopter-suitable landing sites.
[0057] An inexpensive, dummy Cruiser is used during initial, unmanned X-# flight tests while the Cruiser is being developed and phased into the X-#19 flight test program. The X-#19 hypersonic research vehicle can then be flown unmanned or manned.
[0058] B. Military/NASA X-1S Space Vehicle
[0059] The X-1S 20 hypersonic and orbital research vehicle comprises a Space Cruiser 14 and an ABPM 15 . It is launched by extraction from the payload bay of a stretched C-130 derivative, C-130J freighter aircraft. The specific configuration of the RBCC ABPM for the X-1S 20 is selected from and is a larger version of the flight tested X-# ABPM-71 and is designated herein as the ABPM-130. After deployment from the subsonic C-130J launch aircraft, the X-1S 20 accelerates to ramjet operational speed. The air-augmented rocket mode of the RBCC engine provides the acceleration to the supersonic ramjet operational speed range.
[0060] Note that if an alternative, non-RBCC, ramjet/scramjet ABPM is mechanized, a post-launch rocket motor (PLRM) must be added to the aft end of the ABPM to provide the acceleration of the vehicle from the subsonic aircraft launch speed to the supersonic ramjet engine-start speed.
[0061] C. Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle (ALCV)
[0062] The freighter-launched ALCV 25 space vehicle comprises a Space Cruiser 14 and the ABPM-130 which results from the integrated X-# and X-1S programs. All Space Cruiser 14 models can be air launched as an ALCV 25 .
[0063] The basic Cruiser models are: (1) Single-seated (aft) Cruiser (8700 fps); (2) Two-seated, tandem Cruiser (7200 fps); (3) Lifecraft Cruiser for shirt-sleeve in-space transport or return to Earth of up to two astronauts, with or without a space-suited astronaut; (4) Single-seated (forward) Cruiser freighter; and (5) Single-seated (forward) high performance Cruiser (>13,000 fps).
[0064] D. Commercial/Military/NASA Program Synergisms
[0065] Commercial acquisition and operation of the Space Cruiser 14 provide private-sector missions such as in-space servicing of space assets, hazard removal, logistics, tugging and crew transportation and rescue. The commercial operations serve domestic, foreign and international customers.
[0066] The commercial services will be readily available to the military and other Government organizations. In pertinent times of national emergency the commercial fleet will be available in the context of today's Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), thereby transforming the CRAF to a Civil Reserve Aerospace Fleet 22 (CRASF).
[0067] Military/NASA will, after initial X-# flight tests with a dummy Cruiser, first acquire the single-seated, shortened Cruiser, which is truncated specifically to reduce its cross sectional area for its use in the SR-71 launched X-#19 hypersonic research aircraft. Subsequently the full size commercial Cruiser 14 will be acquired for its use in the X-1S 20 hypersonic and intra space research vehicle. Commercial ABPM production and use will result from the military/NASA testing of the ABPM(s) 15 . Therefore one of the synergisms between the Government and the private sector is that the X-1S 20 vehicle's flight-proven ABPM will go into production for both the private and the Government sectors. Similarly the production Space Cruiser 14 will be acquired by the military/NASA for both the X vehicles and for military/NASA operational ALCV 25 use.
[0068] As a result of this cooperative and synergistic separation of operations, military/NASA and the private sector will cooperatively fund the flight test of the Space Cruiser 14 . Because the ABPMs attach like stages to the aft end of the Cruiser 14 , two or more such types of ABPMs can be exchanged between flights during the flight test programs if the system were so configured. Therefore larger spectra of hypersonic technologies can be flight tested.
[0069] Overall results of the synergisms include: (1) obtaining the most useful and flexible and lowest cost hypersonic test aircraft, the SR-71 launched, air-breathing X-#19 aircraft, for vital hypersonic research and development for military/NASA and industry; (2) obtaining the most useful and flexible and lowest cost air-breathing hypersonic propulsion system for both the manned military/NASA X-1S 20 space vehicle for space research and development to, in and from space; and (3) obtaining the air-breathing hypersonic propulsion system for very low cost to orbit for the production, operational ALCV 25 air launched Space Cruiser 14 for commercial and military/NASA use.
[0070] The Space Cruiser 14 of the present invention is designed primarily to provide highly maneuverable space transportation and in-space support for one or two persons. It is not designed to be a launch vehicle; however it is clear that the freighter model has the potential to carry a small spacecraft to orbit. In this sense it is not a launch vehicle and does not compete with launch vehicles. Instead, it carries one or two astronauts, their tools, spacecraft components and consumables to space for in-space servicing of satellites and space vehicles and performs a variety of other tasks and missions. Indeed, the Cruiser 14 and its uses are highly synergistic with launch vehicles and their payloads. Furthermore some missions, for example high orbit missions, will either require the launching of the Cruiser 14 on an ELV or RLV, or the coordinated launch of such a launch vehicle in logistic support of the air launched Cruiser's mission.
[0071] The term “space transportation” is now commonly but narrowly used to denote launch vehicle systems. “Space transportation” as used herein, in accordance with decades of its use, is expanded specifically to also include manned vehicles that maneuver in outer space from point to point, and to and from objects, analogous to automobiles, trucks, helicopters, aircraft, etc. in, on or above ground. NASA's Space Transportation System (STS) or “Shuttle”, while limited severely in its intraspace maneuverability, is such a space transportation system. Apollo was a space transportation system. The present invention recognizes the need for and the large benefits that will result from a manned space vehicle system that includes the capability for substantial in-space and synergetic plane change maneuverability, especially because the cost-to-orbit is very low.
[0072] Small vehicular size, the use of supersonic and hypersonic air breathing propulsion, reusability and aircraft launch are combined herein to obtain a closely knit family of research and operational vehicles that will benefit synergistically the military, the NASA and other Government agencies and the private sector in hypersonic flight, space transportation, in-space servicing and other operations in and from space.
[0073] The costs of the cooperative development and test of the Space Cruiser 14 and its propulsion modules are suggested to be distributed appropriately among the private sector, NASA, DoD and other Government agencies because of their synergistic organizational needs for the Cruiser system and/or its capabilities.
[0074] Table 1 presents a vehicle comparison summary to further indicate differences, similarities and other characterizing functions among the X-#19, the X-1S 20 and the ALCV 25 configurations. Some of the comparisons are clarified and expanded below.
TABLE 1 VEHICLE COMPARISON SUMMARY X-# X-1S ALCV NOTES 1 REUSABLE YES YES YES PARAFOIL LANDING 2 COMMERCIAL MISSION USE NO NO YES SPACE SERVICING, ETC. 3 MILITARY MISSION USE NO OPTION YES INTRA SPACE & TAV, ETC. 4 FULL FLIGHT ENVELOPE NO YES YES YES INCLUDES ORBITAL 5 COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION NO OPTION YES ALCV APPX = X-1S 6 FUNDING GOVT COOPTV COMM REFUND X-1S? 7 SCRAMJET VERY HIGH MACH # NO NO NO IF USE RBCC TO SUCCEED NO YES YES IF NON-RBCC 8 HYPERSONIC FLIGHT YES YES YES IN THE ENVELOPE 9 SUBORBITAL FLT CAPABLE YES YES YES 10 ORBITAL-FLIGHT CAPABLE NO YES YES 11 TRANSATMOSPHERIC (TAV) NO YES YES YES = PILOT'S OPTION 12 RECOVERY TESTS/OPERATIONS YES YES YES 13 REENTRY TESTS/OPERATIONS YES YES YES X-# LIMITED AS SUBORBITAL 14 SPAVIONICS TESTS/OPS YES YES YES X-# BAREBONES INITIALLY AUTOPILOT & WITH DUMMY CRUISER GUIDANCE & NAVIGATION COMMUNICATIONS COMPUTER DISPLAYS LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM FLIGHT TEST INSTRUM'N 15 AEROSHELL CONFG TEST/MOD YES YES YES AEROSHELL REMOVABLE/REPLACEABLE 16 MULTIPLE MEANS OF DATA YES YES YES X-#/X-1S/ALCV RECOVERABLE RECORDING & TRANSMITTING 17 LONG-TERM USAGE OPTIONS YES YES YES 18 MODULAR YES YES YES PROPULSION MODULES PROP MODULE ATTACHES LIKE STAGE FOR TYPES/MODELS OF HYPERSONIC PROPULSION AEROSHELL OPTIONS SHELL HOLSTER OVER CONE STRUCT. DUMMY CRUISER AT FIRST YES ON X-#, OPTION ON X-1s, COCKPIT & LSS LATER LSS = LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM 19 LAUNCH VEHICLE SR-71 C-130 C-130 CAN USE OTHER FREIGHTERS deriv deriv 20 ORBITER LAUNCH VEH OPTION NO YES YES ALSO CAN RETURN IN ORBITER 21 USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE & YES YES YES RBCC FOR SAFETY WITH FUEL HYDROCARBON PROPELLANT & OPS ADVANTAGES SUCH AS JP-5 # The X-#, X-1S and ALCV Cruiser airframes are soft-tooled non-metallic
[0075] II. Technical Discussion
[0076] This section first addresses briefly the private sector Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle (ALCV) 25 concept, through its motivation, conceptual design configuration and its expected performance with emphasis upon the need for obtaining low cost to orbit and other real advantages from air launch. Then section then defines and discusses the “X” series (X-#19) experimental hypersonic aircraft which is basically a shortened (truncated) Space Cruiser to which a rocket-based combined-cycle air breathing propulsion module (ABPM) has been attached. The X-#19 aircraft will be launched from the top of a SR-71 for hypersonic vehicular research. The X-#19 vehicle will also result in the completion of the RBC propulsion technology and other hypersonic technologies for both the subsequent full-size experimental space vehicle defined and presented herein as the X-1S 20 and the private-sector commercial ALCV 25 .
[0077] The resultant ABPM technology from the X-# program is then applied in combination with the full-size Space Cruiser 14 to constitute the X-1S 20 experimental aircraft/spacecraft. The X-1S 20 vehicle is viewed as the first X-series intraspace research vehicle. Its flight test program will serve military/NASA and the private sector. It will enable the private-sector use of its ABPM 15 which when combined with the Space Cruiser 14 forms the private-sector ALCV 25 for low cost and highly flexible launch to its commercial operations in space. Acquisition of ALCVs 25 by the military will enable a full set of intraspace and transpace missions not possible previously.
[0078] Commercial Air-Launch Concept Motivation
[0079] The key motivations which precipitated and justify the ALCV 25 concept for commercial use are: (a) to obtain the benefits of a large reduction in the cost of launch relative to launch by any expendable launch vehicle (ELV), and (b) to obtain the benefits of aircraft flexibility in terms of launch location, weather avoidance and obviation of launch site conflicts, relative to both the ground-launched expendable launch vehicles (ELV) and the future ground-launched reusable launch vehicles (RLV). Air launch is attained with speed, geographically (global) and above or otherwise away from the weather. Such benefits include increasing dramatically the cost-effectiveness of missions and tasks such as: (1) on-orbit spacecraft servicing such as refueling, maintenance, inspection, checkout, repairs, updating, component retrieval, and spacecraft decommissioning; (2) crew transportation and rescue; (3) utility tasks such as hazard removal and tug services; and (4) Cruiser-payload support.
[0080] Key benefits to the commercialization of space include: providing on-orbit services (as above) that are otherwise unobtainable or unaffordable; increasing business volume, frequency and types of projects; reducing spacecraft operating costs, insurance/underwriting costs and sparing costs; and providing highly flexible, responsive and launch-on-need support of space assets. The benefits accrue to spacecraft developers, owners, insurers and users and to the Cruiser operator who provides the services as a commercial business.
[0081] A. Principles of the Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle Concept
[0082] The following principles characterize the ALCV 25 concept and are summarized in the chart of FIG. 2:
[0083] 1. A C-130 derivative aircraft is used, such as the commercial L-100-30 Hercules Airfreighter or the new C-130J of the Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company (LASC).
[0084] 2. The ALCV 25 and X-1S 20 vehicles concepts are not limited to being launched by a specific type aircraft. The implications of other aircraft will be evaluated.
[0085] 3. An optimized combination of propulsion systems is used in the ALCV 25 for improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
[0086] 4. A propulsion module (PM) is added to the aft end of the Cruiser 14 . The Cruiser's 14 nose radius is decreased to optimize airflow over the Cruiser 14 up to the engine inlets. Other aerodynamic control changes may be required.
[0087] 5.Several types of PM's may be used. They are:
[0088] (a) The rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) engine (described by Siebenhaar et al in “Strutjet Powered Reusable Launch Vehicles”, Sixth Annual Propulsion Symposium, September 1994) propulsion module, termed herein the RBCC ABPM, which is an internally combined and integrated rocket and airbreathing ramjet/scramjet propulsion system;
[0089] (b) The combination of a separate and, after ramjet operation speed is reached, separable, post-launch rocket motor (PLRM) and an airbreathing ramjet/scramjet engine propulsion module (ABPM) 15 ;
[0090] (c) The combination of a PLRM and a pure scramjet (no ramjet); and
[0091] (d) The combination of a PLRM and an RBCC ABPM.
[0092] 6. The RBCC ABPM (example (5a) above) is the optimal PM for the ALCV 25 because it deletes the PLRM and its associated problems such as the resulting large aftward shift of the vehicle's center of gravity and the risks associated with the PLRM falling to earth after being staged. In terms of performance risk the RBCC's integral post-scramjet rocket mode minimizes the dependence upon achieving high vehicular hypersonic speed from the scramjet operation mode. The RBCC has the highest effective specific impulse. Of course, one or more of the other types of PMs may also be flight tested in additional ABPMs 15 in the experimental vehicles if desired.
[0093] 7. Ramjet/scramjet (RJ/SJ) engine mode start can occur at several Mach numbers lower velocity than with a pure scramjet. Thus the PLRM is much smaller and results in a considerably lower weight ALCV 25 , offering significant benefits in terms of launch aircraft center of gravity maintenance, during deployment from the aircraft, and during handling of the ALCV 25 on the ground while loading the aircraft.
[0094] 8. If a PLRM were used, after rocket thrust termination, whether by command or by propellant depletion, the PLRM is staged. A solid propellant type rocket motor is assumed herein as the PLRM. However subsequent analysis may indicate a throttleable hybrid or other type rocket motor be used at least in some experimental configurations.
[0095] 9. In launch-to-orbit flight profiles with the X-1S 20 and the ALCV 25 the ABPM 15 is staged at a high suborbital speed sufficient to enable the Cruiser's plug-cluster rocket engine (PCE) to propel the Cruiser 14 to orbit and have sufficient propellant to complete its mission in space and to land. An advantage of the RBCC type of ABPM 15 is that transition from the scramjet mode 29 to the rocket mode 30 provides vehicle acceleration to flight velocities well beyond those possible with the scramjet mode 29 . This also reduces significantly the risk and cost associated with requiring and developing very high scramjet speed operation.
[0096] 10. The staged ABPM 15 of the ALCV 25 and of the X-1S 20 experimental vehicle is recovered by a parachute system comprising a drogue and multiple-reefed, controllable parafoil 26 , as is done with the Space Cruiser 14 itself for landing. The X-# 19 aircraft with its ABPM attached is also recovered by drogue and parafoil 26 . Runways are not required. Helicopter-suitable landing sites are sufficient.
[0097] 11. A high density-impulse propellant combination is used, such as high concentration (90%-98%) hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizer and hydrocarbon fuel such as JP-5.
[0098] 12. The very high ballistic coefficient (W/(C D A)) of the Cruiser 14 vehicle is exploited, with and without the ABPM 15 attached. The launch envelope may be increased substantially relative to the lower ballistic coefficient vehicle configurations such as vehicles winged for landing and axi-symmetric vehicles with lower slenderness ratios. Lower flight altitude and lower post-launch flight path angles during airbreathing flight can be used. The larger allowable flight envelope may benefit and ease airbreathing engine requirements and operation over a spectrum of missions and Cruiser propellant loadings. Velocity losses due to gravity (V G ) would trade off against drag velocity losses (V D ).
[0099] 13. The “draggy” wing of other hypersonic flight vehicles is obviated. The air-launched Cruiser 14 does not require a wing for takeoff or landing. It uses a deployable, controllable parafoil 26 when landing. Its body-only hypersonic L/D ratio with viscous effects included exceeds that of the winged vehicles and its drag coefficient is considerably lower. Substantially smaller wings in the canard configuration are used after launch for a period into the hypersonic flight region. These four independently rotatable forward and aft wings in the canard configuration permit ascent while at close to airframe zero angle of attack, thereby obviating airframe obscuration of the engine inlets. They may be jettisoned at some point in the profile to eliminate wing weight and drag and any undesired effect upon the operating of the airbreathing engine. The approach or ground rule here is to maximize L/D while minimizing drag. During portions of launch and transatmospheric and recovery flight the vehicle does not always fly at or near maximum L/D. Therefore the ALCV 25 benefits significantly from its very low drag configuration during substantial phases of its atmospheric flight profile.
[0100] 14. Consumption of the Cruiser's PCE propellants is minimized in reaching LEO subsequent to ABPM 15 staging resulting in greater ΔV availability in space and higher safety through larger maneuverability in space and during landing site selection. While gliding with the parafoil 26 , unused propellant can be used for powered flight at “ultralight aircraft” speeds while selecting a touchdown site.
[0101] 15. One (or two) SR-71 fleet aircraft may be used as the initial test bed(s) for the ALCV 25 through their carrying and launching of the X-# hypersonic aircraft at speeds up to and above Mach 3.0. For example, both the air-augmented rocket and the ramjet modes of the RBCC can be operated while the X-#19 vehicle is captive on the SR-71. The X-#19 aircraft is much lighter and smaller than the D-21 drones that were carried and launched from the SR-71. Of particular importance is the smallness of the X-#19 aircraft wingspan in comparison with the drone.
[0102] 16. The X-#19 aircraft flight test program transitions into that of the X-1S space vehicle. The X-1S 20 serves as the principal flight test vehicle for the commercial ALCV 25 . Both the X-#19 and the X-1S 20 will provide long-term flight test capability for a wide variety of technologies and vehicles in addition to the ALCV 25 .
[0103] B. SR-71 Launch of the X-# Hypersonic Research Aircraft
[0104] The X-#19 hypersonic aircraft can be carried by the SR-71 and launched and flown manned or unmanned. To reduce the drag presented by the X-#19 aircraft in the performance of the SR-71/X-# aircraft system, the Space Cruiser derived airframe is truncated aft of the forward seat for use with the SR-71. The result is the vehicular maximum cross-sectional area of between 25 and 30 square feet. The vehicle body is shortened by eliminating the aft cockpit and the PCE rocket engine system. The attitude control, Reaction Control System (RCS) is also deleted.
[0105] Launching a non-RBCC powered X-#19 aircraft from the SR-71 obviates the post-launch rocket motor (PLRM) which is required with freighter subsonic aircraft launch of the non-RBCC X-#. Any X-# aircraft's ramjet mode 28 can be started and operated in flight tests at speeds up to and perhaps greater than Mach 3.0 while the X-# 19 remains attached to the SR-71. When the ramjet system has been verified to such speeds the X-# can be deployed and tested through the full ramjet operating speed range. Then ramjet/scramjet transition and scramjet operation can be tested and refined. If the RBCC configuration is used, the air-augmented rocket mode 30 can be operated while the aircraft is captive on the SR-71 and can be used during deployment from the SR-71.
[0106] A dummy truncated Cruiser section that eliminates the aft cockpit can be used until the aft-attached propulsion module and the flight test operations are proven sufficiently to allow the pilotable Cruiser-derived truncated section to be used. When configured for piloting, the truncated X-#19 can be operated unmanned or manned with one crewmember.
[0107] [0107]FIG. 3 shows the X-#19 aircraft mounted on a pylon on top of the SR-71 as was done with the operational supersonic D-21 ramjet-powered drones that were launched at an altitude of over 80,000 feet at speeds of about Mach 3.2. The D (Daughter)-21 drone had an overall length of over 42 feet. Its Delta wing had a wingspan of over 19 feet and it weighed 11,200 pounds (wet).
[0108] The Lockheed Advanced Development Company analyzed mounting a hypersonic drone on a YF-12C aircraft for launch at cruise altitude and Mach. The drone was to have a length of 50 feet, with a total (fueled) weight of 14,800 pounds. A 115-inch tail cone fairing was added to decrease drag during mated flight. A canoe with a 5 by 7-inch cross-section was added along the bottom centerline of the drone to accommodate launch attachments and landing provisions. Aerodynamic lift was determined to be the most appropriate means of drone separation from the aircraft. The study concluded that installation and launch of the specified drone was feasible. Nitrous oxide engine injection and using increased exhaust gas temperatures are two thrust enhancement means in the SR-71 for use (if desired) through its Mach 1 transition phase.
[0109] The X-#19 aircraft configuration in FIG. 3 has the cone-elliptic Cruiser-derived truncated forward section and a jettisonable, wedge-shaped, boat tail aft end. It has small jettisonable wings for use during the initial flight regime from launch into supersonic/hypersonic flight. Both the forward and aft wings of this canard configuration are controllable, providing both pitch and roll aerodynamic control. This canard control configuration provides the capability to perform the acceleration climb while the longitudinal x-axis of the aircraft is controlled to maintain the engine air inlets optimally facing the airstream, close to horizontal. Therefore the upper engine intakes undergo minimum occlusion by the X-# fuselage forebody that would otherwise occur during positive pitch attitudes corresponding to the need for body lift during the climb. In the same manner the aircraft can descend while maintaining the engine intakes directed optimally into the airstream.
[0110] The rotatable wings also provide an extra measure of separation control during the separation and deployment of the X-#19 aircraft from the SR-71 27 launch platform.
[0111] C. Hypersonic Research and Testing with the X-#
[0112] The X-#19 aircraft launched from the SR-71 is a reusable experimental aircraft. The X-#19 launched from a subsonic aircraft such as a freighter, B-52 or other aircraft is also reusable if the RBCC propulsion system is used. It would be launched with its air-augmented rocket mode operating. With other propulsion systems such as the ramjet/scramjet system a post-launch rocket motor (PLRM) would be required to boost the aircraft to ramjet initial operating speed of approximately Mach 2.
[0113] [0113]FIG. 4 illustrates a representative combined system flight envelope using the SR-71 27 as the launch platform and using the RBCC propulsion system. The SR-71 27 flight path rises from the origin in the altitude vs. Mach number graph along an approximately straight line. At an altitude of 19,000 feet the SR-71 27 is refueled by a tanker. When the SR-71 27 reaches the launch speed shown in the range between Mach 2 and Mach 3, corresponding to an altitude between 50,000 and 70,000 feet respectively, the ramjet is started while the X-#19 is captive on the SR-71 27 . When the ramjet operation is verified, the X-#19 aircraft is deployed. The X-#19 aircraft accelerates and climbs along path represented by the lower curve in FIG. 4. At any point along the curve the vehicle can be throttled back to a constant speed or decelerated (i.e., into the interior of the envelope). The aircraft can be transitioned between ramjet 28 and scramjet 29 operation modes while accelerating or decelerating if the engine can operate in that manner. Transition from the scramjet mode 29 to the rocket mode 30 is also shown. As noted, the RBCC engine can also be started and operated in an air-augmented rocket mode while captive on the SR-71 27 and deployed in that mode prior to ramjet start.
[0114] [0114]FIG. 5 depicts an example of a detailed testing option to underscore the point that the modularity of the ABPM 15 facilitates flight testing a spectrum of technologies. The example is the supersonic and hypersonic flight testing of Dr. Fred Billig's controllable cowls configuration.
[0115] Either the X-# aircraft pilot, a pilot in another aircraft, a ground-control pilot or a combination of these and possibly an autopilot, can control the recovery of the complete X-# 19 aircraft with a deployment sequence of a drogue and a multiple-reefed parafoil. The drogue is deployed at speeds above but close to Mach 1. Step-disreefing the parafoil results in landing speeds near zero fps, thereby permitting a normal landing of the complete aircraft at helicopter-suitable unprepared sites. This capability to land at unprepared, austere landing sites rather than reaching a runway should prove invaluable in achieving full recovery of the vehicle under engine failure or other unplanned conditions. The landing-site selection flexibility is also especially appropriate because of the extremely high speeds and long ground track of the supersonic/hypersonic vehicle during test flights in which no propulsion problems occur.
[0116] When manned, the Cruiser 14 section is also an escape capsule and is separable from the ABPM 15 by stage-type jettisoning. The ABPM 15 is then separately recoverable by its own drogue and parafoil 26 system. If the aircraft is flying unmanned and the situation so warrants, the Cruiser-derived section 14 and its jettisoned ABPM 15 can be recovered in the same manner.
[0117] D. X-1S and ALCV Flight Envelope with RBCC ABPM
[0118] [0118]FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the flight envelope of the X-1S 20 and the ALCV 25 with a rocket-based combined-cycle (RBCC) propulsion module in terms of altitude vs. Mach number. The ALCV 25 is shown as deployed from a C-130 derivative Advanced L-100F or C-130J at 20,000 to 25,000 ft altitude and at a speed equal or greater than 0.5M. The C-130J will however permit launch at greater than 33,000 feet.
[0119] Promptly after the X-1S/ALCV has been extracted, the parachute is jettisoned and the air-augmented strut rocket is ignited. The exhaust plume provides a backup means for jettisoning the parachute. This air-augmented rocket mode 30 operates until the vehicular speed has increased sufficiently for the ramjet mode 28 to function well at or above M2. The proven rocket-cable system is an alternative deployment system on the C-130 type freighter.
[0120] Ramjet operation 28 is shown in FIG. 6 in the M2 to M6 speed range, and scramjet operation begins at approximately M5. Transition from ramjet operation 28 to scramjet operation 29 would be done in the overlap speed range of approximately M5 to over M6.
[0121] Scramjet operation 29 is shown at M5 to up to or over M11. Transition from scramjet 29 to the strut-rocket mode 31 then occurs, shown in the figure at M11. This rocket mode 31 continues until the propellant is consumed, at a velocity in excess of M17.
[0122] Design integration of the Cruiser 14 and the ABPM 15 and the optimalization in and over the propulsion modes maximizes the velocity available on orbit. Factors such as dynamic pressure heating and drag are also involved. RBCC operation to approximately M17 will allow the Cruiser 14 to perform limited on-orbit tasks. Acceleration to velocities greater than M17 results in an approximately equal increase in AV available from the Cruiser's PCE rocket engine.
[0123] [0123]FIG. 6 illustrates that the Cruiser 14 can be manned with one or two crew members and can also be operated unmanned. Manning affects the Cruiser 14 weight and propellant amount.
[0124] Returning from orbit the Cruiser 14 drags off velocity at an altitude of approximately 150,000 feet until the drag chute is deployed at approximately M1.2. At lower altitudes the multiple-reefed parafoil 26 is deployed and disreefed in steps until the full canopy is deployed and the Cruiser 14 is flying as a glider. At any time during the final landing phase, PCE rocket nozzles can be restarted and throttled (sets of nozzles on-off) to provide powered flight while flying at ultra-light aircraft speeds with the parafoil 26 .
[0125] Vehicular X-1S 20 and ALCV 25 recovery and landing can be performed from all RBCC propulsion modes along the acceleration normal ascent trajectory and within the envelope boundaries.
[0126] E. Deployment and Launch from the C-130 Air Freighter
[0127] [0127]FIG. 7 illustrates one approach to the stowing and deployment of the ALCV 25 with the L-100-30 or the C-130J.
[0128] The X-1S/ALCV is shown before and during extraction by an extraction parachute. An air bag assures that the vehicle does not contact the launch aircraft and is retained and reused. The vehicle is supported by slides which translate on rails that distribute the mechanical load while providing directional control. The slide system is retained and recovered after deployment. The slide that enters the airstream is configured to pull away from the X-1S/ALCV aerodynamically during deployment. Alternatively the rails can be roof-mounted in the bay, and result in rail support farther aft than is practicable with floor mounted rails.
[0129] F. Flight Test Program
[0130] The matrix chart of FIG. 8 provides an example (strawman) flight test program concept that would operate, for example, from the Edwards Air Force Base/Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, Calif. The overall flight program is subdivided into two primary and overlapping flight test and research programs. The first chronologically is the flight test and research program using the SR-71 27 as the launch platform with the X-#19 suborbital aircraft. This SR-71/X-# flight test and operational program is divided into four main phases as shown and described in FIG. 8.
[0131] The second and overlapping primary flight test and research program included in FIG. 8 is the flight test and research use of the fully orbital, X-1S 20 vehicle incorporating the full size, tandem-seated Space Cruiser 14 from the private-sector and launched by extraction from the C-130 derivative L-100-30F or the new C-130J freighter aircraft. This program is divided into two main phases.
[0132] The overall program is thus shown to contain six main phases. The configuration of the Space Cruiser begins as a truncated, unmanned, dummy Cruiser with the SR-71 as the launch platform and evolves to the C-130 derivative launched, full size, manned Cruiser orbital vehicle.
[0133] With the RBCC type ABPM configuration, such as the GenCorp-Aerojet Strutjet engine, where the rocket mode is integrated into the RJ/SJ engine, initial operation may be conducted in the air augmented rocket mode, then tested through transition to the ramjet mode 28 and tested within the ramjet mode 28 of operation while the vehicle remains captive on the SR-71 27 . When the flight tests have proven the ramjet mode performance through the Mach 3 speeds compatible with SR-71 captive operation, the X-#19 aircraft is then deployed and tested in free flight through its ramjet mode 28 speed range.
[0134] Transition to scramjet mode 29 operation is then tested and proven over a range of flight conditions. The full scramjet ranges of conditions are then tested, through the transition to the rocket mode. Then, the overall vehicular performance is optimized through the final rocket mode 30 and propellant exhaustion to obtain the maximum vehicular velocity map as a function of flight conditions such as atmospheric conditions, vehicular altitude and speed profiles and vehicular mass properties.
[0135] The SR-71 can be shared with two or more X-# configurations and a series of ABPMs 15 for an extended flight test and research program analogous to the long-lived X-15 program. However, during the X-# flight test program, when the system performance is sufficiently proven and its results are incorporated into the X-1S system configuration, the flight testing of the X-1S 20 vehicle(s) is initiated as indicated in the Figure as X-1S Phase I.
[0136] The X-1S system is flight tested through maximum suborbital flight in a manner analogous to that used in testing the X-# system. It of course benefits substantially from the results of the X-# program. It is shortened considerably and has substantially lower risk involved due to the X-# program.
[0137] The staging and separate recovery of both the ABPM 15 and the Cruiser 14 are proven as indicated. It has been planned that the Space Cruiser 14 will have been launched by expendable launch vehicles such as the Lockheed LLV and flight tested through orbital flight and recovery prior to its incorporation into this EAFB/Dryden air launch flight test program. However an alternative, and quite possibly more cost-effective, plan would be to use the aircraft launch program as the basis for flight testing the Space Cruiser 14 in addition to hypersonic propulsion, obviating the use of the expendable launcher until the Cruiser 14 and its air launch system are proven.
[0138] The small size of the Space Cruiser 14 , the use of soft tooling for the nonmetallic structure and thermal protective system (TPS) and the modularity of the airframe/ABPM combination provide the potential for working cost-effectively with a changeable set of component and subsystems. This flexibility is especially valuable in pioneering the hypersonic flight regime. For example a spatular nose can be configured into the aeroshell without altering the conical Cruiser primary structure underneath.
[0139] Table 2 illustrates an example of a root directory of flight research and test subjects. Table 3 shows a list of properties and related test capabilities of the hypersonic propulsion system testing by the X-#19 as an HRTV. Table 4 presents overall characteristics of the X-# 19 for use as an HRTV.
[0140] G. Summary of Means for Performance Achievement
[0141] Key performance enhancers which are applied in the X-#/X-1S/ALCV family of Cruiser aircraft/spacecraft to obtain hypersonic flight, suborbital flight and orbital flight for the Space Cruiser 14 vehicle include: multiple-staging, supersonic/hypersonic propulsion, the very high ballistic coefficient of the Cruiser 14 , minimum vehicular surface area, small size and weight for a manned vehicle, lifting surfaces configured for supersonic/hypersonic flight only, and a high cross-section area ratio of the ramjet/scramjet inlet area divided by the maximum cross-section of the vehicle. In the small volume of the slender Cruiser 14 , the PCE has, relative to (an alternative) cryogenic propulsion rocket systems applied to the Cruiser 14 , high total impulse, and high density-impulse storable bipropellant propellants and very short length compared to a single nozzle system.
TABLE 2 PROPULSION SYSTEMS RAMJET SCRAMJET COMBINED CYCLE ROCKET-BASED COMBINED CYCLE SUBSYSTEMS/COMPONENTS CRYOGENIC/SLUSH HYDROGEN EXPERT SYSTEMS FLIGHT CONTROL GUIDANCE & NAVIGATION (G&N) ADVANCED STRUCTURES MATERIALS INSULATION/COOLING AERODYNAMICS HYPERSONIC FLIGHT CONTROL THERMODYNAMICS AEROHEATING THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM INTEGRATION
[0142] [0142] TABLE 3 REAL-AIR TEST GAS REAL INCOMING ENTHALPIES & FLOW STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS IMPROVED CFD DATA BASE (& @ SAME TIME) eg: INLET CONDITIONS VISCOUS EFFECTS BOUNDARY LAYER CONDITIONS MEASUREMENTS W/WO INJECTION FLAMEHOLDING METHODS NLET-COMBUSTOR ISOLATION EXPERIMENTS esp. @ LOWER MACH NOZZLE & EXPANSION VARIATION INTEGRATED ENGINE ATTITUDE CONTROL & VARIATION INLET OCCLUSION
[0143] [0143] TABLE 4 LARGE FLIGHT ENVELOPE AIRBREATHING PM AUTONOMY/FLEXIBILITY ATTACHES AFT USE VARIETY &/OR CHANGEABLE PMs LOW COST & SHARED SMALL VEHICLE AIRCRAFT AS REUSABLE STAGE REUSABLE VEHICLE DUMMY CRUISER UNTIL PM WORKING SAFETY CRUISER IS LIFE ESCAPE CAPSULE HELICOPTER-SITE LANDING CAPABILITY DUMMY CRUISER UNTIL PM WORKING SR-71 WALK-BEFORE-RUN TEST PLATFORM OBVIATES POST-LAUNCH ROCKET MOTOR READILY AVAILABLE
[0144] The rocket-based combined-cycle engine, with its integrated rocket, ramjet and scramjet modes, comprises one of the key features of the invention. Within the combined-cycle technology, the scramjet mode technology is also an important aspect of the invention.
[0145] The modular configuration of both the X-#19 and the X-1S 20 vehicles results in great flexibility in the configuration and operation of their airbreathing propulsion modules 15 (ABPMs). Various experimental configuration ABPMs 15 can be designed, built and attached like a stage in the flight test program.
[0146] The manned, truncated, Cruiser-derived modules in the X-#19 aircraft and the Cruiser 14 in the X-1S 20 are practically untouched except in software as ABPMs are attached and flight tested. This modularity provides the opportunity, for example, to test various hypersonic propulsion systems in parallel by sharing the propulsion modules with one or more Cruisers in the flight test program. The military/NASA have then the cost-effective option to acquire several different designs of the airbreathing propulsion systems and if desired, aeroshell configurations, to provide a wide range of hypersonic vehicular and propulsion research and testing. It is their engineering and testing, not materials, tooling and fabrication that may then dominate both the cost and schedule of development.
[0147] Furthermore it is likely that the ABPM structure and propellant tank will be largely non-metallic and soft-tooled. However, the small size of the propulsion module provides the opportunity to use materials, fabrication and thermal control systems which would be costly in a large aircraft and not end up with a high total cost in the experimental vehicle.
[0148] There is a dramatic increase in specific impulse (Isp) delivered by the airbreathing engine relative to rockets. The air-augmented rocket (ducted rocket) initial engine cycle has a higher specific impulse because of the use of oxygen from the airstream. The ramjet and scramjet cycles increase specific impulse over the Mach 2 to greater than Mach 10 to a maximum of approximately 3,000 seconds and then tapers off to approximately 1,000 seconds as Mach # increases to a value above Mach 10, where the rocket cycle (mode) is used until the propellants are consumed. The ABPM 15 is then staged and the Cruiser's PCE rocket engine started. FIG. 9 indicates the performance of the H 2 O 2 /JP-5 propellants relative to N 2 O 4 /PAAB-1. PAAB-1 is an amine blend and performs similar to MMH.
[0149] Because the Cruiser's non-metallic, cone-elliptical aeroshell thermal protective structure fits over the non-metallic conical primary structure and is configured to be readily removed and replaced between flights, variations of its body shape can be made and flown. For example a spatular nosed aeroshell can be substituted for the normal very small nose radius, spherical nosed aeroshell. Combined with variations of the airbreathing propulsion modules 15 (ABPM), even non-axisymmetric ALCV types can be flight tested.
[0150] From time to time, as improvements are made in the X-# and X-1S airbreathing propulsion modules in their flight programs some of the changes will be adopted in the propulsion modules procured for ALCV use. In a similar way, changes to the Cruiser system will be produced by its development and operations teams and may be incorporated into the X-# and/or X-1S vehicle programs.
[0151] H. Launch Vehicle Mix
[0152] The key goal for air launch is to achieve very low cost to orbit. Key utility attributes of air launch are responsiveness and geographic flexibility. However, air launch is not a panacea. It is not capable of being used in some of the types of missions and tasks which the Cruiser system will be called upon to perform. For example the ALCV system does not provide the means for launching the Cruiser 14 accompanied by support systems and accessories such as sidecars, external propellant tanks and payloads which the Cruiser 14 will support on orbit but which cannot be stowed within the Cruiser 14 . Therefore, after air launch is operational, the private sector will also continue to launch Cruisers 14 on expendable launch vehicles when the mission requirements dictate, and on reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) when they become available.
[0153] For completeness it is noted that two or more C-130 derivative launch aircraft flying in close proximity, but not limited to being in close proximity, can launch two or more ALCVs 25 to ascend to orbit at the same time. This would, for example, support on-orbit “Buddy” operations.
[0154] I. Optimal Propulsion Configuration
[0155] The optimal propulsion system for the X-#19 the X-1S 20 and the ALCV 25 vehicles is the rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) engine exemplified by the Aerojet Strutjet engine described by Siebenhaar et al (noted above). The RBCC system reduces dramatically the scramjet maximum speed requirements. The most important reduction in requirements is this reduction in Mach number required to be reached by the RBCC scramjet. RBCC scramjet operation is only required to result in final (airbreathing propulsion) vehicle speeds as low as in the Mach 8 to Mach 11 range. This results from the RBCC then transitioning from its scramjet phase 29 to its rocket phase 30 for the final acceleration to the maximum velocity before staging the ABPM 15 and starting the Cruiser's plug-cluster engine (PCE) for orbital injection and subsequent maneuvers.
[0156] The speed requirement which non-RBCC ramjet/scramjet engines must meet is between Mach 17 to more than Mach 20, depending on how much propellant must be held in reserve for on-orbit maneuverability of the S pace Cruiser 14 and depending upon whether the Cruiser 14 is a single or two crewmember model. The two-crewmember Cruiser 14 contains approximately 30% less propellant mass in the Cruiser 14 (not the ABPM 15 ) than the standard single-seated configuration due to the obviation of the spherical tanks to provide the space for the second crewmember station.
[0157] The reduction in required scramjet speed, by approximately 50%, reduces substantially the speed-correlated risks associated with the development and use of the scramjet. Indeed, a scramjet mode that cannot attain more than Mach 11 may be excellent for the X-1S 20 and ALCV 25 .
[0158] Another important feature, unique to the RBCC, is the elimination of the post-launch rocket motor (PLRM). When the vehicle is deployed from the freighter aircraft, the air-augmented rocket phase of the RBCC is used to accelerate the vehicle to ramjet start speed. Obviation of the PLRM at the aft end of the vehicle moves the CG well forward, allowing the vehicle to be located before launch further aft in the launch aircraft and shortens the vehicle substantially. Furthermore, the elimination of the PLRM by the RBCC engine obvites the safety concerns etc. concerning the staging and disposal of the spent PLRM.
[0159] J. Military/NASA Efforts
[0160] The long history of “X” series aircraft in flight research and development by NACA/NASA and the military, both Air Force and Navy, with great benefit to both military and commercial aviation, suggests strongly that NASA/DoD not only extend their participation to the high performance X-#19 hypersonic aircraft and to its benefits to hypersonic flight technologies, but that military/NASA also project “X” vehicle capabilities into highly cost-effective in-space and transatmospheric flight test operations in the national interest. The vehicle concepts herein also draw upon the long history of the military and the Department of Energy in the Advanced Ballistic Reentry Systems (ABRES) flight test programs. The Space Cruiser's 14 synergistic combining of the X-series program and technology from the ABRES technology programs results in the extension of the “X” aircraft into the high performance space vehicle and into the high hypersonic L/D regime required for large orbital plane changing by means of the transatmospheric, synergetic plane change in the upper atmosphere.
[0161] [0161]FIG. 10 illustrates the large plane-change angle advantage that results from the synergetic plane change maneuver with the Cruiser's 14 high hypersonic L/D capability in comparison with intraspace plane changing by purely [rocket] propulsive means.
[0162] In this context of intraspace and transatmospheric research and experimentation, the present invention supports the military/NASA and the private-sector by presenting the X-1S manned space vehicle concept, a variant of the X-#19 aircraft. The X-1S 20 configuration will be finalized with the results of the hypersonic propulsion and other systems of the X-#19 aircraft (see FIG. 1). The air launched X-1S 20 space vehicle system would be both the experimental flight test bed and the prototype for the Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle 25 (ALCV) intraspace and transatmospheric, adroit, highly maneuverable vehicle and its launch system, missions, payloads and human participation.
[0163] III. Space Cruiser System Characteristics
[0164] This section presents selected elements of the Cruiser 14 design and commercialization.
[0165] A. The Problem
[0166] The commercial manned space servicing, support and transportation vehicle must go at least where the satellites are or can go, where the action is, where the need is, and must do so cost-effectively on a commercial basis. However manned spacecraft concepts and programs, American, foreign and international, have been and are continuing to be characterized by many or all of the following negative factors: space maneuverability which is limited severely; payload-maneuverability in space which is limited severely; substantially constrained orbital flight envelopes; inability to perform synergetic and other transatmospheric maneuvers in and out of the atmosphere; short flight duration due to cryogenic propellants; weather dependency of launch and recovery; launch schedule inflexibility; dependence throughout their mission on extensive ground support monitoring, tracking, control and communications; dependence on runways for landing; little or no space rescue capability; and large vehicular, operational and infrastructure costs. These characteristics and capability limitations contrast sharply with the autonomy, flexibility, maneuverability, responsiveness and cost-effectiveness required of a commercially viable manned space service.
[0167] B. The Need
[0168] The specific vehicular need is for a highly cost-effective, essentially omni-mission vehicle that integrates well with commercial launch vehicles and aircraft launch.
[0169] The key in-space performance requirement is payload-maneuverability or, equivalently, (payload)×(velocity). Whatever the payload weight and dimensions, the maximization of achievable velocity is “the name of the game”. Another key requirement is that the vehicle be low in cost to obtain, maintain and operate.
[0170] C. Cruiser Design Goals
[0171] 1. Man-machine unification . . . maximization of the performance of the Cruiser system by means of optimal mutual support between the vehicle and man's on-site capabilities.
[0172] 2. Maximum delta-velocity . . . While not all missions require large velocity changes, chemical rocket propellants greatly constrain achievable performance relative to what is desirable.
[0173] 3. Maximum payload-maneuverability . . . Whatever the payload weight may be the design need is to maximize the velocity that can be imparted by the vehicle. External carry of payload eliminates payload volumetric constraints and minimizes vehicular weight.
[0174] 4. Cislunar operations . . . Go where the need requires. In velocity space, orbital altitudes equivalent to the lunar distance result from velocities close to those required for attaining geosynchronous altitude. Furthermore, lunar transportation is a high potential market.
[0175] 5. Synergetic-maneuverable . . . The high delta-velocity (ΔV) required for achieving even a modest plane change in low earth orbit (LEO) results in a high pay-off for performing a lifting-turn plane change followed by a rocket-propelled return to space flight.
[0176] 6. Minimum weight and volume . . . Optimizes the Cruiser payload and velocity to orbit during the launch phase. Maximizes the available (payload)×(velocity) of the Cruiser 14 and permits up to a substantial reduction in transit time during maneuvers.
[0177] 7. Modular system . . . Cruiser model options for best performance and widest application; external additional carrying of payload, propellants, propulsion modules, life support consumables, support equipment such as accessories and tools, etc.
[0178] 8. Launch options . . . Compatible with as broad a spectrum as possible of expendable and reusable launch vehicles. Wherever possible the Cruiser 14 should enhance the combined performance and cost-effectiveness of the launch vehicle (LV) and the Cruiser as a system. Examples are: reduce substantially the size and weight of the LV shroud; reduce the LV aerodynamic drag by serving as an aerospike at the nose of the LV; eliminate the need for the third stage through substitution of the Cruiser 14 as the final stage; and eliminate the LV guidance and navigation system through use of the Cruiser's guidance and navigation system.
[0179] 9. Austere-site landing . . . Lands at helicopter-suitable, unprepared sites.
[0180] 10. Launch and listen . . . Autonomous flight options with respect to ground control operations.
[0181] 11.State-of the-Art . . . Accomplish these goals within the state-of-the-art and where practical, using developed hardware.
[0182] 12. Minimum cost . . . Small, soft-tooled, low-cost vehicle; modular system for facilitating tailoring to the mission; reusable vehicle; rapid turn-around; flexible and when required, long duration flight capability; maximum payload per flight; maximum maneuverability; minimum launch cost; austere control and recovery systems; minimum refurbishment and servicing required between flights; long-term commercial Cruiser 14 productive lifetime.
[0183] D. The Solution
[0184] The limitations listed above in Section III A (i.e., the Problem) are not inherent in the Space Cruiser system. The Cruiser 14 differs considerably from other manned and unmanned space vehicles that have been designed, built or proposed. It differs in ease and speed of development, safety, configuration, performance, in launch and recovery, in its costs and in capability for commercial success.
[0185] Referring to FIG. 11, the spherical tanks 32 for the storable propellants are located at approximately the center of gravity (CG) of the vehicle so that the consumption of the propellants will not shift the CG. The pilot 33 is seated as far aft as possible to allow as much room as possible for a ninety-fifth percentile male pilot. This also allows as much room as possible for the tandem cockpit and in the case of the lifecraft model 23 , the container-cabin. The wing tanks do not appear in the inboard profile but they are located in the aft section between the conical structure and the inside of the aeroshell.
[0186] As shown in FIG. 11, the Cruiser 14 preferably has an elliptical cross-section, thermal-protective, outer aeroshell 34 over the conically shaped basic vehicle structure. This outer vehicular shape is termed herein a cone-ellipse or elliptical cone. The aeroshell 34 provides the thermal protection during atmospheric entry and hypersonic flight. It is readily removed, refurbished and replaced between flights if required. The volume between the right elliptical cone aeroshell 34 and the basic right circular cone structure is used primarily as “wing tanks” for the storable propellants.
[0187] The Cruiser 14 is divided into nose and aft sections at approximately its longitudinal center point. By way of example, the height at the aft end is approximately 57 inches. There is an 8 cubic foot payload bay in the aft end of the nose section and a 4 cubic foot payload bay at the aft end of the aft section within the ring of rocket nozzles.
[0188] There are several alternative cruiser configurations, all of which are air-launchable. Three of these structures are:
[0189] 1. a single-seater model (FIG. 11) with internal spherical propellant tanks 32 forward of the pilot plus two “wing tanks” between the conical basic airframe and the cone-elliptic aeroshell 34 ;
[0190] 2. a two-place, tandem configuration without the spherical tanks 32 ; and
[0191] 3. a single seater model whose aft section is adapted to contain a module called the container-cabin. The container-cabin can house up to two persons in the supine attitude without space suits in a pressurized, shirt-sleeve environment. This is the “lifecraft” model 23 and can for example be docked at a manned space station for emergency crew return or for stand-off-and-return to the space station during emergency operations.
[0192] E. Vehicular Shape Configuration Rationale
[0193] 1. Reasons for Configuring for Entry
[0194] Entry capability is required for autonomous operation, proper energy management and safety. Expanding this statement:
[0195] Autonomous entry and recovery enables the Cruiser 14 to operate independently of recovery by another vehicle, such as the Space Shuttle Orbiter and future SSTOR vehicles. It does not however obviate those options.
[0196] Proper energy management is vital to maximize vehicular maneuverability in meeting the demanding energy requirements of space missions.
[0197] Safety is vital to: mission success; the crew, the avoidance of rescue costs; the minimization of insurance costs; and obtaining and preserving popular, business and political confidence in the future of the Cruiser 14 in the space servicing and transportation business.
[0198] In terms of energy management, the capability to enter and maneuver in the atmosphere enables important capabilities such as:
[0199] a. Up to doubling of the mission delta-velocity by maximizing the propulsive velocity available to do mission tasks when less velocity is required to reach the atmosphere for return to earth than to return to a rendezvous point in space.
[0200] b. Aerobraking in the atmosphere rather than using retro-propulsion with its resultant weight penalty and loss of up to the entire subsequent maneuver capability.
[0201] c. Use of aerodynamic lift to change the direction of flight (orbital plane change) and then to return to space flight. This energy-efficient maneuver is called the synergetic (or synergistic) plane change and is efficient for a vehicle with the lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio and low drag of the high slenderness ratio body shape of the Cruiser 14 . The synergy is the working together of the orbital motion forces and the aerodynamic forces due to the vehicular aerodynamic shape in the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
[0202] d. Use of aerodynamics to maneuver to a safe landing on earth and to minimize the need for pre-entry propulsive maneuvers.
[0203] In safety terms, the entry capability and performance provide a recovery return choice between the earth and a space station or other space vehicle as a function of the time available to reach sanctuary, the specific failure, problem or damage that forced the premature recovery or abort, medical needs, or subsequent docking risks to an on orbit vehicle or station. The space plane can serve as a rescue vehicle for other manned space-craft.
[0204] Without the entry and landing capability a self-propelled manned vehicle is neither efficient nor safe. Without easy access to the entry and landing capability of a suitable space plane, a manned space station is not safe.
[0205] 2. Reasons for the Generic Conical Shape
[0206] Due to ballistic missile tests, the slender cone is the most understood and tested shape for hypersonic entry. The slender elliptical cone is the shape of the ballistic missile reentry body for reasons in concert with the Cruiser 14 needs, particularly the need for low drag. Alternatively, the slender elliptical cone is optimal for its higher lift-to-drag ratio while retaining much of the low drag characteristic of the slender right-circular cone.
[0207] These shapes result in the minimum loss of velocity during the endoatmospheric maneuvers. Therefore the least amount of propellant is consumed in returning to space and the maximum footprint or area in which the vehicle can fly during recovery obtains.
[0208] The pure (right-circular) cone and the elliptical cone result in the smallest exterior surface area consistent with high aerodynamic performance at hypersonic speeds. Surface area means weight in the thick-skinned, thermally protected entry body. Minimization of vehicular weight is vital to maximize propulsive maneuverability, the optimization of payload weight carrying capability and to the performance and size of the launch vehicle.
[0209] The slender conical or low eccentricity elliptical conical shape is correct for the generic highly maneuverable space plane. The atmosphere will be with us indefinitely and the basically conical slender vehicle shape will remain optimum.
[0210] Orbiter-like vehicles exemplified by the Orbiter, the HOTEL, the Buran and the Hermes are designed to meet a substantial internal payload volume requirement for launching and returning payloads from space to earth. They require large winged, non-axisymmetric shapes and are penalized greatly in weight and performance in space. They also require large launch vehicles and result in high launch costs.
[0211] An important advantage of the symmetry of the Cruiser 14 is that it can fly with either the bottom or the top surface windward. Thus it inherently has redundancy in presenting its body to the extreme thermal effects during entry and hypersonic flight. If the bottom surface of the vehicle is damaged, the vehicle is then simply rotated 180 deg and flown safely upside down until the aero-thermal loads are sufficiently low or, if flying on a recovery profile, until the drogue parachute is deployed.
[0212] The slender elliptical cone entry body is optimal for: synergetic plane changes; maximum payload-maneuverability (wing-tanks); operations with small internal payloads; lightest weight; and lowest cost to build, maintain and operate. Other shapes can be best used where substantial internal payload volume from space to the ground is the driving requirement, i.e.: payload-to-ground vehicles.
[0213] The use of substantial-cargo vehicles in higher orbits or for high velocity-change maneuvers is not cost-effective or generally practical. It seems appropriate to point out that it takes the “deep pockets” of the government or at least substantial subsidization to acquire and operate such vehicles.
[0214] F. Representative Cruiser System Specification
[0215] [0215]FIG. 12 presents current performance projections in terms of the delta velocity and propellant weight, both as a function of Cruiser weight and for both one and two crew members. As noted the 1300 lbm ordinate value is the maximum (capacity) weight of the propellants in the spherical propellant tanks.
[0216] To provide further technical context and insight, consider a brief Cruiser system description in a specification type format. The Space Cruiser system is represented by the following overall vehicular system specification in Table 5 for the single-seat and the tandem seat models. The lifecraft (LC) model 23 is not included because the LC is a specialized model that is not used in the basic operations of the business.
TABLE 5 CRUISER REPRESENTATIVE SPECIFICATIONS CREW: Single-seat aft section pilot. Tandem-seat aft section 2 pilots or 1 pilot plus specialist SINGLE-CREWMEMBER CRUISER MAXIMUM DELTA-VELOCITY (NO PAYLOAD): Internal spherical tanks plus “wing” tanks 8700 fps allows 7 round trips between 100 nmi and 270 nmi circular orbits. External tankage can be added. TWO-CREWMEMBER MAXIMUM DELTA-VELOCITY (NO PAYLOAD) Wing tanks only 7200 fps Notes: * 7200 fps allows 6 round trips between 100 nmi and 270 nmi circular orbits. External tankage can be added. * The two-crewmember Cruiser can tow the Shuttle's external tank (ET) from 100 nmi circular orbit up to 270 nmi (or recover the ET from 270 nmi to 100 nmi). LAUNCH & ORBIT EXAMPLES: (Circular orbits except GTO) Commercial 2-stage Delta 6920 Florida (ESMC) 1 crewmember 2050 nmi circular & recover (i = 28.7) (Cruiser propellant limited by Delta 6920 throw weight) 2 crew members 1950 nmi circular & recover (i = 28.7) Commercial 2-stage Delta 7920 at ESMC 1 crewmember 2900 nmi circular & recover (i = 28.7) 2 crewmember 2550 nmi circular & recover (i = 28.7) 1 or 2 crew members to geosynch. transfer orbit (GTO) Commercial Delta 6920 California (WSMC) polar orbit 1 crewmember 1000 nmi (Throw weight limited) 2 crewmember 950 nmi (Throw weight limited) Commercial Delta 7920 at WSMC polar orbit 1 crewmember 1825 nmi (Throw weight limited) 2 crewmember 1740 nmi (Throw weight limited) Commercial Delta 6920 WSMC Sun-synchronous (i = 98.7) 2 crewmember 725 nmi Commercial Delta 7920 WSMC Sun-synchronous (i = 98.7) 1 crewmember 1585 nmi 2 crewmember 1510 nmi Potential lowest cost launch system Air Launch Cruiser Vehicle (ALCV) with launch price goal of $1-2 Million. Internal payloads only Launched from commercial L-100-30 or the future Advanced L-100F Freighter. These aircraft are derivatives of the C-130. ENDURANCE: With internal consumables 24 hours With internal & external consumables up to TBD days WEIGHT: Dry: 1 crewmember 4300 lb 2 crew members 4400 lb Wet 1 crewmember 10100 lb 2 crew members 8900 lb VEHICLE LENGTH: Nose joined 26.5 ft Nose folded 13.5 ft Air launched 27.5 (plus) ft INTERNAL PAYLOAD VOLUMES: Nose bay 8 cubic ft Aft bay 4 cubic ft (Not avail when use aerobrake) Spherical tanks bay 20 cubic ft volume adds appx. EXTERNAL PAYLOAD VOLUMES (In space): Side mounted (Slide-saddle) xxx cubic ft on each side Front mounted unlimited Pulled with tow bar unlimited EXTERNAL PAYLOAD VOLUMES (During launch with Cruiser): Governed by the launch vehicle Example: Delta stage diameter = 8 ft Standard Delta payload fairing = 9.5 ft outer diameter Special shroud for Cruiser as payload = 8 ft (Continues Delta diameter) Bay-stage with internal container for cargo Baystage outer diameter = 8 ft Baystage internal container: Diameter = (LV dia - 1 to 2 ft) Length = 12 ft (example) RECOVERY: Drags-off velocity followed by drogue chute & multiple-reefed Parafoil Lands at any helicopter-suitable land site Low-thrust PCE-powered landing site selection while under Parafoil Truck pick up and delivery to hangar TURNAROUND TIME: Similar to high performance aircraft EXAMPLE ATTACHMENTS & ACCESSORIES: 1. Sidecars with vacuum & air atmosphere (shirt sleeve) modes, toilet. 2. Slide-saddle for attaching sidecars, payloads, sideseats, Cruiser spares, tool boxes, etc. 3. Astronaut Nosemount for working on space asset in front of the Cruiser. 4. Low-weight non-metallic nose-dock that is attachable from the Cruiser. 5. Velcro (TM) side-docking gear. 6. Whisker pole(s) & attachments for 20-30 ft reach extension for one or two astronauts located at any position on the Cruiser. 7. Tow bar.
[0217] Lifecraft Solution:
[0218] The basic solution approach is to provide a unique modification to the type of manned spaceplane known as the Space Cruiser 14 so that it is transformed into a lifecraft 23 capable of transporting up to two astronauts in a shirt-sleeve environment plus a space-suited pilot and which can be docked or otherwise attached to the space station (SS) it serves.
[0219] According to the present invention, the Cruiser 14 is modified to accept and transport to a safe place a sanctuary module or “Container-Cabin 35” (C-C) in which the shirt-sleeved astronauts are contained. The safe place can be for example: (1) back down to Earth, (2) another spacecraft capable of accepting the C-C 35 for release of the astronaut(s) it contains, and (3) the lifecraft itself for a standoff and sit capability after leaving the danger area.
[0220] The lifecraft invention disclosed herein is designed to solve the problem of transporting the C-Cs 35 as enumerated above from the space station or other type spacecraft in which they were located.
[0221] The term “lifecraft” is derived from the analogy to lifeboats for boats and ships. Herein the term space station is used without loss of generality to connote any type of spacecraft which contains Container-Cabins 35 available to sanctuary by the crew.
[0222] The C-C is maintained ready in the space station for immediate ingress by one or two astronauts in response to a contingency situation such a s a depressurization, a contaminated environment or a fire. It is a sanctuary capable of isolating and sustaining two astronauts during a period of abnormality or emergency.
[0223] The lifecraft must be capable of operation in space and of entering the atmosphere and returning to a safe landing. Operation in space includes the capability for the lifecraft to remain docked and dormant for long periods of time, such as up to years, and to function safely at any time.
[0224] The drawings in FIG. 14 titled “Space Cruiser Lifecraft” present the Space Cruiser 14 that has been modified to form the lifecraft 23 . Its payloads are the Container-Cabin 35 in the large aft payload bay, and in the forward payload bay a life support and environmental control system 36 (LSS) for the Container-Cabin 35 .
[0225] 1. The Space Cruiser's aft section is modified to carry one C-C 35 as shown in which one or two persons can be carried while in a shirt-sleeve environment and returned to earth in as little as approximately 30 minutes.
[0226] 2. One or more lifecraft is/are docked to the space station (SS) or other object.
[0227] 3. Before a contingency situation arises the C-C 35 is located within the manned space station where it can be readily accessed by station crewmembers.
[0228] 4. The C-C 35 is configured where practical to be easily moved from its pre-contingency, normal position (such as a space configured for a standard rack) to other areas of the space station while containing one or two astronauts in a shirt-sleeve environment and condition. It is configured to be readily moved be a single astronaut who is in a space suit or other type protective garment.
[0229] 5. The C-C 35 is configured to be readily moved through the station's airlock(s) nd then to the waiting lifecraft 23 . The C-C 35 is configured to be readily loaded into the lifecraft 23 and to enable the lifecraft 23 to transport the inhabited C-C 35 in space and back to Earth.
[0230] 6. Each C-C 35 is placed for example in a standard-rack position in a SS module. Two C-Cs 35 per module could cover a module crew of four. C-Cs 35 can be added or subtracted from any SS module as the size of the module's crew is changed from time to time.
[0231] 7. If an abnormality or emergency occurs up to two astronauts can open the closest C-C door and step inside. This takes seconds of time instead of the minutes required to don a space suit and is less than the time required for the astronauts to leave the module and move to another SS sanctuary such as another SS module or node or to a docked return vehicle. This very short time can for example allow the closing of the module hatch in the shortest possible time to isolate the module from the rest of the SS and thereby minimize the unwanted effects on the balance of the SS.
[0232] 8. When occupied, the C-C 35 provides its own environment independent of the SS. This autonomous C-C Environment Control & Life Support System (CCEC/LSS) is for the most part attached externally to the back of the C-C 35 . When the C-C 35 is entered by an astronaut its CCEC/LSS becomes operative and will control the environment automatically, with manual control also available from within the C-C 35 . SS power and other sources of supply for air etc. may be selected and used until the astronaut inhabitant(s) of the C-C 35 switch to the autonomous CCEC/LSS.
[0233] 9. If the safety abnormality or problem lessens or disappears then the astronauts can open the C-C door and step out into the module. If the problem does not disappear, then a suited astronaut can come from another module or vehicle and if possible fix the problem. If the problem is not fixable in a reasonable time the suited astronaut can simply move the C-C 35 to a node or another module where the C-C door can be opened safely by the contained astronauts or be an external crewmember.
[0234] 10. There are various scenarios and modes of operation with the C-Cs 35 depending on the configuration of the SS. If necessary the space-suited astronaut can move the C-C 35 to the lifecraft and install it.
[0235] 11. There is a LSS 36 unit stowed in the forward payload bay of the Cruiser 14 that can be plugged into the C-C 35 as an alternative to the CCEC/LSS attached to the C-C 35 . This feature provides redundancy and extends the duration of life support. This pre-positioned LSS can be a version of the CCEC/LSS or use components designed for the CCEC/LSS.
[0236] 12. The lifecraft may stand off and return to the SS or can be flown back to earth with the C-C 35 .
[0237] 13. Medical supplies for first-aid will be provided within the C-C 35 .
[0238] 14. The capability for individual and cooperative administration of medical assistance will be provided within the C-C 35 .
[0239] 15. Communication between the C-C 35 inhabitants and the lifecraft pilot and to external locations will be provided.
[0240] 16. Anti-claustrophobic measurers are provided to minimize or avoid problems from claustrophobia.
[0241] 17. The positions and attitude of the contained astronauts can be adjusted after ingress. This includes the option to rotate the astronauts to face each other or be front-to back.
[0242] 18. C-C Self-test and readiness instrumentation can be provided.
[0243] 19. Suitable means for holding the astronauts will be provided in the C-C 35 . this includes seat and shoulder belts and boot straps.
[0244] 20.Suitable shock mitigating means will be provided in the lifecraft and within the C-C 35 s required for safety during vehicular-induced shocks and other dynamics such as are caused by vehicular parachute deployment and disreefing and vehicle landing.
[0245] 21. The C-C shell structure can be constructed to be flexible rather than stiff so that for example the C-C 35 can be compressed for ease of storage/stowing. Thus for example the C-C can be stowed against a wall or other surface rather than inside a standard rack volume. the C-C 35 can be quickly pressurized to expand it to its normal shape for occupancy.
[0246] Container-Cabin Solution
[0247] [0247]FIG. 15 titled “Example Configuration: C-C In JEM Module In Freedom”, presents a Container-Cabin (C-C) for the Space Station Freedom's Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). It shows the Container-Cabin 35 as configured for the JEM and for transport in the Space Cruiser lifecraft that docks with the Space Station. A cross-section of the JEM is also provided in the Figure that shows the C-C installation and the capability to contain two astronauts in a shirt-sleeve environment. The standard racks are shown at all four sides or walls of the module's interior. The C-Cs 35 protrude into the corridor several inches in this example and are thus staggered down the corridor so that they can be rotted into the corridor at the same time if desired.
[0248] The name given to the invention for use herein for convenience and clarity is Container-Cabin 35 (C-C). The term “Container” connotes the analogy in function to containers used in ships, trucks, aircraft, etc. The term “Cabin” connotes the analogy to a cabin that houses people. The Container-Cabin 35 is a self-contained module that is readily ingressed and is capable of isolating and sustaining one or more astronauts during a period of abnormality or emergency with respect to the manner spacecraft that contains the Container-Cabin(s).
[0249] The C-C 35 is located within the manned spacecraft such as a space station, space laboratory or spaceplane. The C-C 35 is configured where practical to be easily moved from its pre-abnormality, normal position to other areas while containing one or more astronauts in a shirt-sleeve environment and condition. The C-C 35 is configured to enable a space vehicle to transport the inhabited C-C 35 in space and back to Earth.
[0250] The following overall Container-Cabin system description refers to the spacecraft carrying a Container-Cabin 35 as a Space Cruiser spaceplane, and alternatively to other vehicles without loss of generality intended with respect to the types and configuration of spacecraft or vehicles that can be used. It is recognized that the vehicular designs may be influenced by the integration of the Container-Cabin concept. The invention is not restricted to the number of astronauts per vehicle or the number of Container-Cabins used for explanation herein. In other words, C-Cs 35 can be configured for one, two or more persons and there can be one or more C-Cs 35 , without implying any general restriction to two.
[0251] In more detail the concept is:
[0252] 1. Modified Space Cruiser 14 or other crew return vehicle(s) capable of transporting one or more Container-Cabins (C-Cs) in space and/or to the earth are docked singly or distributively to the space station (SS) or other man-carrying spacecraft as “lifecraft” analogous to lifeboats. In the case of Space Cruisers 14 their aft sections are modified to carry a C-C 35 in which one or two persons can be carried in a shirtsleeve environment and returned to earth in as little as approximately thirty minutes. Other type space vehicles may transport the C-Cs 35 and may provide the means to house the C-Cs 35 in such a manner that the astronauts contained in the C-Cs 35 can egress the C-C 35 safely while the vehicle is in space.
[0253] 2. Each C-C 35 is placed, for example, in a standard-rack position in each SS module. Two C-Cs 35 per module could cover a module crew of four. C-Cs can be added or subtracted from any SS module as the size of the module's crew is changed from time to time.
[0254] 3. If an abnormality or emergency occurs up to two astronauts can open the closest C-C door and step inside. This takes seconds of time instead of the minutes required to don a space suit or to leave the module and move to another SS sanctuary such as an SS module or node or to a docked return vehicle. This very short time can for example allow the closing of the module hatch in the shortest possible time to isolate the module from the rest of the SS and thereby minimize the unwanted effects on the balance of the SS.
[0255] 4. The C-C provides its own environment independent of the SS. This autonomous C-C Environment Control & Life Support System (CCEC/LSS) is for the most part attached externally to the back of the C-C 35 . Typically when the C-C 35 is entered by an astronaut its CCEC/LSS becomes operative and controls the environment automatically, with manual control also available from within the C-C 35 . SS power and other sources of supply for air etc. may be selected and used until the astronaut inhabitant(s) of the C-C switch to the autonomous CCE/LSS.
[0256] 5. If the safety abnormality or problem lessens or disappears then the astronauts can open the C-C door and step out into the module. If the problem does not disappear, then a suited astronaut can come from another module or vehicle and, if possible, fix the problem. If the problem is not fixable in reasonable time, the suited astronaut can simply move the C-C 35 to another module where the C-C door can be opened safely by the contained astronauts or by an external crewmember.
[0257] 6. There are various scenarios and modes of operation with the C-Cs 35 depending on the configuration of the SS. If necessary, the space-suited astronaut can move the C-C 35 to a crew return vehicle such as a Space Cruiser 14 and install it for space flight and/or recovery.
[0258] 7. There is an EC/LSS unit stowed in the forward payload bay of the Cruiser that can be plugged into the C-C 35 as an alternative to the CCEC/LSS attached to the C-C 35 . This feature provides redundancy and extends the duration of support. This stowed EC/LSS can be a version of the CCEC/LSS. The provision can be made for such a back-up EC/LSS with other type vehicles that are different from the Cruiser 14 .
[0259] 8. The Cruiser lifecraft or other crew return vehicle may stand off and return to the SS or can be flown back to earth with the C-C(s) 35 .
[0260] 9. The crew-return vehicle may be equipped to permit the opening of the C-Cs 35 within the vehicle.
[0261] 10. A crew-return vehicle may be equipped to load and transport the C-Cs 35 without their being opened, at least until the vehicle is flying at an acceptable altitude for safe egress from the C-C.
[0262] 11. Medical supplies for first-aid will be provided within the C-C 35 .
[0263] 12. The capability for individual and cooperative administration of medical assistance will be provided within the C-C 35 .
[0264] 13. Communication with, and where possible through, the SS (or other spacecraft within which the C-C 35 is placed) to external locations is provided.
[0265] 14. Where practical and desired there is the option of the contained astronaut donning a special, emergency space suit while alone within a C-C 35 . This permits an astronaut to egress a C-C 35 into a vacuum or otherwise contaminated environment. If two astronauts are within a C-C 35 both will don the protective gear before the C-C door is opened to allow one or both to egress. This is to prevent depressurization of the C-C 35 containing a non-suited astronaut.
[0266] 15. Anti-claustrophobic measures are provided to minimize or avoid problems from claustrophobia.
[0267] 16. The positions and attitude of the contained astronauts can be adjusted after ingress. This includes the option to rotate the astronauts to face each other or be front-to-back.
[0268] 17. C-C Self-test and readiness instrumentation can be provided.
[0269] 18. Beacons and enhanced radar cross-section are provided for enhancing the capability of the C-C 35 being located in space should the need obtain.
[0270] 19. Suitable means for holding the astronauts will be provided. This includes seat and shoulder belts and boot straps for example.
[0271] 20.Suitable shock mitigating means will be provided as required for safety during vehicular-induced shocks and other dynamics such as are caused by vehicular parachute deployment and disreefing.
[0272] 21. The C-C 35 is configured to be fire-proof and resistant to other environmentally induced damage.
[0273] 22. The C-C shell structure can be constructed to be flexible rather than stiff so that for example the C-C 35 can be compressed for ease of storage/stowing. Thus for example the C-C 35 can be stowed against a wall or other surface rather than inside a rack space. The C-C 35 can be quickly pressurized to expand it to its normal shape for occupancy.
|
A method for developing and utilizing a Space Cruiser vehicle efficiently combines resources from relevant end users in industry and the military. The preferred vehicle has an elongated conical shell with an elliptical transverse cross section. The cabin of the vehicle preferably has a circular transverse cross section, leaving space between the cabin and the shell to store vehicle fuel. The cabin is insulated and capable of supporting occupants in a shirt-sleeve, air-breathing environment whether in the Earth's atmosphere or in outerspace. The vehicle is capable of being launched from conventional aircraft, and also being stored in and launched from a spaced shuttle or orbiting space station.
| 1
|
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-085522, filed on Mar. 24, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an impressed current cathodic protection system for a marine engine. Preferably, the protection system provides a protective current flow through a coolant passage.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional outboard motor engine often uses seawater as a coolant and may be subject to cathodic corrosion due to the seawater contacting the inner wall of its coolant passages. In order to inhibit cathodic corrosion, an anticorrosive coating commonly is applied to an inner surface of at least some of the coolant passages within the engine. The anticorrosive coating may be applied by painting the coating on an inner wall of the coolant passage. The anticorrosive coating applied within the coolant passages may come off after the engine has been in service for a long period of time. Once the coating comes off, the coating no longer inhibits corrosion.
In some outboard motors, a cathodic protection system is used to inhibit electrolytic corrosion. For example, a corrosion protection system may use a sacrificial electrode or anode in the shape of a bar. The anode may be detachable from a cylinder head with its electrode facing an internal space of the coolant passage.
At least two types of sacrificial anodes often are used for conventional outboard motor engines. The first type of anode is externally attached to/detached from the engine while the other type of anode is internally attached to/detached from the engine. Self-corrosion of the anode produces a protective current which causes the anode to be consumed. The consumption of the anode creates a need for replacement before the anode is completely consumed.
The residual current of the anode is measured periodically or at the time of engine maintenance and, if necessary, the anode is replaced. The anode can also be visually inspected to determine whether replacement is required. To visually inspect the residual anode, the anode is removed from the engine or the engine is disassembled.
A disadvantage of this system is that part of the internal space of the coolant passage is used for setting the anodes. For anodes designed to be externally attached to/detached from the engine, a dedicated mounting seat on the external surface of the engine also must be provided. In addition, each anode is only effective over a limited area, and thus multiple anodes may be required for complete protection. An engine equipped with a cathodic prevention system that uses the aforementioned anodes tends to be larger. The extra assembly step of attaching the anode also increases manufacturing costs. Further, the measurement of the residual anode current and the replacement of the anodes increase maintenance costs.
Known impressed cathodic protection systems utilize an anticorrosive electrode in the coolant passage and more specifically on the upstream side of the engine. See, e.g. Japanese Publication No. 06-299377, dated Oct. 25, 1994. The anticorrosive electrode provides an anticorrosive effect to an area adjacent to the anticorrosive electrode; the anticorrosive effect is limited for other areas of the coolant passages through the engine, especially at the more narrow passages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An aspect of the present invention is directed toward addressing one or more of these problems and provides a cathodic protection system that has an anticorrosive effect without increasing the engine size and that can reduce engine manufacturing and maintenance costs. Preferably, the impressed current cathodic protection system has a plurality of electrodes disposed in a coolant passage of the engine filled with a conductive coolant. The electrodes are electrically insulated from the engine and power is supplied to the electrodes by a power supply device. The powered electrodes provide a protective current to the engine through the coolant.
Another aspect is an impressed current cathodic protection system for a marine engine having a coolant passage, the coolant passage being configured to receive a conductive coolant. The system comprises a plurality of electrodes disposed in the coolant passage, each electrode being electrically insulated from the engine and a power supply configured to provide a protective current between the plurality of electrodes and the engine via the conductive coolant.
Another aspect is a marine engine that comprises a coolant passage configured to receive a conductive coolant, a plurality of electrodes disposed in the coolant passage and electrically insulated from the engine, and a power supply configured to supply an electric potential to the plurality of electrodes and the engine.
Yet another aspect has at least one electrode in a linear form and bent to conform to a shape of the coolant passage. Another aspect has at least one of the electrodes in a loop form with part of the electrode connected to the power supply device. Another aspect has the electrodes arranged side by side. Another aspect has a circuit that automatically shuts off one of the plurality of electrodes upon the occurrence of a short circuit to the one of the plurality of electrodes. Another aspect has a switch which disconnects power to the electrode when the engine is stopped. Another aspect has an abnormality detection circuit for detecting an abnormality in the power supply to the electrodes. Yet another aspect has an alarm for producing a visible and/or audible alarm in response to the detection of an abnormality.
In a preferred form, a protective current flows from electrodes disposed in the engine and through a wall of the coolant passage in the engine. The current can inhibit cathodic corrosion in the engine. Unlike a sacrificial electrode, the electrodes do not readily wear out, and thus are less likely need replacing. The service life of the electrode may be longer than the service life of a sacrificial electrode. This longer service life may reduce maintenance costs compared to a conventional cathodic protection system that employs sacrificial electrodes.
Because easy access to the electrodes of the present invention is not necessary, the electrodes may be installed within the engine. By installing the electrodes within the engine and not on the engine, the size of the engine is not increased.
An additional aspect of the invention is to disable the electrodes when an abnormality occurs to the electrodes. Another aspect is to reduce the flow of protective current without creating significant fluctuations in the protective current (current value) if an insulating coating is formed on the wall of the coolant passage. Under these conditions, any reduction in corrosion protection is minimized.
An aspect of the invention is to form the electrodes to approximately conform to the complicated shapes of the coolant passages in the engine. Thus, the coolant passages through which the electrodes pass are subject to a stable protective potential regardless of the shape of the passage.
A further aspect of the cathodic protection system employs a loop-type electrode. By keeping the loop energized, the reliability of the impressed current cathodic protection system is improved. Another aspect includes an anticorrosive electrode that is divided into two portions with both portions being connected to the power supply device. Conductivity tests on both portions determine whether a break may have occurred in the electrode. Another aspect of the cathodic protection system includes providing two side by side electrodes so that if one of the electrodes is not operational, the other electrode provides corrosion protection to the engine.
An aspect of the cathodic protection system includes a power supply that automatically stops providing a protective current to a short-circuited electrode while still providing the protective current to the other electrodes. The power supply minimizes the size of the region affected by the short circuit and improves the reliability of the impressed current cathodic protection system.
An additional aspect of the cathodic protection system is to provide redundant electrodes disposed at the same position so if a first electrode shorts out, the second electrode provides the protective current.
Another aspect of the cathodic protection system turns the power on and off depending on the operation of the engine. For example, when seawater is flowing within the coolant passages and the engine is on, the power supply is ON to the anticorrosive electrodes. When the engine stops and a majority of the coolant is drained out of the engine, the power supply to the anticorrosive electrodes is OFF and reduces power consumption.
The systems and methods of the invention have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the invention as expressed by the claims which follow, its more prominent features have been discussed briefly above. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments” one will understand how the features of the system and methods provide several advantages over conventional corrosion protection systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will now be described in connection with preferred embodiments of the invention, in reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrated embodiments, however, are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. The following are brief descriptions of the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section of an impressed current cathodic protection system according to the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates various conditions, including failure conditions, which may occur for each of the three power supply methods.
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a marine engine having an impressed current cathodic protection system with linear electrodes.
FIG. 5( a ) is a schematic, cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system that includes a loop-type electrode.
FIG. 5( b ) is an enlarged view of a portion of the anticorrosive electrode from FIG. 5( a ).
FIG. 6 is a schematic, cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system that includes a loop-type electrode.
FIG. 7 is a schematic, cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system that includes two linear electrodes.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the impressed current cathodic protection system that includes redundant or plural electrodes.
FIG. 9 is a schematic, cross-section of the impressed current cathodic protection system illustrated in FIG. 8 .
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of the controller illustrated in FIG. 9 .
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of a controller employing a constant-voltage method with the power supply.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following detailed description is now directed to certain specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude of different systems and methods. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section of an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 for use with a marine engine 2 . While the protection system 11 is described in connection with a marine engine, the protection system 11 also may be used with other types of engines.
The engine 2 includes a cylinder body 3 and a coolant passage 1 disposed within the cylinder body 3 . The cylinder body 3 may be made from an aluminum alloy. The coolant passage 1 may be designed for seawater coolant.
The impressed current cathodic protection system 11 includes electrodes 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 attached through insulating support members 16 to a wall 4 of the coolant passage 1 . The impressed current cathodic protection system 11 further includes a power supply device 17 configured to apply a protective current to the coolant flowing in the internal space of the coolant passage 1 via the electrodes 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 . The power supply device 17 includes a controller 18 and a battery 19 for supplying power to the controller 18 . The power supply device 17 illustrated in FIG. 1 employs a potential control method.
The electrodes 12 to 15 may have a cylindrical shape and be connected to the controller 18 through lead wires 20 . The electrodes 13 to 15 are spaced at a specified distance from each other along the wall 4 . Support members 16 support the electrodes 12 to 15 and may comprise rubber or plastic. Preferably, the rubber or plastic has heat resistance and insulation properties.
The electrode 12 positioned leftmost in FIG. 1 is a reference electrode for the controller 18 . The other anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 are configured to apply a protective current to the coolant in the internal space of the coolant passage 1 such that a value of the protective current generally corresponds to a potential measured by the reference electrode 12 . The anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 are disposed with specified gaps so that any area of the internal space in the coolant passage 1 receives an anticorrosive effect. A broken line A indicates that the anticorrosive effect is available throughout the internal space in the coolant passage 1 .
In the impressed current cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 , a protective current flows from the anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 disposed in the internal space of the coolant passage 1 and through the inner wall 4 of the cylinder body 3 to protect the engine 2 from cathodic corrosion.
Unlike conventional sacrificial electrodes, the anticorrosive electrodes 12 to 15 only provide a protective current and therefore do not readily wear out. Thus, the anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 may not need to be replaced. The service life for the electrodes 12 to 15 may be longer than the service life of sacrificial electrodes.
As described above, the anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 may not need to be replaced. Unlike electrodes 12 to 15 , conventional sacrificial electrodes are attached externally to the engine 2 to allow the sacrificial electrodes to be easily replaced. Thus, an engine 2 employing the cathodic protection system 11 does not increase in size even if the cathodic protection system 11 includes a plurality of anticorrosive electrodes since the electrodes may be installed internal to the engine 2 .
FIG. 2 illustrates various conditions, including a failed electrode 21 , which may occur for three different power supply methods. The three control methods are arranged in columns with the different abnormities arranged in rows. Instead of the potential control method employed by the power supply device 17 illustrated in FIG. 1 , the cathodic protection system 11 may use a constant-voltage control method or a constant-current control method to energize the electrodes 13 to 15 . A cathodic protection system 11 using the constant-voltage control method or the constant-current control method does not require a reference electrode 12 .
When using the constant-voltage control method, a malfunctioning electrode 13 to 15 may cause insignificant fluctuations in the current value of the protective current and reduce the area subject to the protective current. The malfunction of an electrode 13 to 15 may be caused by the formation of an insulating coating 22 , such as aluminum oxide film, on the inner wall of the coolant passage 1 .
For an engine 2 employing the constant-voltage control method on a lake, the increase in coolant resistance decreases the protective current and the anticorrosive effect. However, the fresh water in the lake inhibits cathodic corrosion. Accordingly, the reduced anticorrosive effect has limited impact on the engine 2 . For the aforementioned failures, the constant-voltage control method may minimize any adverse impact on the corrosion protection provided by the cathodic protection system 11 .
When using the constant-current control method, a malfunctioning electrode 13 to 15 may reduce the area subject to the protective current and the corrosion protection. The formation of an insulating coating 22 on the inner wall of the coolant passage 1 may concentrate an excessive amount of protective current at the remaining uncovered regions 23 . The inner wall 4 of the coolant passage 1 may become subjected to corrosion. In the constant-current control method, an increase in the resistance of the coolant prevents the protective current from flowing and the corrosion protection.
When using the potential control method, the corrosion control does not work when the reference electrode 12 or the anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 malfunction 21 as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 having a linear electrode 31 . The linear electrode 31 is in a linear form and may include a coated electrode wire. The electrode wire may have a platinum electrode or a flexible copper wire as a core. The electrode wire may be made by applying a protective coating of titanium, niobium or tantalum to the flexible copper wire, and then plating platinum to the external surface of the protective coating. Platinum, a principal component of the platinum plating, has high conductivity and is insoluble in an electrolyte. Application of the platinum plating to the core wire results in the electrode wire having high anticorrosive properties.
The coating may be formed by twisting a plastic string, which has both heat resistance and insulation properties, to create an elongated cylinder in the shape of a bag. The coating may be made of fluoro-plastics. The electrode wire passes through the cylindrical coating. The twisted string inhibits direct contact between the electrode coated wire and the engine 2 so as to prevent a short circuit from occurring when the electrode wire is in contact with the coolant.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a marine engine 2 having an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 according to FIG. 3 with a plurality of linear electrodes 31 a , 31 b , 31 c . The cylinder body 3 is a four-cylinder engine having first, second and third coolant passages 32 , 33 , 34 . The first coolant passage 32 surrounds the bores 35 of the cylinder body 3 . The second coolant passage 33 is defined between the cylinder bores 35 and exhaust ports 36 . The third coolant passage 34 surrounds the exhaust ports 36 externally. The linear anticorrosive electrodes 31 a , 31 b , 31 b pass through the first, second and third coolant passage 32 , 33 , 34 , respectively.
A mating face 37 of the cylinder body 3 is configured to mate with a cylinder head (not shown). The coolant passages 32 to 34 are open in a direction toward the cylinder head. Coolant passages in the cylinder head connect with the coolant passages 32 to 34 of the cylinder body 3 when the cylinder head is fixed to the cylinder body 3 .
The first anticorrosive electrode 31 a passes through the first coolant passage 32 surrounding the cylinder bores 35 . The shape of the electrode 31 a may be selected to conform to the shape of the internal space within the first coolant passage 32 . The anticorrosive electrode 31 a may be formed in one stroke so as to thoroughly enclose the opening edge of the first coolant passage 32 .
The second coolant passage 33 extends in a direction that is parallel to the cylinder bores 35 . As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the anticorrosive electrode 31 b extends through the second coolant passage 33 .
The third coolant passage 34 surrounds the exhaust ports 36 . The shape of the anticorrosive electrode 31 c may be selected to conform to the shape of the opening edge of the third coolant passage 34 .
As shown in FIG. 4 , the ends of the first, second, and third anticorrosive electrodes 31 a , 31 b , 31 c extend through the cylinder body 3 and outside of the engine 2 . The external ends of the electrodes 31 a , 31 b , 31 c are connected to the controller 18 for receiving power from the battery 19 . As shown in FIG. 3 , support members 16 hold the anticorrosive electrodes 31 a , 31 b , 31 c within the coolant passage 1 . The lead wire 20 may extend through the support member 16 and connects to the controller 18 .
To facilitate connecting the internal anticorrosive electrodes 31 to the controller 18 , an electrode lead-out member (not shown) may be employed in the cylinder body 3 or cylinder head. One or more of the electrodes 31 passes through the electrode lead-out members between the inside and outside of the engine 2 . A sealing member between the electrode 31 and the lead-out member may be employed to prevent coolant from leaking through the lead-out member. The embodiment of the cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 may employ any one of the three power supply methods described above with reference to FIG. 2 .
In the impressed current cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the linear anticorrosive electrodes 31 a to 31 c are formed so as to approximately conform to the complicated shapes of the coolant passages 1 , 32 , 33 , 34 and inhibit corrosion of the engine 2 . Thus, the coolant passages through which the anticorrosive electrodes 31 a to 31 c pass experience a stable protective potential regardless of the shape of the coolant passage.
Each linear anticorrosive electrode 31 a , 31 b , 31 c may be held in place at one or more locations along the electrode. For conventional cathodic protection systems, the bar-shaped sacrificial electrodes require additional space for their attachment to the engine 2 . The cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 uses fewer anticorrosive electrodes 31 ( 31 a to 31 c ) as compared to a conventional cathodic protection system of bar-shaped sacrificial electrodes.
The linear anticorrosive electrodes 31 may be used in combination with the cylindrical anticorrosive electrodes 13 to 15 illustrated in FIG. 1 or with conventional sacrificial electrodes. The combination of electrode types may provide more complete protection to the engine 2 or add coverage for regions of the coolant passages that the linear electrodes 31 have little effect. These regions may include any gaps between the cylinders on the coolant passage in the cylinder head and an internal portion of a coolant passage cover (not shown) on the cylinder body 3 .
FIG. 5( a ) is a schematic, cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 having an anticorrosive electrode 31 in a loop form. FIG. 5( b ) is an enlarged view of the anticorrosive electrode 31 illustrated in FIG. 5( a ). The anticorrosive electrode 31 shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ) is a linear electrode similar to the linear electrode described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 except that the linear electrode illustrated in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ) is in a loop form. The anticorrosive electrode 31 shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ) passes through the coolant passage 1 with part of the electrode 31 being connected to the power supply device 17 . The coolant passage 1 surrounds the cylinder bores 35 .
A portion of the anticorrosive electrode 31 shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ) is external to the engine 2 and includes a dividing terminal 41 . The power supply device 17 supplies power to the anticorrosive electrode 31 through a lead wire 42 connected to the dividing terminal 41 .
As illustrated in FIG. 5( b ), the dividing terminal 41 divides the anticorrosive electrode 31 into two portions: a first terminal 41 and a second terminal 41 . To determine whether a break has occurred in the anticorrosive electrode 31 , contacts 45 are provided to attach a conductive measurement tester (not shown) to the first and second terminals 41 . With the terminals 41 external to the engine 2 , the conductive measurement may advantageously be performed without disassembling the engine 2 .
FIG. 6 is a schematic, cross-section of an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 that includes a loop-type anticorrosive electrode 31 . The anticorrosive electrode 31 of FIG. 6 is a loop-type electrode similar to the loop-type electrodes illustrated in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ). The electrode 31 illustrated in FIG. 6 has a linear electrode body 43 passing through the coolant passage 1 and a lead wire 44 for connecting together both ends of the electrode body 43 . The lead wire 44 is provided with a dividing terminal (not shown) that is equivalent to the dividing terminal 41 shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ).
The anticorrosive electrodes 31 of the impressed current cathodic protection systems 11 illustrated in FIGS. 5( a ), 5 ( b ), and 6 are loop-type electrodes. Part of the electrodes 31 are connected to the power supply device 17 so that the electrodes 31 are kept thoroughly energized in the event a part of the loop is broken. Thus, the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5( a ), 5 ( b ), and 6 may have improved reliability over a non-loop type electrode.
The embodiments of the impressed current cathodic protection systems 11 illustrated in FIGS. 5( a ), 5 ( b ), and 6 may employ any of the power supply methods described above with reference to FIG. 2 . The loop-type anticorrosive electrode 31 may be made from a flexible linear-type anticorrosive electrode 31 or made using a rigid member to form the anticorrosive electrode into a loop shape.
FIG. 7 is a schematic, cross-section of another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 that includes two linear electrodes 31 . The two linear anticorrosive electrodes 31 , 31 may be disposed at the same position in the internal space of the coolant passage 1 . The anticorrosive electrodes 31 attach to a cylinder body 3 via support members 16 . A controller 18 is connected to the ends of the electrodes 31 via lead wires 20 .
The two anticorrosive electrodes 31 provide redundant corrosion protection. In the event one of the anticorrosive electrodes 31 can not be energized, the other energized electrode 31 prevents corrosion. Thus, the impressed current cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIG. 7 may have improved reliability.
In the event of a failure with the cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIG. 7 , one of the linear, anticorrosive electrodes 31 may be used as a reference electrode to identify the cause of the failure. To identify the cause of the failure, a tester (not shown) may be connected to the lead wire 20 of the reference electrode 31 to measure the polarization potential.
To determine the cause of a failure for an engine having a conventional protection system, a mounting hole is drilled on the external wall of the cylinder body for receiving a reference electrode. In contrast, the cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIG. 7 does not require any drilling since one of the remaining electrodes 31 may be used as a reference electrode.
With the plurality of anticorrosive electrodes 31 illustrated in FIG. 7 , the cathodic protection system 11 may employ any of the three power supply methods described above with reference to FIG. 2 . If the potential control method is selected, a tester may be connected to one of the anticorrosive electrodes 31 as the reference electrode 12 and also connected to one of the other anticorrosive electrode 31 to measure the polarization potential.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of an impressed current cathodic protection system 11 that includes redundant or plural electrodes 31 . FIG. 9 is a schematic, cross-section of the impressed current cathodic protection system 11 illustrated in FIG. 8 .
The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 10 includes a plurality of anticorrosive electrodes 31 . Protective current flows to each anticorrosive electrode 31 through the controller 18 .
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of the controller 18 illustrated in FIG. 9 . As shown in FIG. 10 , the controller 18 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 may include various circuits. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 18 includes an abnormal current/voltage detecting circuit 51 , a power switch 54 , a filter circuit 55 , a current limiting circuit 56 , a comparator 57 , and an output control circuit 58 . The controller 18 may further include four output terminals 53 connected to the four anticorrosive electrodes 31 . Each output terminal 53 may correspond to a power supply circuit 52 and to an abnormal current/voltage detecting circuit 51 .
The abnormal current/voltage detecting circuit 51 automatically shuts-off the power supplying circuits to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 if a short circuit occurs. For example, a short circuit may occur if any of the electrodes 31 contacts the engine 2 . In this case, the abnormal current/voltage detecting circuit 51 automatically stops the supply of power to the short-circuited anticorrosive electrode 31 . The rest of the anticorrosive electrodes 31 , 31 can thus continue to be supplied with a protective current despite the short circuit. The abnormal current/voltage detecting circuit 51 shuts-off the power supply circuits 52 to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 when a current flowing through the anticorrosive electrodes 31 exceeds a predetermined value.
As shown in FIG. 9 , with the plurality of electrodes 31 disposed at the same position in the coolant channel 1 , a redundant electrode 31 provides corrosion protection even the other electrode 31 fails. The remaining anticorrosive electrode 31 continues to flow the protective current through the short-circuited portion to provide protection to that portion. In this way, the area affected by the failed or short-circuited electrode 31 is minimized.
The power switch 54 switches the controller 18 ON/OFF and is operatively connected to an engine switch or main switch. During engine 2 operation with the coolant passage 1 supplied with seawater 59 , the power supply is ON for the anticorrosive electrodes 31 . When the engine 2 stops and a majority of the coolant is drained from the engine 2 , the power supply is OFF. By turning the impressed current cathodic protection system 11 off when the engine 2 is not in use, power consumption is reduced.
For embodiments of the controller 18 that include the abnormal current/voltage detecting circuit 51 , any of the three power supply methods described above with reference to FIG. 2 may be employed.
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of a controller 18 employing a constant-voltage method for the power supply. The controller 18 illustrated in FIG. 11 includes a constant-voltage control section 61 , an over current shut-off section 62 , a dual establishment mechanism 63 , an alarm display section 68 , a stabilized power supply filter 69 , and an output-side filter 70 . Terminal 71 is a connection location for the anticorrosive electrodes 31 . Reference electrode terminal 72 is a connection location for a reference electrode if a potential control method is selected. Terminal 73 is an adjustment terminal. Terminal 74 is a check terminal.
The constant-voltage control section 61 maintains a voltage applied to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 . The over-current shut-off section 62 stops the supply of power to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 when an over-current flows through the anticorrosive electrodes 31 . The dual establishment mechanism 63 monitors the supply of power to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 .
The alarm display section 68 may include a plurality of LEDs 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 for notifying an operator of an alarm condition. The alarm section 68 may provide an audible alarm to the operator. For example, a circuit may light the LED 64 in response to a drop in the voltage applied to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 to a level below a predetermined minimum value. A circuit may light the LED 65 in response to a voltage exceeding a predetermined maximum value. A circuit may light the LED 66 in response to a drop in the current flowing through the anticorrosive electrodes 31 to a level below a predetermined minimum value. A circuit may light the LED 67 in response to the current exceeding a predetermined maximum value.
The controller 18 may further include an LED 75 and LED 76 . The LED 75 may be configured to light up when current is being supplied to the stabilized power supply filter 69 . The LED 76 may be configured to light up when the over-current shut-off section 62 stops the supply of power to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 .
When the voltage or current being supplied to the anticorrosive electrodes 31 excessively increases/decreases or is not within a normal range, the associated LED 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 lights up so as to inform a driver of the occurrence of the abnormality. As described above, the designs of the cathodic protection system 11 allow preventive inspections and repairs to be performed on the cathodic protection system 11 . By designing the cathodic protection system 11 in this manner, these repairs and inspections may prevent additional corrosion from occurring after an abnormality is detected by the controller 18 .
An advantage of the cathodic protection system is less that space is needed to fix the electrodes to the engine as compared to fixing a conventional cathodic protection system that has a number of bar-shaped sacrificial electrodes. Moreover, the cathodic protection system of the invention uses fewer electrodes as compared to a conventional cathodic protection system that has bar-shaped sacrificial electrodes. The engine manufacturing costs for the cathodic protection system of the invention are less than the costs for assembling an engine employing a conventional cathodic protection system.
Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of a certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combine with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims.
|
A cathodic protection system has electrodes disposed in a coolant passage of an engine filled with a conductive coolant. The electrodes are electrically insulated from the engine. A power supply device provides for a protective electric current to form from the electrodes to the engine through the coolant. The cathodic protection system reduces engine manufacturing and maintenance costs and provides an anticorrosive effect without increasing the size of the engine.
| 5
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to systems for controlling engine operation toward an optimum operating point, and more particularly to such systems operable to modify such control during vehicle acceleration and deceleration conditions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the control of internal combustion engines, particularly in industrial applications, to control engine load via an external generator. Such generators are typically electronically controlled and are responsive to at least a so-called “load bias” signal produced by electronic engine control circuitry to apply a corresponding load to the engine.
An example of a portion of a prior art control circuit 3 producing a steady state load bias signal (LB) is shown in FIG. 1 . Control circuit 3 includes a load bias calculation block 5 receiving a commanded fueling (CF) signal and an engine speed (ES) signal, wherein block 5 is operable to produce the load bias signal LB as a function thereof. Conventionally, the load bias signal is determined by comparing ES with CF and producing LB as a signal proportional to where the current engine operation point is (typically in relation to an engine output power or torque curve or map) relative to an optimal operating point. The optimal rating point is typically determined as the most efficient engine power generated at a given engine speed.
While the prior art load bias signal LB provides for accurate and effective engine load control during steady state operating conditions, this accuracy and efficacy diminishes during transient operating conditions. For example, during engine acceleration conditions, if the load bias signal LB is directly followed it results in less than optimal or sluggish engine performance. Optimal engine acceleration is dependent on the amount of air (boost pressure) and fuel available to the engine at any given engine speed.
Likewise, during deceleration of the engine, if the load bias curve is directly followed it results in less than optimal engine performance. The load bias signal in this case will request more load as the engine is decelerating, as the requested fueling is very low during deceleration conditions (i.e. the operator lets up on the throttle). The engine accordingly decelerates at the same time that the load bias signal is requesting more loading, which results in excessive loading on the engine when the target engine RPM is reached. This typically results in the target RPM being overshot, which is an undesirable engine response.
What is therefore needed is a system for improving the load bias signal LB to provide optimal engine performance not only during steady state engine operating conditions, but also during transient engine operating conditions such as during engine acceleration and deceleration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system for producing an adjusted load bias signal to provide for optimal acceleration conditions for an internal combustion engine comprises means for sensing engine rotational speed and producing an engine speed signal corresponding thereto, means for sensing intake air pressure of an internal combustion engine and producing a boost pressure signal corresponding thereto, means for determining a load bias signal as a function of the engine speed signal, and means for producing an adjusted load bias signal as one of the load bias signal and an acceleration-adjusted load bias signal, wherein the acceleration-adjusted load bias signal is based on the boost pressure signal and the engine speed signal.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of producing an adjusted load bias signal to provide for optimal acceleration conditions for an internal combustion engine comprises the steps of sensing engine rotational speed, sensing engine intake air pressure, determining a load bias signal as a function of the engine rotational speed, determining an acceleration-adjusted load bias signal based on the engine rotational speed and the engine intake air pressure, and producing an adjusted load bias signal as one of the load bias signal and the acceleration-adjusted load bias signal.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a system for producing an adjusted load bias signal to provide for optimal deceleration conditions for an internal combustion engine comprises means for sensing engine rotational speed and producing an engine speed signal corresponding thereto, means for determining a reference engine speed, means for determining a load bias signal as a function of the engine speed signal, and means for producing an adjusted load bias signal as one of the load bias signal and a deceleration-adjusted load bias signal, wherein the deceleration-adjusted load bias signal is based on the engine speed signal and the reference engine speed.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of producing an adjusted load bias signal to provide for optimal deceleration conditions for an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of sensing engine rotational speed, determining a reference engine speed, determining a load bias signal as a function of the engine rotational speed, determining a deceleration-adjusted load bias signal based on the engine rotational speed and the reference engine speed, and producing an adjusted load bias signal as one of the load bias signal and the deceleration-adjusted load bias signal.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a system for producing an adjusted load bias signal to provide for optimal acceleration and deceleration conditions for an internal combustion engine comprises means for sensing engine rotational speed and producing an engine speed signal corresponding thereto, means for sensing intake air pressure of an internal combustion engine and producing a boost pressure signal corresponding thereto, means for determining a reference engine speed, and a control computer computing a load bias signal as a function of said engine speed signal, the control computer computing an acceleration-adjusted load bias value as a function of the engine speed and boost pressure signals and computing a deceleration-adjusted load bias value as a function of the engine speed signal and the reference engine speed, the control computer producing an adjusted load bias signal as one of the load bias signal, the acceleration-adjusted load bias value and the deceleration-adjusted load bias value.
In accordance with still a further aspect of the present invention, a method of producing an adjusted load bias signal to provide for optimal acceleration and deceleration conditions for an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of sensing engine rotational speed of an internal combustion engine, sensing engine intake air pressure, determining a reference engine speed based on operator requested torque, determining a load bias signal as a function of the engine rotational speed, determining an acceleration-adjusted load bias signal based on the engine rotational speed and the engine intake air pressure, determining a deceleration-adjusted load bias signal based on the engine rotational speed and the reference engine speed, and producing an adjusted load bias signal as one of the load bias signal, the acceleration-adjusted load bias signal and the deceleration-adjusted load bias signal.
One object of the present invention is to optimize the performance of the engine and improve responsiveness and driveability of the vehicle in which the engine is placed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such optimization by modifying the load bias signal for optimum engine performance during engine acceleration conditions.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such optimization by modifying the load bias signal for optimum engine performance during engine deceleration conditions.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art engine control system producing a load bias signal.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an engine control system producing an improved load bias signal in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one preferred embodiment of at least a portion of the control computer 12 of FIG. 2 illustrating some of the concepts of the present invention..
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating one preferred embodiment of the load bias signal modification block of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of the load bias signal modification block of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one preferred embodiment of a software algorithm for executing the adjusted load bias signal feature illustrated in FIG. 3 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to a number of preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated embodiments, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
Referring to FIG. 2, one preferred embodiment of an engine control system 10 , in accordance with the present, is shown. System 10 includes as its central component a control computer 12 having a memory 15 and operable to control and manage the overall operation of an internal combustion engine 14 . In one embodiment, control computer is a known engine control computer that is sometimes referred to in the industry as an electronic control module (ECM), electronic control unit (ECU), or the like.
System 10 includes a number of sensors and/or actuators, wherein control computer 12 is responsive to signals supplied by such sensors and/or actuators to control the operation of engine 14 as is known in the art. For example, system 10 includes a throttle 16 electrically connected to an input IN 1 of control computer 12 via signal path 18 and producing a requested torque (RT) signal thereon. Throttle 16 may be any known mechanism for producing a requested torque signal RT corresponding to driver requested fueling, and in one embodiment, throttle 16 is an accelerator pedal of known construction. Alternatively, throttle 16 may be a known cruise control system, hand actuated throttle mechanism, or the like.
Engine 14 includes an engine speed sensor (ESS) 20 electrically connected to an input IN 2 of control computer 12 via signal path 22 and producing an engine speed signal (ES) thereon corresponding to engine rotational speed. In one embodiment, the engine speed sensor 20 is a known Hall effect sensor operable to produce an engine speed and position signal, although the present invention contemplates using other known sensors or sensing systems for providing the engine speed signal ES such as a variable reluctance sensor, or the like. Engine 14 also includes a turbocharger 24 and a boost pressure sensor 26 electrically connected to an input IN 3 of control computer 12 via signal path 28 . Boost pressure sensor 26 is preferably located within an air intake port or manifold (not shown) of the engine 14 and is operable to sense a pressure of intake air entering engine 14 , as is known in the art, and produce a boost pressure signal (BP) corresponding thereto.
Control computer 12 includes an output OUT 1 electrically connected to a fuel system 30 of engine 14 via signal path 32 . In accordance with known techniques, computer 12 is operable to determine fueling requirements for engine 14 , typically based on a number of engine operating parameters, and produce a corresponding commanded fueling (CF) signal on signal path 32 . Fuel system 20 is, in turn, responsive to the commanded fueling signal CF to supply fuel to engine 14 as is known in the art.
Control computer 12 also includes an output OUT 2 electrically connected to an electronic controller 36 of a known load generator 34 via signal path 38 . In accordance with the present invention, control computer 12 is operable to produce an adjusted load bias signal (ALB) on signal path 38 corresponding to the load bias signal (LB) described with respect to FIG. 1 modified to account for engine acceleration and deceleration conditions. The electronic controller 36 is responsive to the adjusted load bias signal ALB to control the load generator 34 , as is known in the art, to effectuate load control of engine 14 via process path 40 .
Referring now to FIG. 3, one preferred embodiment of at some of the internal features of control computer 12 , as they relate to the present invention, are shown. It is to be understood that while the features illustrated in FIG. 3 are shown as blocks, such blocks are not necessarily intended to represent physical structure but rather functional blocks that are typically executed via software. In any case, computer 12 includes a load bias calculation block 5 , which is preferably identical in structure and function to the load bias calculation block 5 of FIG. 1, wherein block 5 is responsive to the commanded fueling (CF) and engine speed (ES) signals on signal paths 32 and 22 respectively, to produce a load bias signal LB value on path 48 . For example, load bias calculation block 5 preferably uses the engine speed signal ES on signal path 22 and the commanded fueling signal CF on signal path 32 , in a known manner, to determine a current engine operating point relative to an optimal operating point (most efficient engine power generated at a given engine speed). Block 5 is then operable to produce the load bias value LB on path 48 that is proportional to the current operating point relative to the optimal operating point. Alternatively, block 5 may be responsive to CF and ES, and/or any other engine operating parameter signals, to produce LB in accordance with any other known technique therefore.
In any case, computer 12 further includes a reference speed calculation block 47 responsive to the requested torque signal RT to compute a reference engine speed ES REF in accordance with known techniques therefore, and to provide the ES REF value on path 49 . Computer 12 further includes a load bias adjustment or modification block 50 receiving the reference engine speed value ES REF on path 49 , the load bias value LB on path 48 , the engine speed signal ES on signal path 22 , and the boost pressure signal on signal path 28 , and producing an adjusted load bias signal (ALB) on signal path 38 . As shown in FIG. 3, load bias adjustment block 50 preferably includes an engine acceleration adjustment block 52 and an engine deceleration adjustment block 54 coupled to a selection block 56 , wherein block 50 is operable to compute respective engine acceleration adjusted load bias and engine deceleration adjusted load bias values, and selectively produce an appropriate load bias value on signal path 38 .
Referring now to FIG. 4, one preferred embodiment 50 ′ of the load bias adjustment or modification block 50 of FIG. 3, in accordance with the present invention, is shown. Block 50 ′ includes an optimal ΔRPM calculation block 60 receiving as inputs the boost pressure BP and engine speed ES signals on signal paths 28 and 22 respectively, and producing on path 64 an optimal ΔRPM value. Block 60 may be implemented as a look-up table, graph or one or more equations relating current engine speed and boost pressure to an optimum rate of change of engine RPM for such operating conditions, wherein block 60 supplies the optimum rate of change of RPM (ΔRPM) value to an acceleration adjustment block 62 via path 64 . Acceleration adjustment block 62 is operable to receive the load bias signal LB on path 48 and the optimum ΔRPM value on path 64 and produce an acceleration-adjusted load bias value LB A on path 72 as a function thereof. Block 62 may be implemented as a look-up table, graph or one or more equations relating LB and the optimal ΔRPM value to an appropriate LB A value.
Block 50 ′ further includes a ΔES calculation block 66 receiving as inputs the reference engine speed value ES REF and engine speed ES signal on signal paths 49 and 22 respectively, and producing on path 70 a ΔES value. Block 66 is preferably implemented as a comparison or subtraction function operable to compute ΔES as a difference between ES REF and ES. A Deceleration adjustment block 68 is operable to receive the load bias signal LB on path 48 and the ΔES value on path 70 and produce a deceleration-adjusted load bias value LB D on path 74 as a function thereof. Block 68 may be implemented as a look-up table, graph or one or more equations relating LB and the ΔES value to an appropriate LB D value.
Block 50 ′ further includes a load bias selection block 56 receiving the load bias value LB, the acceleration-adjusted load bias value LB A , and the deceleration-adjusted load bias value LB D from paths 48 , 72 and 74 respectively, and producing an adjusted load bias signal ALB on signal path 38 as a function thereof. In one preferred embodiment, block 56 is operable to compare the two adjusted load bias values LB A and LB D with the load bias signal LB, and select an appropriate one of the three to supply on signal path 38 as the adjusted load bias signal ALB based on this comparison. In this embodiment, block 56 is operable to produce the acceleration-adjusted load bias value LB A as the adjusted load bias signal ALB if the acceleration-adjusted load bias value LB A is significantly different than the other two load bias values LB D and LB. Conversely, if the deceleration-adjusted load bias value LB D is significantly different than the other two load bias values LB A and LB, block 56 is operable to produce the 25 deceleration-adjusted load bias value LB D as the adjusted load bias signal ALB. Finally, if all three load bias values LB, LB A and LB D are nearly the same, then block 56 is operable to produce the original load bias signal LB as the adjusted load bias signal ALB.
Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment 50 ″ of the load bias adjustment or modification block 50 of FIG. 3, in accordance with the present invention, is shown. Block 50 ″ is similar in many respects to block 50 ′ of FIG. 4, and like reference numbers are therefore used to identify like components. Block 50 ″ differs from block 50 ′ in that the optimal ΔRPM value produced on path 64 by block 60 and the ΔES value produced on path 70 by block 66 are fed directly into an adjusted load bias determination block 78 . Block 78 is responsive to the load bias signal LB and the optimal ΔRPM and ΔES values to determine, and produce on signal path 38 , an appropriate adjusted load bias signal ALB. In this embodiment, block 78 may be implemented as a look-up table, graph, one or more equations, or algorithm operable to directly determine an appropriate adjusted load bias signal ALB, as described above, based on the load bias signal LB and the optimal ΔRPM and ΔES values.
Referring now to FIG. 6, one preferred embodiment of a software algorithm 80 for executing the adjusted load bias signal feature illustrated in FIG. 3 is shown. Algorithm 80 is preferably stored within memory 15 and is executable by control computer 12 to effectuate the process illustrated therein. Algorithm 80 begins at step 82 and at step 84 , control computer 12 is operable to compute load bias signal LB, the acceleration-adjusted load bias value LB A and the deceleration-adjusted load bias value LB D , all as described hereinabove. Thereafter at step 86 , control computer 12 is operable to determine, preferably based on a comparison between LB, LB A and LB D , whether the engine 14 is accelerating, decelerating or neither. If control computer 12 determines that the engine 14 is accelerating, algorithm execution advances to step 88 where control computer 12 is operable to produce as the adjusted load bias signal ALB the acceleration-adjusted load bias value LB A . Algorithm 80 returns thereafter to its calling routine at step 90 . If, on the other hand, control computer 12 determines at step 86 that the engine 14 is decelerating, algorithm execution advances to step 92 where control computer 12 is operable to produce as the adjusted load bias signal ALB the deceleration-adjusted load bias value LB D . Algorithm 80 returns thereafter to its calling routine at step 94 . Finally, if control computer 12 determines at step 86 that the engine 14 is neither accelerating nor decelerating, algorithm execution advances to step 96 where control computer 12 is operable to produce as the adjusted load bias signal ALB the original (unadjusted) load bias signal LB. Algorithm 80 returns thereafter to its calling routine at step 98 .
In operation the electronic controller 36 (FIG. 1) will receive an unadjusted load bias signal LB, an acceleration-adjusted load bias signal LB A , or a deceleration-adjusted load bias signal LB D depending on whether the engine is running at a steady rate, accelerating, or decelerating condition, respectively. The unadjusted load bias signal LB generally corresponds to the lowest fuel consumption point for a given engine speed and is preferably calculated in a conventional manner from an engine speed signal and a fueling command signal. The acceleration-adjusted load bias signal LB A is determined using the engine speed signal, a boost pressure signal, and the unadjusted load bias signal LB. The deceleration-adjusted load bias signal LB D is determined using the engine speed signal, a reference engine speed value, and the unadjusted load bias signal LB.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the foregoing drawings and description thereof, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only preferred embodiments thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
|
The present invention relates to a system for controlling loading of an internal combustion engine based on a an adjusted load bias signal produced by an engine control computer. The engine control computer is responsive to engine speed and commanded fueling to produce a load bias signal, is responsive to engine speed, engine intake air pressure and the load bias signal to produce an acceleration-adjusted load bias value, and is responsive to engine speed, a reference engine speed and the load 10 bias signal to produce a deceleration-adjusted load bias value. The engine control computer is thereafter operable to compare the load bias value, the acceleration-adjusted load bias value and the deceleration-adjusted load bias value and produce the adjusted load bias signal as one of these three signals based on a comparison therebetween. The adjusted load bias signal is provided to an external load generator operable to control loading of the engine based thereon. Improper loading of the engine is avoided with the present invention by accounting for transient engine operation involving engine acceleration and deceleration conditions.
| 5
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for optical demultiplexing multiple Bragg grating sensors in a serial array in optical fibers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fiber optic Bragg gratings may be used as sensors to monitor perturbations in their environment. A Bragg grating is formed in a single mode optical fiber by creating a periodic refractive index perturbation in the fiber core as described by Kawaski, Hill, Johnson and Fuhjii in Optics Letters, Vol. 3, pp. 66-68, 1978. The diffraction grating in the fiber core will reflect optical frequencies within a narrow bandwidth around the Bragg wavelength of the optical grating. The Bragg wavelength of the diffraction grating can be altered by changing the grating pitch. If an external influence alters the grating pitch then the reflection spectrum of the grating can be monitored to determine the magnitude of the external influence. If the grating is subject to varying strain or temperature, the pitch of the grating is altered as described by Morey, Meltz and Glenn in the Proceeding of the IEEE, vol. 1169, pp. 98-107, 1989. By coupling the grating to an appropriate transducer, the grating can be used to monitor a wide variety of parameters including but not limited to strain, temperature, vibration, pressure, and acceleration.
Fiber optic Bragg grating sensors offer many advantages over traditional electrical sensors for monitoring the various parameters. They provide inherent immunity to electromagnetic interference and provide a reliable signal with very little noise. They can also withstand large variations in temperature and pressure and are compact in size allowing them to be used in locations where conventional sensors are impractical. Bragg grating fiber sensors have the additional advantage that the signal is encoded directly into an absolute wavelength shift of the optical signal, so the signal is insensitive to optical power fluctuations and other signal perturbations.
Unfortunately, the design of Bragg grating sensor systems is often more costly than the conventional electrical sensor alternatives and this has prevented their widespread adoption in many applications. To increase the utility of Bragg grating sensors, it would be advantageous to be able to multiplex many grating sensors in the same optical fiber in order share expensive resources such as the optical source and the sensor measurement unit among the many sensors thereby dramatically reducing the cost per sensor. The placement of many sensors in the same fiber often simplifies the installation of the sensors in structures or systems by reducing bulk and complexity. It is also desirable that the functionality and performance of the system not be degraded by the multiplexing technique.
These potential advantages have motivated significant efforts into developing methods of multiplexing Bragg grating sensors. It would be very beneficial to be able to multiplex a hundred sensors or more in a single optical fiber using only one light source and spectral measurement system. Current systems have fallen short of this goal with about ten sensors per fiber in demonstrated systems that do not severely restrict the sensor's application. As the number of sensors grows there is an increased demand on the optical source power and the complexity of the multiplexing and/or demultiplexing. For a very large number of sensors the cross talk between the sensors can become a significant problem.
Many different multiplexing techniques have been developed for Bragg grating sensors. The most successful techniques for use with a large number of sensors have been wavelength division and time division multiplexing. Examples of these systems are described in the paper by Kersey et al. in the Journal of Lightwave Technology vol. 15, pp.1442-1462, 1997.
In wavelength division multiplexing, the Bragg wavelength of each sensor is set at a separate and unique wavelength. The separations of the Bragg wavelengths are made to be far enough apart so that any reasonable external influence to the grating sensors will not be sufficient to cause the Bragg wavelengths of any two sensors to overlap. Thus each sensor is given a unique wavelength band or slot for its Bragg wavelength. In many situations, the size of each wavelength slot may need to be very large. This requirement can result from the necessity to be able to detect a large range of the parameter being sensed or due to the fact there may be uncertainty in the nominal Bragg wavelength of the sensors. Uncertainty may arise from variations in the fabrication process of the gratings, by static strains or uncertain operating temperatures when the sensor is used. The variability can necessitate a wavelength slot for each sensor in excess of 15 nm for Bragg wavelengths near 1550 nm. When the number of multiplexed sensors is large, the bandwidth requirement on the optical source can become intractable thus limiting wavelength division multiplexing to well controlled sensors that are subject to small external influences.
To overcome the aforementioned problems associated with limited optical bandwidth, the Bragg wavelengths of the sensors may be fabricated with nearly identical Bragg wavelengths and multiplexed with time division multiplexing. In this method a short optical pulse is sent along the fiber containing the Bragg sensors. The pulse will partially reflect off of each sensor and return the sensor information from each grating. The signals from each sensor can be distinguished by their time of arrival. Previous demonstrations of time division multiplexing have determined the time of arrival of the signal by converting the optical pulses into an electrical signal and then gating the electrical signal with a known time delay. Only the pulse that is passing through the electronic detector at the time of the gate is measured. By varying the time delay of the gate, the signals from each of the sensors can be read out.
A previous method used in the art to identify the sensor signals is to electrically gate the sensor signals as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,489. Since the sensors are now identified by time discrimination instead of wavelength, bandwidth requirements of the source will not limit the number of sensors. However, different problems can be encountered in time division multiplexing that can limit the performance of the system. Time division multiplexed systems generally experience more noise than wavelength division multiplexed systems. A significant contribution of the noise is from multiple reflection between the different grating sensors that cause a pulse to arrive back from the sensor array at a time later than expected. Noise is also be contributed by the optical source which may not be pulsed in an ideal manner so that there is a finite level of optical power between successive pulses.
Bragg grating sensor systems often require a very high dynamic range of eighty to a hundred and twenty decibels. Therefore any small sources of noise can be significant. To optimize the performance of the system it is necessary to perform the signal gating in as short a time period as possible. This allows the system to reject a large portion of the noise that does not return at the same time as a sensor pulse. With the method of gating used previously in the art, the performance of the system is limited. An electronic circuit performs the gating action after an optical detector has detected the optical signal. Therefore the electronic circuit must be operated at the speed of arrival of the optical pulses. It is difficult to operate electronic circuits at very high speed and still maintain very high signal fidelity due to noise and distortion. Since the gating is done after the optical signal is detected, the wavelength measurement on the signals must be done before the gating. Therefore any noise or distortions in the gating process will create errors in the sensor signal. Furthermore, the limited operation of this gating method will reduce the spatial resolution of the sensor system since the pulses from the sensor array must be spaced far apart in time.
It would therefore be very advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for time division optical multiplexing multiple serial Bragg gratings in optical fibers which reduces noise associated with the gating process and allows for very fast gating times.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus to facilitate multiplexing many Bragg grating sensors along an optical fiber that can all share the same optical source and sensor processing unit.
The present invention provides a pulse read-out system to implement time division multiplexing of a fiber optic Bragg grating sensor array. The pulse read-out system allows for a reduction in system noise and an increase in sensor resolution and flexibility. The essential idea of the invention is that the optical signal from the grating sensors is gated by an electronically controlled optical modulator before any wavelength measurement is performed to determine the sensor information. This offers significant advantages since the sensor information is encoded into the wavelength of the optical signal and not its intensity. Therefore the sensor signal information is not distorted by the gating. Since the gating is performed on the optical signal, the speed of the electronic processing needs only to be performed at the speed of variation of the sensor information and the choice of methods of wavelength measurement is not influenced by the gating action.
The gating or switching action of the optical modulator will modify the optical power transmitted to the sensor information-processing portion of the system, but will not modify the spectral content of the optical signal. Therefore distortion and noise in the gating signal will not alter the sensor reading thus providing a more robust read-out system. This allows the system to operate at very short gating times and provides a measure of immunity from unwanted signals returning from the sensor array and provides superior sensor spatial resolution.
The present invention provides a means for evaluating the sensor configuration of the network to high degree of precision if it is not known beforehand. A means is also provided to implement synchronous detection of the sensor signal in combination with the gating action of the optical signal.
An additional advantage of the present method is its flexibility with sensor signal decoding techniques. Depending on the application of the sensors, different demands may be required of the system. For example, one may want to measure rapidly varying signals or quasi-static signals. One may require a large dynamic range or a large sensing range. Many different techniques of decoding the sensor information of Bragg gratings have been developed but all of them must measure the wavelength of the returned signal. Therefore the present sensor read-out technique can be easily integrated with a wide variety of sensor measurement methods since the optical gating does not alter the wavelength information of the optical signal. This is in contrast to previous techniques where the electronic gating is performed after the wavelength detection making it more difficult to integrate the demultiplexing with the sensor decoding technique.
The present invention provides an optical fiber serial Bragg grating sensor device, comprising:
a) a light source adapted to produce optical pulses;
b) an optical fiber network including an optical fiber optically coupled to said light source, the optical fiber including a Bragg sensor array having at least two spaced apart Bragg gratings; and
c) an optical transmission element connected to a section of said optical fiber network adapted to receive optical pulses reflected from said at least two Bragg gratings, a wavelength detection means optically coupled to said optical transmission element, switch means connected to said optical transmission element for switching said optical transmission element between an attenuating state in which said optical transmission element attenuates light and a transmission state in which light is transmitted through said optical transmission element to said wavelength detection means, said switch means being activated at selectively adjustable times after production of said optical pulses.
The present invention also provides a device for time domain demultiplexing serial optical fiber Bragg grating sensor networks, the network including a light source adapted to produce optical pulses connected to an optical fiber network with the optical fiber network including a sensor array having at plurality of spaced Bragg gratings. The device comprises
an optical transmission element connected to a section of said optical fiber network adapted to receive optical pulses reflected from said at least two Bragg gratings, switch means connected to said optical transmission element for switching said optical transmission element between a transmission state in which said optical transmission element transmits light therethrough and an attenuating state in which said optical transmission element attenuates light, said switch means being activated at selectively adjustable times after production of said optical pulses; and
wavelength detection means connected to said optical transmission element.
The present invention also provides a method for time domain demultiplexing a serial fiber Bragg grating sensor network, the sensor network including an optical fiber having at least two spaced Bragg gratings and a light source for producing light pulses that propagate along the sensor network and are incident on said at least two Bragg gratings. The method comprises:
directing optical pulses reflected by said at least two Bragg gratings to an optical transmission element;
spectrally analyzing optical pulses reflected from a selected Bragg grating by switching said optical transmission element to a state of transmission at effective periods of time after preselected optical pulses are produced, said periods of time being equal to a transit time of said optical pulses from a light source to said selected Bragg grating and to said optical transmission element; and
maintaining said optical transmission element in the state of transmission for an effective period of time to permit light pulses to be transmitted through said optical transmission element to a wavelength detection means and thereafter switching said optical transmission element to a state of attenuation to block optical pulses reflected from all other Bragg gratings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The method and apparatus for time division optical demultiplexing Bragg gratings in optical fibers will now be described, by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for time division optical demultiplexing of multiple Bragg gratings in an optical fiber;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a pulsed read-out system forming part of a time-division multiplexed fiber optic Bragg grating sensor array;
FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the pulsed read-out unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4A shows the optical spectrum of a sensor array having two multiplexed Bragg gratings without use of time division demultiplexing;
FIG. 4B shows the optical spectrum of the sensor array of FIG. 4A using a pulsed read-out system using a delay of a gating pulse so that only the optical spectrum from the first Bragg grating sensor in the sensor array is detected;
FIG. 4C is similar to FIG. 4B but using a differently delayed gating pulse so that only the optical spectrum from the second Bragg grating sensor in the sensor array is detected;
FIG. 5 illustrates a method of determining the configuration of the sensors; and
FIG. 6 is a second embodiment of the invention to implement synchronous detection.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring first to FIG. 1, an apparatus used for time division optical demultiplexing multiple Bragg gratings in optical fibers is shown generally at 10 . A light source 12 launches optical pulses 13 into a optical fiber 14 containing a fiber splitter 16 and a serial array of Bragg grating sensors 18 located on the other side of splitter 16 from source 12 . The optical fiber used is preferably a single mode silica optical fiber however any other optical fiber or waveguide in which a Bragg grating can be written may be used. Each sensor in sensor array 18 will return an optical pulse with wavelength encoded information, producing a train of pulses that are directed towards an optical demultiplexing system 20 . The sensors in array 18 are coupled to one or more external parameters that they are to monitor so that changes in these parameters will modify the Bragg wavelength of the sensors. The coupling may be achieved by embedding or bonding the fiber sensors 18 to the structure or apparatus to be monitored so that changes in temperature or strain are also experienced by the sensors. The sensors may also be coupled to an appropriate transducer known in the art to convert other parameters into a shift in the sensor's Bragg wavelength. The optical fiber near the sensors has the protective buffer removed to permit the sensors to be directly coupled to the appropriate structure, apparatus or transducer.
The optical demultiplexing system 20 is essentially an optical transmission device that can be rapidly switched between a transmission state in which light is transmitted through it and an attenuation state in which light is attenuated. The optical transmission device includes an optical modulator 22 , a preferred optical modulator is a commercial lithium niobate opto-electronic modulator that is gated (switched) using a switching mechanism comprising an electrical signal from a short pulse generator 24 so that light is only allowed to pass through the modulator 22 to a wavelength detection system 40 when the gating voltage signal is applied. The switch also includes a variable electrical delay generator 24 connected to the short pulse generator 24 . By varying the time delay of the gating signal using the variable electrical delay generator 24 , the individual reflected optical pulses transmitted through the modulator to the wavelength detection system are selected. The optical demultiplexing system 20 may include a polarization control 28 . The polarization control is useful for adjusting the polarization of the sensor signals to a preferred polarization state if the optical modulator 22 is sensitive to the polarization of the optical signal. The polarization control may be performed by inducing birefringence into the optical fiber after the fiber splitter 16 or by other methods known in the art.
Referring to FIG. 2, Bragg grating sensor array 18 includes several Bragg gratings 30 A, 30 B . . . 30 N are written at separate locations in the single mode optical fiber 14 . Optical pulse 13 from light source 12 (containing sufficient optical bandwidth to cover the expected range of Bragg wavelengths of any given Bragg grating sensor in array 18 ) is launched into the serial sensor array 18 through the optical coupler 16 . The Bragg grating sensors 30 are each fabricated to be reflective within the bandwidth of the optical source and wavelength measurement capability of the system for any reasonable perturbations of the sensors.
The reflectivity of each Bragg grating sensor in array 18 at each of their respective Bragg wavelengths is designed to be a few percent or less so that only a small portion of the pulse 13 launched into the array is back-reflected at each sensor. The rest of the optical pulse is allowed to propagate to sensors further down the array 18 and be likewise reflected. The arrows 32 indicate the possible paths of the optical signal. Thus, from the single optical pulse 13 launched into the sensor array 18 , a train of pulses 36 are returned from the sensor array through the fiber path 38 after passing through coupler 16 . Each returned pulse has a spectral content corresponding to the spectral reflectivity of the Bragg grating sensor that it originated from. In general the duration of the pulses must be shorter than the duration of the optical gate and the repetition rate must be lower than the time for the pulse to traverse the fiber and return to the pulse read-out system.
The minimum physical spacing of the Bragg sensors in the array 18 is given by the temporal duration of the optical gate. The time for the optical pulse to travel twice the distance between the two nearest sensors must be longer than the gating time. The maximum number of sensors is limited to the ratio of the total physical length of the sensor array, from the first sensor to the last, to the minimum physical spacing between sensors. The maximum number can also be expressed as the ratio of twice the time for an optical pulse to travel from the first sensor to last, to the temporal duration of the optical gate.
In a preferred embodiment the pulses from the source are made to be shorter in duration than the time for a pulse to travel twice the distance between the two spatially closest sensors on the sensor array. In this preferred embodiment a mode-locked fiber laser producing sub-picosecond pulses with a bandwidth >10 nm may be used. However those skilled in the art will understand that other light sources may be used as long as they meet the requirements described above. Each of the individual pulses making up pulse train 36 from the sensor array 18 will return from the sensor array at unique times. The pulses containing the sensor information in the optical fiber branch 38 are directed towards the pulse read-out system 20 . The optical source 10 launches a series of pulses at a fixed repetition rate into the sensor array to repeat the process described above. The period between pulses is greater than the time for a pulse to travel twice the distance from the first sensor to the last sensor in the array.
The sensor information contained within each pulse of pulse train 36 may be identified as coming from the appropriate Bragg grating sensor by the time of arrival of the pulse at the pulse read-out unit 20 . The pulse read-out unit 20 allows the optical signal to propagate to the wavelength detection unit 40 for a short period of time and acts as an optical gate on the returned optical signal. The duration of the optical gate is chosen to be longer than the temporal duration of the pulse response from any one Bragg grating and shorter than the time between two pulses arriving from spatially adjacent Bragg grating sensors of array 18 .
The timing of the optical modulator is determined by a timing signal derived from the pulses from the optical source 12 . The timing signal may be generated by the optical detector 44 and passed to the pulse read out unit 20 through path 46 . The signal may also be generated directly at the optical source 12 . For example, if the optical source 12 is pulsed directly using an electrical control signal, then this signal may be used for timing by the pulse read-out unit 20 .
The timing signal is delayed in the pulse read-out unit 20 and used to trigger the optical gate. The delay is chosen so that only one pulse is allowed to pass through the optical gate for each pulse of pulse train 36 returning from the sensor array 18 . Thus, only the signal from one Bragg grating sensor will reach the wavelength detection unit 40 , and the wavelength detection can be performed as if only one Bragg grating sensor was being monitored. The wavelength detection unit 40 may be of any standard design that is suitable for measuring the sensor signal and interrogation of the optical pulse may be performed using techniques known in the art.
The operation of the pulse read-out unit 20 is more closely detailed in FIG. 3 . The pulse read-out unit 20 includes electronic delay generator 26 connected to short electrical pulse generator 24 which is connected to electro-optical modulator 22 that modifies the transmission of light in accordance with the electrical signal applied to it.
The train of pulses 36 along path 38 of the fiber is shown at the input to the optical modulator 22 in FIG. 3 . Each individual pulse has a central wavelength, denoted by λ B1 , λ B2 . . . λ Bn corresponding to the Bragg grating wavelength of the sensor from which the pulse originates. By choosing a suitable delay of the trigger pulse with the electrical delay generator 26 , the short pulse generator can be triggered to produce an electrical pulse to the electro-optical modulator 22 when one of the pulses, for example the pulse containing λ B2 , is passing through the modulator. The gating of the optical pulses is demonstrated graphically by 23 . The top set of pulses in 23 shows the progression in time of the set of pulses 36 . The gating action of the modulator is shown below these pulses. The gating is synchronized with the pulses containing λ B2 . Below the gating pulses, the selected optical pulses are shown containing only λ B2 . The short pulse generator 24 produces a very short electrical pulse that is wider than the temporal width of the pulse to be gated. It is found that if the pulse from the optical source 12 is several picoseconds or less in temporal duration, then the reflected pulses typically have a temporal width of fifty to a hundred picoseconds. The temporal gate width of the optical modulator 22 should be slightly larger than the width of the pulse, however the lower limit may be restricted by the dynamic response of the modulator or the speed of the electrical pulse generator 24 that produces the gating signal 50 . Typical gating times may be from five hundred to a thousand picoseconds. The optical modulator 22 can be implemented, among other methods known in the art, by a Mach-Zehnder integrated optic modulator that is controlled through the electro-optic effect or by a semiconductor electro-absorption modulator.
The process described above is repeated at the repetition rate of the optical source 12 so that only the pulse from one Bragg grating sensor is allowed to pass through the modulator 22 for each pulse launched into the system. This is shown in FIG. 3 by the single pulse 54 that exits from the modulator 22 for the train of pulses incident on the modulator 22 . A train of pulses will then arrive at the wavelength detection unit 40 at the repetition rate of the optical source 12 . This repetition rate is made to be greater than the electrical bandwidth of the wavelength detection unit 40 . The lower bandwidth of the detection electronics will make the train of pulses appear as a continuous signal that varies at the rate of perturbations to the Bragg grating sensors. The average level of detected signal is given by the average optical power from the pulse read-out unit. In this way, the wavelength detection unit effectively is decoding a sensor signal as if there was only one sensor in the system. Thus, any one of the numerous methods known in the art for signal decoding a single Bragg grating sensor may be used.
Different sensors may be monitored by altering the pulse 54 that is selected by the pulse read-out unit from the train of pulses 36 corresponding to each Bragg grating sensor in array 18 . This selection is achieved by altering the delay in the electrical delay generator 26 so the gating pulse 50 is applied to the optical modulator 22 when the desired pulse passes through the modulator.
The gating pulse 50 is made to be slightly longer than the optical pulses returning from the sensors. The time between pulses from the optical source will typically be much longer then the gating time. For example if the length of the sensor array 18 is made to be a hundred meters and the gating time was 1 nanosecond, then the optical gate would be open 0.1% of the time. This enables the sensor system to reject a large portion of unwanted signals from sensor array 18 . Such unwanted signals include multiple reflections between grating sensors, reflections from fiber splices and other components and noise from the optical source that may be caused by a small continuous light output in addition to the pulsed output. In this way, the pulse read-out system 20 helps to reject erroneous signals from the sensor array 18 .
It is to be noted that electrical noise in the gating pulse 50 does not affect the sensor reading. Variations in the gating pulse amplitude will cause variations in the optical signal at the output of the pulse read-out unit 20 , but will not affect the spectral content of the optical signal. Therefore the sensor information can still be recovered despite imperfections in the high speed gating pulse.
FIG. 4 shows the result of the operation of the pulsed read-out unit with a time multiplexed sensor array using two Bragg grating sensors. These figures show the optical spectrum from the sensor array as obtained on a standard optical spectrum analyzer. The optical spectrum from the sensor array without the pulse read-out system is shown in FIG. 4 A. In FIG. 4A there are clearly two peaks corresponding to the reflection from the two sensors and some background optical signal. With the use of the pulse read-out system only the optical spectrum from the first Bragg grating sensor in the sensor array is seen at the spectrum analyzer as shown in FIG. 4 B. In FIG. 4C the delay of the gating pulse is set so that the spectrum analyzer only measures the spectrum from the second Bragg grating sensor. The pulse read-out unit allows one to identify and isolate the sensor information from each of the Bragg grating sensors.
FIG. 5 illustrates a method of using the pulse read-out unit to identify each of the sensor gratings to determine their location in the sensor array and to choose the correct delay to read-out each sensor. An arbitrary starting delay is chosen for the delay generator 26 of FIG. 3 . The value of the delay, denoted by the τ axis of FIG. 5 is swept from the starting point given by τ equal to zero to the time for one repetition of the optical source. The optical power at the output of the optical modulator 22 in FIG. 3 versus the delay τ reveals the pulse response of the sensor array. By calibrating the distance along the sensing fiber that the optical signal will travel for a given delay τ, the physical location of each sensor may be determined. Therefore the gratings may be placed in the sensor without detailed knowledge of their positions. By determining the positions of each sensor, and by calculating their Bragg wavelengths, the effects of cross talk due to multiple reflections may also be reduced since the occurrences of multiple reflections can be predicted if the configuration and state of the sensor array is known.
An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown at 80 in FIG. 6 . The operation of the pulse read-out system 80 in FIG. 6 is similar to the system 20 of FIG. 3 except a low frequency modulating signal 82 is multiplied with the timing signal to the modulator at junction 84 . This junction 84 may be placed before the delay generator 26 as shown or between the delay generator 26 and the pulse generator 24 (not shown). The modulating signal 82 alternately turns the timing signal on and off at a rate of a few kilohertz. This allows the output from the pulse read-out unit 80 to be modulated at the same rate. The modulation signal 82 is also passed to the wavelength detection unit for reference. The modulation allows for synchronous detection to be used in measuring the sensor signal. Synchronous detection permits the system to obtain higher sensitivity by rejecting noise such as the dark current from optical detectors and noise in electrical amplifiers.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented to illustrate the principles of the invention and not to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by all of the embodiments encompassed within the following claims and their equivalents.
|
The present invention provides a method and device for to implement time division multiplexing of a fiber optic serial Bragg grating sensor array containing more than one Bragg grating. The device provides a pulse read-out system that allows for a reduction in system noise and an increase in sensor resolution and flexibility. The optical signals reflected from the Bragg grating sensors are gated by an electronically controlled optical modulator before any wavelength measurement is performed to determine the sensor information. This offers significant advantages since the sensor information is encoded into the wavelength of the optical signal and not its intensity. Therefore the sensor signal information is not distorted by the gating. Since the gating or switching of the optical modulator between transmission and attenuating states is performed on the optical signal, the speed of the electronic processing needs only to be performed at the speed of variation of the sensor information and the choice of methods of wavelength measurement is not influenced by the gating action.
| 6
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the shipment of cargo. Once at their destination the cargo is unloaded and the now empty containers are converted and modified to become temporary emergency dwellings or quarters.
2. Background Art
The disposal of empty cargo containers are problems both in terms of cost and space. Some containers are designed so they may be reused. This requires them to be sent back to the place of origin, a costly procedure unless they have been filled with goods for the return trip. Others have to be destroyed because they take up space or because there is no further use for them.
In contrast to ordinary commercial use during emergencies many containers are never reused simply because the very nature of emergencies is such that it is necessary for goods and supplies are to be shipped and no thought is given for any further use of the containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aftermath of natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and other tragedies is filled with the need for food, housing, clothing and other goods. In such situations the containers of the present invention are used to ship food and other emergency goods as needed and when empty the containers are easily modified as temporary emergency dwellings or quarters. Thus the containers have a dual purpose, a container to ship goods and as a container converted into a house or other dwelling suitable for human habitation.
In areas of famine the primary use of the containers would be for food shipments. However military use is also contemplated since the containers can be modified for use as field hospitals, mess halls or quarters.
To these ends the containers are standardized to fit together with other containers. Together with prefabricated doors and windows accompanying the shipment the container or containers become a dwelling in a matter of minutes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows two of the inventive containers carried on a truck;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single container;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of three containers joined together; and
FIG. 4 is a side view of a container wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows rectangular containers 10 and 12 mounted on a ramp or slider 11 which is carried on truck 13 . The truck may be open, as shown, or enclosed. The shading on the containers represents camouflage which would be on all sides and the top. The camouflage is indicative of the possible application of the containers to military use. The containers could instead have red crosses emblazoned on their sides and tops when used as an emergency field hospitals.
The containers can be delivered by truck to a suitable location where any suitable ramp can be hinged or otherwise tilted and the containers slid off the ramp. The two containers depicted in FIG. 1 may be cubes measuring 8′×8′×8′. The drawings are not to scale and the truck may accommodate more than two containers or there may be a single container. The containers are preferably built in multiples of eight feet but any unit of measurement including the metric system can be used for standardization purposes. The term multiple includes units like 8′×8′×8′, 8′×8′×16′, 8′×8′×24′, the point being that an established standard could be a multiple of any unit length. The adoption of a standard would permit construction anywhere in the world and easy mating of container to container.
During transit skids 16 - 19 engage recesses or indentations in the ramp 11 . Of course any other mechanism can be used to render the containers immovable during transit. As an alternative to motorized transport, the containers could be air dropped or otherwise delivered to an area of use. The containers can be made of lightweight fiberglass making them suitable for delivery by aircraft.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a rectangular container 20 . The use of fiberglass permits the sides and floor to be glued together with epoxy. In dashed lines are shown some possible knock outs. Knock outs serve as a ready made way to establish windows, doors or other openings commonly found in dwellings or shelters. The window cutouts may be 2 feet by 2 feet, or 2 feet or 4 feet at any desired height from the floor and corners, the door cutouts may be 2 feet by 6 feet. Clearly the size of the cutouts are subject to design and choice. The door cutouts may be covered from the inside by a single layered fiberglass panel slightly larger than the cutout and lightly glued to facilitate knockout of an empty container from the outside. The doors and windows, when used, may be separately packaged, each neoprene gasketed, pressed into the cutout and held there by metal clamps. Hinges may also be used as appropriate for doors and/or ramps.
The container 20 includes a loading ramp 22 which may be at any side of the container 20 . Loading ramp 22 may be hinged into a down position and to permit the container to be loaded or equipped with suitable items and then restored to an upright position during transit. During emergency use the containers may be loaded with for example, food, clothing or medical supplies.
At 24 a knock out serves as a door opening while another knock out 26 provides a window opening. At the top of the container 20 is a chimney knockout 21 . Skids such as 25 are designed to fit into a stacking relationship with another container having similar recesses or indentations 27 . Thus one container can rest securely upon another like container recess. These skids and indentations permit stacking of one container upon another during storage or shipping. The skids 25 are also designed to fit into or engage recesses or indentations in the ramp 11 shown in FIG. 1 . Again, standardization affords easy accommodation of container to container. The walls may be of fiberglass so that the container becomes an insulated house.
The doors, windows and ramps may be at any part of a container. A ramp may be at the middle of a side or at an end of the container. It also would be desirable to have breather caps, such as two inch diameter caps, pressed inside each wall, at intervals, such as two feet, to prevent damage to the container by accidental de-pressurization when carried onboard an aircraft.
FIG. 3 shows three containers 30 , 32 , 34 mated together as an emergency field hospital with a cross 38 or crosses symbolizing the medical function of the dwelling. Container 30 has a door 31 and window 37 ; container 32 has door a door 33 and a window 35 ; and container 24 has a window 36 .
In operation, the containers 30 , 32 and 34 , having knock outs of any appropriate number and configuration, are filled with goods, medical supplies, equipment, or whatever the nature of the situation requires. At a loading facility the ramps of the FIG. 2 type are used for loading. During shipment the ramps and knock outs remain in place. The containers may be air dropped or otherwise delivered to site of use. At the site the containers may be emptied of their contents by way of the ramps and or door openings whereby the food or other supplies to be given away or otherwise utilized. Of course, the containers may contain medical equipment intended to remain in the container. The containers may then be put into mating engagement as shown, for example in FIG. 3, to be used as a shelter, field hospital, or other dwelling.
Some of the knock outs on the containers may be in congruent relationship to other knock outs to permit easy access and mobility for people between containers, or as they now function, as rooms. Thus the ramps may be totally removed to permit ready access between containers 30 and 32 at the middle of container 32 . Similarly the container 34 may have a ramp for loading it, which ramp may be removed to permit access to container 32 at the opposite middle part of the container 32 . The containers have doors, windows and other items to be put into place. The door and window knock outs are removed and appropriate windows and doors put into place.
The dual use of the containers is now readily apparent. When there is an emergency such as an earthquake, flood, hurricane or other tragedy the containers may be loaded with appropriate goods. Entry into the containers is by way of the doors and/or ramps. The doors and ramps are suitably closed or attached and the cutouts or knock outs are in place during delivery.
Thus the knock outs are movable to permit entry into and out of a container and movable to a closed position during the delivery phase and movable to an open position while in use as a door or ramp. A knock out can be totally removed so that when mated with another container it is easy to move such as going from room to room.
The containers could have been in a supply depot or the like where they have already been loaded or equipped with appropriate goods. In any event, the containers are then loaded onto trucks, ships or aircraft, depending of course on where the emergency has occurred. This first use is that of delivery of goods and material.
After delivery the appropriate doors, windows, ramps etc. are put into their intended positions and the contents unloaded or a field hospital set up as needed. Emergency goods may be distributed and then the interior may be set up as a field hospital, shelter or whatever the emergency dictates. Power may be supplied to the shelter if possible by standard standby or emergency power supplies. Water, if available, may be supplied to pipes that may be part of the container as shipped or as an add on. This second use is as a shelter, emergency room, or field hospital.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the container walls. Inner and outer fiberglass walls 40 , 42 containing between them a ribbon of fiberglass reinforcement. The walls shown are lightweight, fireproof but other suitable materials can be used.
|
Cargo containers are shipped to sites that have been subjected to severe damage. The containers, which may be stacked, contain food or other emergency goods. The containers have ramps at one or more sides to permit quick ingress and egress of the material. At the damage site the containers have knock outs removed and replaced by doors, windows and the like. In this manner the containers become dwellings suitable on an emergency basis as house, hospitals, mess halls, or other suitable dwellings.
| 4
|
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention is related to medicine, namely to a new use for a pharmaceutical agent as a stimulator of genital, sexual, and reproductive function and may be used for the treatment of:
sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or diseases; the absence or loss of sexual attraction; aversion to sexual intercourse and absence of sexual pleasure; orgasmic dysfunction; other sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or disease;
[0007] The current significance of this development is determined by the large number of people suffering from sexual dysfunctions (based on the totals from studies by the ACSF group, 43% of women and 31% of men suffer from sexual dysfunction), as well as by an increase in stressful situations in modern life associated with technogenic and natural catastrophes, which are made worse by ecological conditions, urbanization, and destabilization of the political and economic situation in modern society, and by the general trend in the aging of society, which are the principal reasons for the development of sexual and reproductive dysfunctions, as well as by the inadequacy of modem medicine and the lack of adequate methods for treating sexual dysfunctions.
[0008] At the present time, with infertility in people and the increase in fecundity in animals, comprehensive long-term treatment is being conducted, including hormonal treatment, antibiotic therapy, desensitizing agents, protein therapy, etc. (A. L. Paducheva, Gormonal'nyye preparaty v zhivotnovodstve [Hormonal drugs in animal husbandry]. Moscow: Rossel'khozizdat, 1979: 119-155).
[0009] The use of pilastin is known for increasing reproductive capacity in warm-blooded animals (Russian Federation (RF) patent No. 2058791 from 1996).
[0010] The use of peptides is known for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (PCT WO 94/22460, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,955,421 and 5,932,548, and RF patent No. 2264823).
[0011] It is known that oxytocin, a nonapeptide containing a disulfide bond, has the structure
[0000] Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH 2 ,
[0000] and is one of the most important regulators of the reproductive sphere in mammals. Oxytocin and its structural analogues obtainable by the methods of chemical synthesis are widely used in medicine and veterinary medicine as medicinal agents (Cantor, J. M., Y. M. Binik, and J. G. Pfaus. Chronic fluoxetine inhibition of sexual behavior in male rats: reversal with oxytocin. Psychopharmacology (Beri), June 1999, vol. 144(4): 355-362; Arletti, R., L. Calza, and L. Giardiano. Sexual impotence is associated with a reduced production of oxytocin and with increased opioid peptides of the iparaventricular nucleus of male rats. Neurosci. Lett., Sep. 19, 1997, vol. 233(2-3): 65-68).
[0012] A heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro possesses antianxiety action (Seredinin, S. B., Kozlovskaya, M. M., Blednev, Yu. A., et al. lzucheniye protivotrevozhnogo deistviya analoga endogennogo peptida taftsina na inbrednykh myshah s razlichnym fenotipom emotsyonal'no-stressornoi reaktsii. [Study of the antianxiety action of an analogue of an endogenous peptide, tuftsin, on inbred mice with different phenotypes of emotional-stressor reaction]. VND Zhurnal [VND Journal], 1998, vol. 48, No. 1).
[0013] A heptapeptide is known with the formula (I) Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, as an anxiolytic agent (RF patent No. 2155065 from 1999). However, the possibility of its use as a stimulator of reproductive capacity in mammals has not been described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A new direction in the area of creating effective and safe medicinal agents for a suitable treatment of:
sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or diseases; the absence or loss of sexual attraction; aversion to sexual intercourse and absence of sexual pleasure; orgasmic dysfunction; other sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or disease; is the creation of stimulator of genital, sexual, and reproductive function on the basis of endogenous regulatory peptides, highly effective and safe by virtue of their belonging to biological structures related to the organism.
[0020] The object of the present invention is the use of a heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro according to a novel function as a stimulator of genital, sexual, and reproductive function in mammals.
[0021] The technical result of the invention is achieved by the fact that the heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro is used as a stimulator of genital, sexual, and reproductive function.
[0022] It is established that the heptapeptide Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro possesses a broader spectrum of action. The heptapeptide exhibits an optimizing and activating action on the intellectual and cognitive functions of the brain, and it also stimulates genital, sexual, and reproductive functions, which constitutes an important positive part of its specific pharmacological activity.
[0023] The possibility of the objective manifestation of the technical result in the use of the invention is confirmed by the reliable data presented in the examples, which contain information of an experimental nature obtained according to procedures adopted in this field.
[0024] The problem of studying sexual functions is a serious issue, for a multitude of situational factors, the somatic and mental state of patients, their temperament, and a large number of other factors affect the results. On the other hand, outside of laboratory conditions, it is not possible to establish a number of factors (for example, dilation of the vagina). A number of factors may affect only men (the formation of an orgasmic cuff), and other factors only women. Based on this, the selection of indicators for the characteristics of sexual function is individual, depending on the goals of the investigation. In the present work, a quantified scale of the sexual formula for women (SFW) was adopted as a basis, which is described in detail by G. S. Vasil'chenko in the reference Sexopathologiya [Sex pathology], 1990.
[0025] Evaluation of the sexual function in the present investigation was done by both a physician-sexologist (case manager) and by the patient with subsequent refinement of the data by the case manager. Patients reported a change in their condition in a journal every 4 hours after beginning to take the drug, for 24 hours and based on the degree of change in condition over the treatment period. An examination by the sexologist was conducted before treatment and 1, 5, 10, and 15 days after the start of the investigation. At the time of statistical analysis, the physician-sexologist gathered information based on the retention and stability of the effect obtained during the treatment period in people who had completed the course of treatment.
[0026] An assessment of sexual function was done based on a point system in accordance with the SFW quantified scale. The quantified scale represents a sexology questionnaire including questions on the state of the mental, secretor, orgasmic, and residual stages of the female copulation cycle (libido; mood, onset of orgasm, physical condition, and mood after performance of the sex act), with points indicated for each response variant.
[0027] Sexology studies have their own specifics, presenting special requirements for confidentiality of the information obtained. The failure to meet this requirement can even pervert the results of the investigation. In order to observe the confidentiality of the information and provide patient confidence (excluding a negative psychological factor), a special procedure was developed for reporting data.
[0028] At the patient's first visit, the physician gave him/her an individual number (code) and reported the “patient's passport data” (family name, first name, patronymic, contact telephone number) on a Patient List. Based on filling out the Physician's Chart, which contains only the individual code from the indicators identified, the case manager taught the patient the rules for filling out the Patient Chart.
[0029] The Patient Chart contained only the individual patient number and the answer codes (A, B. C, . . . , etc.) and it was suggested to report the answers in the codes (scores of 1, 2 . . . , etc.) in accordance with a modified, quantified SFW scale, which was also issued to the patient at the first visit. The patient thereupon kept the sexology questionnaire and the Patient Chart in different places, so that if by chance the cards should fall into the hands of a third party, interpretation of the confidential data would be eliminated.
[0030] At a repeat patient visit, the case manager replaced the Patient Chart for the next observation period, attaching the one filled out with the Physician's Chart, analyzed the self-monitoring data, and placed the updated information in the Physician's Chart.
[0031] 59 patients were studied by this procedure. Among them were women aged 24 to 66 years. The patients studied made up the groups being analyzed:
[0032] Group I consisted of 8 healthy women;
[0033] Group II consisted of 10 women with sexual dysfunction not caused by other illnesses;
[0034] Group III consisted of 31 women with orgasmic dysfunction;
[0035] Group IV consisted of women with a pronounced decrease (6 persons) and absence of libido (2 persons);
[0036] Group V consisted of 2 women with diagnosed infertility.
[0037] The characteristics of the contingent of the study groups are presented in the corresponding sections of the study results. A comparative table of patient condition according to basic sexological function is presented in Table 1.
[0038] Statistical processing of the study materials was done on an IBM computer in semiautomated mode using a standard MS Excel 2000 program package. In order to perform the statistical computations, standard statistical formulas were used (Venchikov, A. I. and V. A. Venchikov, 1974; Sergiyenko, V. I. and I. B. Bondareva, 2001), with a subsequent check of the results of examples presented in the literature, with the responses and with the results of calculations based on the Biostat program (Stanton A. Glantz, version 4.03, 1998).
The Best Embodiment of the Invention
[0039] Data on analyzed groups of patients are presented in Examples 1-5.
Example 1
[0040] The women without obvious impairment of sexual function in Group I (8 persons) took the drug for the purpose of obtaining new sensations. However, sexual-function activity was evaluated by the case manager as moderate; somatic pathology did not come to light. The results of the analysis of using heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro are evidence of its reliable effect on the reinforcement of the sexual function of healthy women (Table 2).
[0041] Change in the expression of the manifestation of the principal indicators of sexual function (in points) and the times of onset of the effect (in days) for patients in Group I (n=8) are presented in Table 2.
[0042] Onset of the effect in Group I was observed at different times (from Day 1 to Day 15). The drug very rapidly exhibited an effect in reinforcing libido (in the first twenty-four hours) and on the orgasmic stage of the copulation cycle (by Day 10 of the treatment). The dynamics of the appearance of the effect of reinforcing sexual function in patients of Group I (n=8) when administering the heptapeptide of general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro are presented in Table 3.
[0043] At the end of the course of using the heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, the presence of an effect was noted in all the patients in Group I. In half the patients, the effect had already begun by the end of the first twenty-four hours. A guaranteed appearance of results in healthy women may be expected by Day 15.
[0044] The dynamics of the state of expression of the indicators of sexual function in the healthy women of Group I (n=8) are presented in Table 4. According to all the indicators, the effect was reliably reinforced, at a score of 1 on the quantified SFW scale.
[0045] With the positive dynamics in all the patients of Group I, it is noted that the reinforcement of sexual libido only occurs with its decrease (to a score of 4). Phenomena of hypersexuality, which might be characterized as the appearance of sexual libido several times a day (a score of 6), was not evoked by heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. This may explain the absence of the dynamics of the reinforcement of attraction in the other half of patients, with the daily presence of sexual libido (a score of 5).
[0046] On the whole, pronounced, reliable dynamics are detected, based on all the indicators of sexual function. Sex acts occurred daily (in 75% of the women). With rare sex acts (up to several times a month, a score of 3) after a course of taking heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, frequency was increased to daily (a score of 4), and for weekly acts, it increased to daily (a score of 5).
[0047] Before taking the drug, healthy women noticed the onset of orgasm in only half of all sex acts (a score of 4); after a course of administration, orgasm began to set in more frequently: in 80-100% of the cases (a score of 5). The reliable dynamics of the general physical state after sex acts are evidence that the pronounced orgasmic release brings, at a minimum, a residual arousal, which is caused by a sensation of the complete conclusion of the sex act, satisfaction, and a pleasant fatigue.
[0048] Mood dynamics after the sex act are reliable evidence that the sex act ceased to bear a forced, compulsory character, and began to bring pleasure and the joy of a mutually sharable closeness.
[0049] Thus, the analysis results from the use of heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro in healthy women reliably confirm its positive effect on reinforcing sexuality. An insignificant decline in sexuality in healthy women is associated with social conditions: way of life, work conditions, stress, etc. With sexual adaptation to a sex partner with a natural insignificant reduction in sexuality, the drug is capable of reinforcing the expression of the mental and orgasmic phases of the copulation cycle and of reviving a feeling of love and a desire for the sex act.
[0050] Attraction to the opposite sex occurred daily, vaginal mucus begins to be secreted more rapidly, orgasm sets in with almost every sexual contact, even repeated orgasmic releases are manifested, after which a feeling of satisfaction and pleasant fatigue follow. The dependence of enjoyment on the menstrual cycle disappeared. The sex act ceased to be an obligation to fulfill a spousal duty, gratitude to the man is manifested for the pleasure experienced, and the level of sexual activity was increased.
Example 2
[0051] Sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or diseases (Group II, 10 patients). The state of sexual function in the patients of Group II was evaluated by the case manager as moderately impaired. Change in the expression of the manifestation of the principal indicators of sexual function (in points) and the times of onset of the effect (in days) for patients in Group II (n=10) are presented in Table 5.
[0052] The analysis results are evidence of the reliable effect of the drug on the restoration of impaired sexual function of patients in this group.
[0053] The times of onset of the effect are somewhat longer than in the patients of Group I. In general, the effect sets in on Days 7-11 of taking the drug. The dynamics of the state of expression of the principal indicators of sexual function for patients in Group II (n=10) are presented in Table 6.
[0054] The expression of a pathology was manifested in the reduction of sexual libido to once a week or less often (in 10% of the patients even to once a year), lubrication depended on an internal incentive, which depended strongly on the stage of the menstrual cycle (60%). Orgasm set in, in the majority of patients (60%), in half the cases of sexual contact and less often, (30%). It was caused by the presence of residual arousal, and as a result sex life had become rarer (in the majority, 60%, to once or twice a month) with the same sex partner.
[0055] After undergoing the course of treatment with heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, libido occurred daily in 70% of the patients, the sex act began to provide intense enjoyment (30%), the aversion to sex reliably disappeared in all the patients, and lubrication and orgasm were increased. Individual cases of orgasm became more regular, to be manifested in half the cases of sexual contact in 60.0% of the patients, while in 40% they began to be manifested at almost every sex act. Its conclusion was caused by a feeling of satisfaction and a pleasant fatigue in 40% of the patients, it did not remain in patients with unfulfilled sexual arousal. Thanks to the positive dynamics of all the indicators of sexual function, 90% of the patients participated in sex acts as often as weekly and daily.
[0056] With the analysis results, it is also noted that in general, a reinforcement of sexual function occurs at a score of 1 on the quantified SFW scale, although in 10% of the patients libido was increased with a score of 2.
[0057] The dynamics of the onset of the effect of sexual functions (n=10) are presented in Table 7.
[0058] The analysis results represented in Table 7 are evidence of the less effective application of the drug in sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or diseases than in healthy women. Thus the effect set in, in no more than 90% of the cases. The effect did not set in prior to Day 1 in a single patient. Effectiveness during a long-term course did not increase after Day 10 of the treatment.
[0059] Thus, the use of the heptapeptide in women with sexual dysfunction not caused by organic disorders or diseases exhibited a reliable positive effect on the reinforcement of sexual function. The mental component of the copulation cycle is reinforced in 70.0-90.0%, the secretor component in 60.0%, the orgasmic component in 70.0%, and sexual activity increases in 40% of the women. Restoration of sexual function occurs more slowly compared with the group of healthy women (Group I).
Example 3
[0060] Orgasmic dysfunction was observed in 31 patients. The analysis results are evidence of the reliable effect of the heptapeptide on restoration of impaired sexual function in the patients of this group. Change in the expression of manifestation in the principal indicators of sexual function (in points) and the times of onset of the effect (in days) for patients in Group III (n=31) are presented in Table 8.
[0061] Based on the case managers conclusion and the analysis results, the patients of Group III had pronounced impairment of sexual function. The expression of the impairment is presented in Table 9. After undergoing a course of treatment with heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, a reliable improvement was revealed in all the indicators of sexual function. It is established that the improvement occurs at a later time than in healthy women. The dynamics of expression of the principal indicators of sexual function in patients of Group III are presented in Table 6.
[0062] For the patients in this group, the rare appearance of libido was characteristic (less often than once a month in 74.2% of the patients), indifference (64.5%), and even aversion (6.5%) to sex, whereby the women tried to avoid the sex act. 6.5% of the women had never experienced orgasm (age 25-26 years). After the sex act, 71.0% of the women notice a residual unfulfilled arousal.
[0063] After undergoing a course of treatment, libido began to be exhibited weekly (73.9%), the number of patients with an indifferent attitude toward sex was reliably decreased (from 64.5 to 12.9%), protracted preliminary stimulation of the erogenous zones was no longer required to attain lubrication. In 19.4% it began to set in very rapidly, even with the most superficial caresses. In the remainder, its expression depended on the expression of sexual arousal. The onset of orgasm became reliably more frequent (in 63.6% of the patients, in half of all sexual contacts or more often). Unfulfilled sexual arousal after the sex act remained in only 27.3% of the patients. However, sexual activity, in general, remained at the previous level; it increased in only 27.6% of the patients.
[0064] With the analysis results, it is also noted that a highly pronounced change in the indicators of sexual function (evaluated at 2 on the SFW scale) during treatment with heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro does not yield restoration. Thus, the dynamics were absent for a highly pronounced manifestation of libido (not more often than once a year), aversion to sex, slight lubrication depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle, and the absence of orgasm during sexual contact with its appearance during erotic dreams.
[0065] The analysis results are evidence of an increased level of sexual activity with a score of not more than 1 on the quantified SFW scale.
[0066] The dynamics of the onset of the effect of improvement in sexual function (n=10) are presented in Table 10.
[0067] The effect in orgasmic dysfunction sets in more rarely than in healthy women (Group I). The onset of the effect, based on the majority of indicators of sexual function in patients of Group III, occurred over the extent of the entire 15-day course of treatment. Sexual activity increased in the first week of treatment. Further administration of the drug did not lead to a more pronounced increase in sexual activity. Patients with a slight degree of impairment of sexual function noted the onset of the effect in the second twenty-four hours of treatment (the indicators had expression at a score of 4 on the SFW scale), producing only complaints of the reduction in orgasmic sensations to 1-2 a month.
[0068] Thus, the more serious pathology, orgasmic dysfunction, has a somewhat worse prognosis in the treatment of impairment of the sexual sphere. The treatment periods are longer; restoration of sexual function occurs to a less pronounced manifestation of sexual activity. It is possible to expect improvement in the results with subsequent courses of treatment.
Example 4
[0069] A pronounced decrease in libido was observed in 8 persons. At the same time, the patients had pronounced impairment and other indicators of sexual function. Analysis results of using heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro in this group of patients. Change in the expression of the manifestation of the principal indicators of sexual function (in points) and times of onset of the effect (in days) for patients in Group IV (n=8) are presented in Table 11.
[0070] As a result of the use of the heptapeptide, the attitude of the patients toward sex was reliably changed. The dynamics of expression of the principal indicators of sexual function in patients of Group IV are presented in Table 12.
[0071] Libido was completely absent in two of the patients in Group IV (25.0%). The age of these patients was 25-26 years. Both women noted the disappearance of libido and orgasm after birthing. There was no pathology in the pre-birth period, during births, or in the post-birth period. Lactorrhea at the time of taking the heptapeptide was not noted. Birthings for the women were 1-2 years ago. The case manager noted their highly pronounced impairment of sexual function (complete absence of attraction, rare appearance of lubrication, complete disappearance of orgasm, complete physical indifference at the end of the sex act, aversion to sex). These patients denied an effect from taking the heptapeptide, although erotic dreams appeared during which they began to experience orgasm toward the end of the course. For these patients, it was recommended to evaluate the state of the hormonal background (estrogen, progesterone) and to go through a repeat 15-day course of treatment together with the husband. At the time the results of the present study were analyzed, these patients had not begun a repeat course of treatment.
[0072] All the patients in Group IV noted indifference to sex. Lubrication began only after protracted erotic stimulation of the surface and deep erogenous zones. In 25% of the patients, orgasm was completely absent; the others also noted rare individual cases of orgasm. The women completed the sex act with unfulfilled sexual arousal. The nature of the pathology depressed the sexual activity, in which connection sex life was not more often as once a week.
[0073] The dynamics of the onset of the effect of the principal indicators of sexual function in patients of Group IV (n=8) are presented in Table 13.
[0074] The manifestation of the effect in Group IV was noted in only 50% of the cases. These patients had an unpronounced impairment of sexual function. The effect set in at different times with no more than a score of 1 on the quantified SFW scale. The fastest effect noted is an increase in lubrication and onset of orgasm (toward Day 5). The remaining indicators of sexual function were reinforced only toward Day 10. It must also be noted that an increase in orgasm is noted in 75% of the patients. The absence of pronounced changes in the state of sexual function did not increase the level of sexual activity.
[0075] Thus, the moderate action of the drug was observed in pronounced impairment of sexual function with a low level of sexual activity and weak libido. Apparently, this is associated with the presence of a concomitant organic pathology of the sexual sphere (hormonal or somatic). The therapy for such patients requires a comprehensive treatment, with the use of modern psychotherapeutic procedures, antioxidants, curing of somatic pathology, and, if necessary, the prescription of hormonal drugs.
Example 5
[0076] Action of the heptapeptide in women with infertility. Group V patients.
[0077] In order to study the action of the heptapeptide on reproductive function, two patients were selected (n=2) with diagnosed secondary infertility.
[0078] I. Clinical Case.
[0079] Brief Extract from the Disease History:
[0080] Patient A, 46 years old, came with complaints of disruption of menstruation of the menometrorrhagia type, persistent pains below the abdomen, and absence of pregnancy for a period of three years.
[0081] From the Anamnesis:
[0082] 1. Heredity not burdened, no blood transfusions, allergy anamnesis not burdened.
[0083] 2. Illnesses suffered:
[0084] Childhood infections, chronic gastritis in the remission stage.
[0085] 3. Menstruation: since the age of 16, for 7 days, every 30 days, abundant, irregular during the last year, without disease. Last menstruation 6 Jan. 2009.
[0086] 4. Sex life: since the age of 17.
[0087] 5. Contraception: barrier methods.
[0088] Pregnancies: 1 (medical abortion in 1987, without complications).
[0089] Gynecological Anamnesis:
[0090] In 1990, erosion of cervix, diathermalelectrocoagulation (DEC).
[0091] General Status:
[0092] General condition: satisfactory, skin and mucous membranes pale pink, respiration vesicular in lungs, no wheezing, BP 80-120, abdomen soft, not distended, without disease in all sections, stool and diuresis within norms
[0093] Gynecological status: external sex organs normally developed, with speculum: cervix conical in shape, not eroded, secretions light-colored.
[0094] Body of uterus: enlarged to 5-6 weeks. Pregnancy of rounded shape with uneven contours. Appendages not clearly defined, without disease.
[0095] Arches and Parametrium Free.
[0096] Diagnosis: pre-menopausal. Mioma of the uterus in conjunction with adenomiosis. Infertility 2 (second), endometriosis.
[0097] Treatment Provided:
[0098] 1. Surgical treatment.
[0099] 2. Agonists: gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GT-RH): Zonadex 3.6 mg subcutaneously once a month for 6 months.
[0100] After treatment provided for a year, pregnancy did not ensue. The patient was given a course of treatment with a 0.1% solution of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro for 15 days intranasally. After administering the treatment, for 3 months, pregnancy ensued. Pregnancy was diagnosed on the basis of data obtained from:
[0101] 1. Express test for pregnancy,
[0102] 2. Ultrasound diagnostics,
[0103] 3. By the laboratory method (8-pure gas radiochromatography-chorion gonadotropy).
[0104] II. Clinical Case. Brief Extract from the Disease History:
[0105] Patient B, 42 years old, came with complaints of disruption of menstruation of the oligomenorrheal type, absence of pregnancy for 2.5 years. From the anamnesis:
[0106] 1. Heredity not burdened, no blood transfusions, allergy anamnesis not burdened.
[0107] 2. Illnesses suffered: childhood infections, hypertony, stage 1; gallstones, in remission stage.
[0108] 3. Menstruation: since age of 14, for 4-5 days, every 20 days, moderate, irregular during last two years, without disease. Last menstruation 20 Jan. 2009.
[0109] 4. Sex life: since the age of 20.
[0110] 5. Contraception: hormonal.
[0111] 6. Pregnancies: 2 (births: one in 1995, without peculiarities, medical abortion in 1998, without complications).
[0112] Gynecological anamnesis: chronic adnexitis in remission stage.
[0113] In 1996, erosion of cervix, diathermalelectrocoagulation (DEC).
[0114] General Status:
[0115] General condition: satisfactory, skin and mucous membranes pale pink, respiration vesicular in lungs, no wheezing, BP 95-130, abdomen soft, not distended, without disease in all sections, stool and diuresis within norms.
[0116] Gynecological status: external sex organs normally developed, with speculum: cervix cylindrical in shape, not eroded, secretions light-colored.
[0117] Body of uterus of normal size, not enlarged, without disease upon palpation, appendages not clearly defined, without disease, arches and parametrium free.
[0118] Diagnosis: Late reproductive period, infertility 2 (second), endocrine form.
[0119] Treatment provided: 0.1% solution of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro intranasally for 30 days. After administering treatment for 4 months, pregnancy ensued, pregnancy diagnosed on the basis of data obtained from:
[0120] 1. Express test for pregnancy,
[0121] 2. Ultrasound diagnostics,
[0122] 3. By the laboratory method (p-pure gas radiochromatography-chorion gonadotropy).
[0123] These two clinical cases allow it to be established that the effect of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro on reproductive function is positive and stimulating. It is worthwhile to mention that in all cases, pregnancy ensued without a change of partner and without providing additional treatment.
Example 6
[0124] For 2 months, experiments were conducted on 45 rats of the Hunter strain to study the effect of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro on reproductive behavior in rats. The experiments were conducted in several series: series 1: 15 rats (3 groups, consisting of 4 males and 1 female); series 2: 8 rats (4 pairs of 1 male and 1 female); series 3: 8 rats (4 pairs of 1 male and 1 female with organic CNS lesions); series 4: 8 rats of declining years (more than 2 years); series 5: control animals (8 individuals).
[0125] The effect of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro on the reproductive behavior of rats was studied using different methods for its introduction (intramuscularly, intra-peritoneally, and intranasally) in different dosages (25-100 μg/animal).
[0126] It is found that intranasal administration of the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro for 10-15 min caused, in all the study groups of animals, pronounced behavioral changes, including an increase in interest and “friendly” behavior with regard to other individuals; elements of “courting” appearing with attempts at coupling. The rats performed grooming of themselves (autogrooming) and other individuals (allogrooming). A distinctly pronounced ano-genital examination of another individual was observed in the rats. The latter consists of a cluster of behavioral reactions, including crawling beneath an individual of the opposite sex, sniffing its ano-genital area, and grooming it. Elements characteristic of coupling were observed not only in the evening but in the daytime as well. In old animals and ones operated on (destruction of the hippocampus, occlusion of the carotid artery) against a background of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, the freezing reaction disappeared, which is a behavioral stress marker.
[0127] It is established that the hepta peptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro brought about a pronounced reinforcing effect on the reproductive function of rats. Against the drug background, the birth rate of the rats increased by 3-5 times. The number of offspring increased up to 12-15 young (for a norm in intact Khanter rats of 5-6). A characteristic feature was that fact that new-born baby rats were of greater weight: 4-5 g (2-3 g for intact ones). A study of the dynamics of the development of offspring in the period of post-natal ontogenesis showed that this pattern of investigative activity (heavier young), their high survival rate, earlier (even in the blind baby rats) strengthening of motor activity, takes place against the background of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro takes place in all the study groups of experimental animals.
[0128] Against the background of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro in groups of 1-1.5 month-old baby rats (10 individuals: group 1, 12 individuals: group 2), reinforcement was evident in agonistic relations; a “friendly” attitude with regard to individuals of one sex (males), reinforcement of play activity, absence of aggressive reactions in relation to the experimenter, facilitation of handling reactions (the animals were “tame”). It must be emphasized that, compared with intact young, the faster development of conditioned reflexes was observed in these baby rats (in combination 4-5), and in the intact ones, only in combination 13-15 and toward the 2nd experimental day. Of characteristic features of the effect of the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, reinforcement must be related to the strengthening of maternal instincts and elimination of aggression, which is specific to feeding females with respect to the experimenter. Against the drug background, feeding females took young from other individuals (a phenomenon not peculiar to intact rats, which ate “foreign” young). The reinforcing effect on the reproductive behavior of rats was prolonged (up to 1.5-2 months). Lastly, it is concluded, in the 2nd group of animals (8 rats of 4 pairs: 1 male and 1 female), with the secondary process of coupling occurring early, against a background of feeding the young whose eyes were not yet open. Study of the role of heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro in reproductive activity on old rats showed that the reinforcing effect of the drug on reproductive function also takes place in these animals. So in the rats (older than 2 years), in the norm in which maceration of the fetus in the womb of the mother takes place in 70% of the cases or absence of pregnancy in 85%, birth of live offspring was exhibited. However, compared to younger animals, the number of newborns was fewer (up to 5-6 individuals). Considering the presence of compensatory effects of the drug in different cerebral pathologies (brain ischemia, cranio-cerebral traumas), the effect of the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro was studied in a series of special experiments on reproductive function in rats with organic pathologies (unilateral occlusion of the carotid artery and uni- and bilateral destruction of the hippocampus). The data obtained are evidence that the effect of the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro on reproductive function takes place in these rats. However, the series of these experiments is not yet concluded, since at the moment the females are in the pregnancy stage.
[0129] Analysis of the data obtained allows the conclusion to be drawn that the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro contributes to eliminating neurotic disturbances and inhibition occurring in laboratory rats, reinforces “courting” processes and grooming peculiar to this species of animal, contributes to coupling not only at night but in the daytime as well, and increases reproductive function. The latter is reflected in the greater number and higher quality of offspring. More pronounced effects on the reproductive function of rats take place with double intranasal administration of the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro in small (25 μg/animal) doses in groups consisting of pairs (1 female+1 male).
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0130] Men with impairment of sexual function (10 men) took the drug for the purpose of obtaining new sensations. However, the activity of sexual functioning was evaluated by the case manager as being reduced. Analysis results of using heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro are evidence of its reliable effect on the reinforcement of sexual function of the men (Table 14).
[0131] Change in the expression of the manifestation of principal indicators of sexual function (in points) and the times of onset of the effect (in days) for patients in Group I (n=8) are presented in Table 14.
[0132] Onset of the effect in Group I was observed at different times (from Day 1 to Day 15). The drug exhibited a very rapid effect on increasing the need for sexual relations (during the first twenty-four hours) and on erection. The dynamics of the appearance of the effect of reinforcing sexual function in patients of Group I (n=8) when administering the heptapeptide of general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro are presented in Table 15.
[0133] At the end of the course of administering the heptapeptide of the formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, the presence of the effect was noted in all the patients in Group I. In half the patients, the effect had already begun by the end of the first twenty-four hours. A guaranteed appearance of results may be expected in men toward Day 15.
[0134] According to all the indicators, the effect was reliably reinforced with a score of 1 on the quantified Sexual Function for Men (SFM) scale. The dynamics of the state of expression of the indicators of sexual function in the men of group I (n=10) are presented in Table 16.
[0135] On the whole, pronounced, reliable dynamics are found on the basis of all the indicators of sexual function. Sex acts occurred daily. With rare sex acts (up to several times a month), after a course of taking the heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, frequency increased to weekly, while with weekly acts, it increased to daily.
[0136] Thus, the results of the analysis of using the heptapeptide of the general formula Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro in men reliably confirm its positive effect on reinforcing sexuality. An insignificant decline in sexuality in men is associated with social conditions: way of life, work conditions, stress, etc. In sexual adaptation to a sex partner with a natural insignificant decrease in sexuality, the drug is capable of reinforcing the expression of the mental and orgasmic phases of the copulation cycle and reviving a feeling of love and a desire for the sex act.
[0137] Attraction toward the opposite sex became daily, orgasm set in at almost every sexual contact, after which followed a feeling of satisfaction and pleasant fatigue. The sex act ceased to be an obligation to fulfill a spousal duty, gratitude to the man was manifested for the pleasure experienced, and the level of sexual activity was increased.
[0138] The invention expands the arsenal of agents stimulating reproductive activity in mammals and humans.
[0139] The technical result attainable in executing the invention is the discovery of a broad spectrum of medical action for a known stimulator of memory, which defines the possibility of its use in low dosages as a stimulator of genital, sexual, and reproductive function without undesirable side effects, with good tolerability.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Study groups
Indicator of
I
II
III
IV
V
sexual function
(n = 8)
(n = 10)
(n = −31)
(n = 8)
(n = 2)
A. Libido
4.5
3.5
3.2
2.5
B. Attitude toward
4.0
3.5
3.2
3.0
sexual activity
C. Lubrication
4.0
3.5
3.2
2.8
D. Onset of orgasm
4.0
3.7
3.2
2.5
E. General physical
4.0
3.7
3.2
2.8
state after sexual acts
F. Mood after sexual
4.0
3.7
3.4
2.8
acts
G. Level of sexual
3.8
3.4
2.9
3.0
activity
[0000]
TABLE 2
Before
After
Mean time for
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
treatment
onset of effect
A.
Libido
4.0
5.0
1.0
(n = 4)
B.
Attitude toward sexual
4.0
5.0
10.8
activity
C.
Lubrication
4.0
5.0
10.8
D.
Onset of orgasm
4.0
5.0
5.8
E.
General physical state after
4.0
4.7
10.8
sexual acts
F.
Mood after sexual acts
4.0
5.0
10.8
G.
Level of sexual activity
3.8
4.7
10.8
[0000]
TABLE 3
Indicator
Days of drug administration
of sexual function
1
5
10
15
A.
Libido
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
B.
Attitude toward
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
sexual activity
C.
Lubrication
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
D.
Onset of orgasm
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
E.
General physical
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
state after sexual
acts
F.
Mood after sexual
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
acts
G.
Level of sexual
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
activity
[0000]
TABLE 4
Before
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
After treatment
A. Libido
4 (weekly)
4 (50%)
0 (0%)
5 (daily)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
6 (several times a day)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
B. Attitude toward sexual activity
4 (enjoyment depends on menesis)
8 (100%)
0 (0%)
5 intense enjoyment)
0 (0%)
8 (100%)
C. Lubrication
4 (depends on presence of attraction)
8 (100%)
0 (0%)
5 (sets in rapidly)
0 (0%)
8 (100%)
D. Onset of orgasm
4 (in half of the sex acts)
8 (100%)
0 (0%)
5 (more than 80% of the sex acts)
0 (0%)
8 (100%)
E. General physical state after sex acts
4 (sensation of a release of arousal)
8 (100%)
0 (0%)
5 (satisfaction and fatigue)
0 (0%)
8 (100%)
F. Mood after sex acts
4 (recognition of duty fulfilled)
8 (100%)
2 (25%)
5 (feeling of gratitude to man)
0 (0%)
6 (75%)
G. Level of sexual activity
3 (monthly)
2 (25%)
0 (0%)
4 (weekly)
6 (75%)
2 (25%)
5 (daily)
0 (0%)
6 (75%)
[0000]
TABLE 5
Mean time
for onset
Before
After
of effect,
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
treatment
days
A.
Libido
3.5
5.0
10.0
B.
Attitude toward sexual activity
3.5
5.0
11.0
C.
Lubrication
3.5
5.0
7.0
D.
Onset of orgasm (n = 33)
3.5
4.5
10.0
E.
General physical state after
3.5
4.5
7.0
sexual acts (n = 33)
F.
Mood after sexual acts (n = 33)
3.0
4.5
9.0
G.
Level of sexual activity (n = 27)
3.0
4.0
11.0
[0000]
TABLE 6
Before
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
After treatment
A. Libido
2 (yearly)
3 (30%)
0 (0%)
3 (monthly)
7 (70%)
1 (10%)
4 (weekly)
0 (0%)
2 (20%)
5 (daily)
0 (0%)
7 (70%)
6 (several times a day)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
B. Attitude toward sexual activity
2 (aversion to the sex act)
1 (10%)
0 (0%)
3 (indifference toward the sex act)
8 (80%)
0 (0%)
4 (enjoyment depends on menesis)
1 (10%)
7 (70%)
5 (intense enjoyment)
0 (0%)
3 (30%)
C. Lubrication
2 (rarely emerges)
1 (10%)
0 (0%)
3 (with protracted stimulation)
3 (30%)
1 (10%)
4 (depends on presence of attraction)
6 (60%)
7 (70%)
5 (sets in rapidly)
0 (0%)
2 (20%)
D. Onset of orgasm
3 (single occurrences)
4 (40%)
0 (0%)
4 (in half of the sex acts)
6 (60%)
3 (30%)
5 (more than 80% of the sex acts)
0 (0%)
7 (70%)
E. General physical state after sex acts
3 (unfulfilled arousal)
4 (40%)
0 (0%)
4 (sensation of release of arousal)
6 (60%)
60 (60%)
5 (satisfaction and fatigue)
0 (0%)
4 (40%0
F. Mood after sex acts
3 (complete indifference)
30 (30%)
1 (10%)
4 (recognition of duty fulfilled)
7 (70%)
3 (30%)
5 (feeling of gratitude toward man)
0 (0%)
6 (60%)
G. Level of sexual activity
3 (monthly)
7 (70%)
1 (10%)
4 (weekly)
3 (30%)
7 (70%)
5 (daily)
0 (0%)
2 (20%)
[0000]
TABLE 7
Days of drug administration
Indicator of sexual function
1
5
10
15
A.
Libido
0 (0%)
1 (10%)
9 (90%)
9 (90%)
B.
Attitude toward sexual
0 (0%)
2 (20%)
7 (70%)
7 (70%)
activity
C.
Lubrication
0 (0%)
3 (30%)
7 (70%)
7 (70%)
D.
Onset of orgasm
0 (0%)
2 (20%)
7 (70%)
7 (70%)
E.
General physical state
0 (0%)
3 (30%)
8 (80%)
8 (80%)
after sexual acts
F.
Mood after sexual acts
0 (0%)
2 (20%)
5 (50%)
5 (50%)
G.
Level of sexual activity
0 (0%)
1 (10%)
4 (40%)
4 (40%)
[0000]
TABLE 8
Mean time
for onset
Before
After
of effect,
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
treatment
days
A.
Libido
3.2
4.0
5.5
B.
Attitude toward sexual activity
3.2
4.0
10.7
C.
Lubrication
3.2
3.9
10.3
D.
Onset of orgasm
3.2
3.9
10.5
E.
General physical state
3.2
4.0
10.7
after sexual acts
F.
Mood after sexual acts
3.4
3.9
10.6
G.
Level of sexual activity
2.9
3.2
5.0
[0000]
TABLE 9
Before
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
After treatment
A. Libido
2 (yearly)
2
(6.5%)
2
(6.5%)
3 (monthly)
21
(67.7%)
4
(12.9%)
4 (weekly)
8
(25.8%)
17
(54.8%)
5 (daily)
0
(0.0%)
8
(25.8%)
6 (several times a day)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
B. Attitude toward sexual activity
2 (aversion to the sex act)
2
(6.5%)
2
(6.5%)
3 (indifference toward the sex act)
20
(64.5%)
4
(12.9%)
4 (enjoyment depends on menesis)
9
(29.0%)
17
(54.8%)
5 (intense enjoyment)
0
(0.0%)
8
(25.8%)
C. Lubrication
2 (rarely emerges)
2
(6.5%)
2
(6.5%)
3 (with protracted stimulation)
22
(71.0%)
4
(12.9%)
4 (depends on presence of attraction)
7
(22.6%)
19
(61.3%)
5 (sets in rapidly)
0
(0.0%)
6
(19.4%)
D. Onset of orgasm
1 (never experienced orgasm)
2
(6.5%)
2
(6.5%)
2 (only during erotic dreams)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
3 (single occurrences)
20
(64.5%)
6
(19.4%)
4 (in half of the sex acts)
9
(29.0%)
15
(48.4%)
5 (more than 80% of the sex acts)
0
(0.0%)
8
(25.8%)
E. General physical state after sex acts
2 (complete physical indifference)
2
(6.5%)
2
(6.5%)
3 (unfulfilled arousal)
20
(64.5%)
4
(12.9%)
4 (sensation of a release of arousal)
9
(29.0%)
17
(54.8%)
5 (satisfaction and fatigue)
0
(0.0%)
8
(25.8%)
F. Mood after sex acts
2 (escape from obligation)
2
(6.5%)
2
(6.5%)
3 (complete indifference)
16
(51.6%)
6
(19.4%)
4 (recognition of duty fulfilled)
13
(41.9%)
15
(48.4%)
5 (feeling of gratitude toward man)
0
(0.0%)
8
(25.8%)
G. Level of sexual activity
2 (yearly)
4
(12.9%)
4
(12.9%)
3 (monthly)
25
(80.6%)
17
(54.8%)
4 (weekly)
2
(6.5%)
10
(32.3%)
5 (daily)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
[0000]
TABLE 10
Indicator of
Days of drug administration
sexual function
1
5
10
15
A.
Libido
8 (100%)
12 (38.7%)
21 (67.7%)
25 (80.6%)
B.
Attitude
6 (19.4%)
8 (25.8%)
16 (51.6%)
24 (77.4%)
toward
sexual
activity
C.
Lubrication
6 (19.4%)
12 (38.7%)
16 (51.6%)
24 (77.4%)
D.
Onset of
6 (19.4%)
12 (38.7%)
14 (45.2%)
22 (71.0%)
orgasm
E.
General
6 (19.4%)
8 (25.8%)
14 (45.2%)
24 (77.4%)
physical
state after
sexual acts
F.
Mood after
6 (19.4%)
8 (25.8%)
12 (38.7%)
20 (64.5%)
sexual acts
G.
Level of
6 (19.4%)
8 (25.8%)
8 (25.8%)
8 (25.8%)
sexual
activity
[0000]
TABLE 11
Before
After
Time for onset
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
treatment
of effect, days
A.
Libido
2.5
4.0
10.0
B.
Attitude toward sexual
3.5
4.0
10.0
activity
C.
Lubrication
2.8
4.0
10.0
D.
Onset of orgasm
2.5
4.0
10.0
E.
General physical state after
2.8
4.5
15.0
sexual acts (n = 33)
F.
Mood after sexual acts
2.8
4.5
15.0
G.
Level of sexual activity
3.0
4.5
—
[0000]
TABLE 12
After
Indicator of sexual function
Before treatment
treatment
A. Libido
1 (entirely absent)
2 (25%)
2 (25%)
2 (yearly)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
3 (monthly)
6 (75%)
2 (25%)
4 (weekly)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (daily)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
6 (several times a day)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
B. Attitude toward sexual activity
3 (indifference toward the sex act)
8 (100%)
4 (50%)
4 (enjoyment depends on menesis)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (intense enjoyment)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
C. Lubrication
2 (rarely emerges)
2 (25%)
2 (25%)
3 (with protracted stimulation)
6 (75%)
2 (25%)
4 (depends on presence of attraction)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (sets in rapidly)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
D. Onset of orgasm
1 (never experienced orgasm)
2 (25%)
0 (0%)
2 (only during erotic dreams)
0 (0%)
2 (25%)
3 (single occurrences)
6 (75%)
2 (25%)
4 (in half of the sex acts)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (more than 80% of the sex acts)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
E. General physical state after sex acts
2 (complete physical indifference)
2 (25%)
2 (25%)
3 (unfulfilled arousal)
6 (75%)
2 (25%)
4 (sensation of a release of arousal)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (satisfaction and fatigue)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
F. Mood after sex acts
2 (escape from obligation)
2 (25%)
2 (25%)
3 (complete indifference)
6 (75%)
2 (25%)
4 (recognition of duty fulfilled)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (feeling of gratitude toward man)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
G. Level of sexual activity
3 (monthly)
8 (100%)
4 (50%)
4 (weekly)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
5 (daily)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
[0000]
TABLE 13
Days of drug administration
Indicator of sexual function
1
5
10
15
A.
Libido
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
B.
Attitude toward sexual
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
activity
C.
Lubrication
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
D.
Onset of orgasm
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
6 (75%)
E.
General physical state after
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
sexual acts
F.
Mood after sexual acts
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
G.
Level of sexual activity
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (%)
[0000]
TABLE 14
Mean time
Before
After
for onset
Indicator of sexual function
treatment
treatment
of effect
A.
Need for sexual relations
1.6
2.5
1.0
B.
Mood before sexual intercourse
1.4
2.9
10.8
C.
Sexual spirit
1.3
2.4
10.8
D.
Tension of sex organ (erection)
1.1
2.7
5.8
E.
Duration of sexual intercourse
0.75
2.8
10.8
F.
Frequency of sexual
1.5
2.5
10.8
performances
G.
Mood after sex acts
1.5
2.8
10.8
[0000]
TABLE 15
Indicator
Days of drug administration
of sexual function
1
5
10
15
A.
Need for sexual
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
relations
B.
Mood before sexual
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
intercourse
C.
Sexual spirit
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
C.
Erection
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
E.
Duration of sexual
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
intercourse
F.
Frequency of sexual
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
performances
G.
Mood after sex act
4 (50%)
4 (50%)
8 (100%)
8 (100%)
[0000]
TABLE 16
Family name, first name, patronymic
Bachelor. Married. Divorced.
Before
After
treatment
treatment
I. Need for sexual relations
How often does the urgent desire arise to perform a sex act
(other than dependence on the tension of the sex organ):
generally never or not more often than once a year
0
several times a year, but not more often than once a month
1
4 (40%)
two to four times a month
2
6 (6.0%)
3 (30%)
twice or several times a week
3
6 (60%)
once or several times every twenty-four hours
4
1 (10%)
II. Mood before sexual intercourse
strong fear of failure, and therefore attempt was never
0
1 (10%)
consummated
pronounced uncertainty, and therefore I look for an excuse
1
4 (40%)
to avoid the attempt
some uncertainty, but I don't avoid the attempt (or, I
2
5 (50%)
1 (10%)
perform the sex act to please the wife, without inner
incentive; or, I perform intercourse to test myself)
mainly, the desire for enjoyment, possession of a woman,
9 (90%)
and for intercourse without apprehension
always only craving for enjoyment by the woman;
4
I never experience the least doubt
III. Sexual spirit
I perform actions intended for the immediate achievement
of a sex act
I generally do not perform or I perform at intervals of not
0
less than a year
several times a year, but not more often than once a month
1
7 (70%)
several times a month, but not more often than once a
2
3 (30%)
6 (60%)
week
twice or several times a week
3
4 (40%)
once or several times every twenty-four hours
4
IV. Tension of sex organ (erection)
erection does not occur under any circumstances
0
1 (10%)
aside from the situation of the sex act, erection is sufficient;
1
8 (80%)
however at the time of sexual intercourse, it becomes flaccid,
introduction of the organ is not successful
It is necessary to apply force or local manipulation to bring
2
1 (10%)
3 (30%)
about an erection sufficient for introduction (or else the
erection becomes flaccid after introduction but before
ejaculation of semen)
erection incomplete, but introduction is successful without a
3
7 (70%)
problem
erection occurs under any conditions, even very unfavorable
4
ones
V. Duration of sexual intercourse
Ejaculation occurs:
does not occur under any circumstances
0
does not occur at every sex act, intercourse bears a
0.5
7 (70%)
prolonged, sometimes exhausting character
even before introduction of the sex organ or at the time of
1
2 (20%)
introduction
several seconds after introduction
2
1 (10%)
approximately within 15-20 movements
2.5
4 (40%)
within 1-2 minutes
3
6 (60%)
more than 2 minutes (indicate approximate duration)
4
VI. Frequency of sexual performances
Ejaculation occurs during intercourse (or night ejaculations,
onanism, and other things) on the average:
generally does not occur or occurs no more often than once a
0
year
several times a year, but not more often than once a month
1
5 (50%)
several times a month, but not more often than once a week
2
5 (50%)
5 (50%)
twice or several times a week
3
4 (40%)
once or several times every twenty-four hours
4
1 (10%)
VI. Mood after sexual intercourse (or an unsuccessful attempt)
extreme depression, sensation of catastrophe (or
0
aversion to wife)
disappointment, vexation
1
6 (60%)
indifference (somewhat upset due to knowledge that
2
3 (30%)
4 (40%)
the woman feels unsatisfied)
satisfaction and pleasant fatigue
3
1 (10%)
4 (40%)
complete satisfaction and spiritual uplift
4
2 (20%)
|
The invention relates to a novel agent having an influence on the genital, sexual and reproductive function of mammals and human beings. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of a heptapeptide of the general formula (I) Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro as a stimulator of the genital, sexual and reproductive function of mammals and human beings. The invention widens the range of agents available for stimulating the genital, sexual and reproductive function of mammals and human beings.
| 0
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a central locking system or installation for motor vehicles the ignition and/or starter of which can be switched on and off through a control switch operable by means of a key, having a plurality of catch drives driving reversibly between a locking position and an unlocking position, a first time control circuit which on triggering supplies first drive signals for a predetermined time duration to the catch drives for driving the catch drives in the direction towards the locking position, a second time control circuit which on triggering supplies second drive signals for a predetermined time duration to the catch drives for driving the catch drives in the direction towards the unlocking position, and at least one triggering control switch operable by means of a key from outside the vehicle, which in a first switch position triggers the first time control circuit and in a second switch position triggers the second time control circuit.
STATEMENT OF PRIOR ART
Such a central locking installation is known from DE-A No. 3,008,964. The catch drives drive locking devices on the door locks. The time control circuits can be triggered from outside the vehicle by means of the door keys through the triggering control switches provided on the doors. From the interior of the motor vehicle the catch drives can be mechanically locked and unlocked by means of "locking buttons" on the doors.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a central locking installation which can be operated not only by means of the door key from outside the motor vehicle, but also through a press-button switch from the interior of the vehicle. In this case it is to be made certain that when the control switch is switched off (ignition switched off) the central locking installation cannot be unlocked by unauthorised actuation of the press-button switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The central locking installation according to the invention is based on an installation as it is known from DE-A No. 3,008,964 and is explained above. Additionally the first and the second time control circuits are connected through separate trigger paths to at least one common press-button switch operable from within the motor vehicle. The trigger path connecting the press-button control switch with the first time control circuit is triggerable independently of the switch position of the control switch and comprises a first gate circuit responding to the drive position of the catch drives. The gate circuit blocks the trigger path when the catch drives are in the locking position, and enables the first time control circuit to be triggered by the press-button control switch when the catch drives are in the unlocking position. The trigger path connecting the press-botton control switch with the second time control circuit comprises a second gate circuit controllable through the control switch which blocks the trigger path when the control switch is switched off and enables the second control circuit to be triggered by the press-button control switch when the control switch is switched on. A blocking circuit responding to the drive signals of the first time control circuit blocks the drive signals of the second time control circuit during the occurrence of the drive signals of the first time control circuit.
The two time control circuits are triggerable not only through the door triggering control switches which are actuatable by means of the door keys, but also by way of the two trigger paths connected to the common press-button control switch. The gate circuits in the two trigger paths ensure that the central locking installation can be locked but not unlocked by actuation of the press-button control switch when the control switch is opened and thus the ignition is switched off. Thus unauthorised unlocking of the doors by means of the press-button control switch is not possible. When the control switch is switched on, that is the ignition is switched on, the central locking installation can be either unlocked or locked by means of the press-button control switch.
In a preferred embodiment, to each catch drive there is allocated a switch contact detecting the drive position of the catch drive. The first gate circuit comprises a transistor switch connected into the trigger path and a control signal generator controlling the transistor switch and responding to the switch contacts. The switch contacts are preferably simple on-and-off switches. Since a transistor switch is used as gate circuit, unintentional triggering of the time control circuit by any spurious pulses and the like occurring in the electrical system of the motor vehicle can reliably be prevented.
A substantial improvement consists in that the control signal generator comprises a control voltage source responding to the switch contacts which generates a first control voltage when at least one of the switch contacts detects the locking position of the catch drive allocated to it and a second control voltage when all the switch contacts detect the unlocking position of the associated catch drives. The control signal generator further comprises a reference voltage source, the reference voltage of which lies between the first and the second control voltages, and a comparator which compares the reference voltage with the control voltage and controls the transistor switch accordingly. The switch contacts, connected with one another for example to form an OR contact network, open the transistor switch through the comparator when the catch drives are in the locking position and thus interrupt the trigger path of the first time control circuit. The supply of voltage to the reference voltage source, the control signal generator and the comparator and to the transistor switch takes place in shunt to the control switch. Thus it is ensured that when the control switch is switched on the next actuation of the common press-button control switch triggers the second time control circuit and thus the catch drives are switched on in the unlocking direction.
In embodiments in which the switch contacts responding to the drive position of the catch drives remain in their position blocking the trigger path of the first time control circuit only in the close vicinity of the locking position, it must be ensured that this trigger path remains blocked while the second time control circuit is triggered by means of the common press-button control switch. For this purpose it can be provided that the control voltage source is coupled to the press-button control switch and for the duration of the actuation of the press-button control switch supplies a third control voltage, occurring together with the first control voltage on the same side relative to the reference voltage, to the comparator for comparison with the reference voltage. The control voltage source can have the form of a potentiometer circuit (resistance divider circuit) which is connected to the battery of the motor vehicle and the divider ratio of whichis variable by means of the switch contacts and/or the press-button control switch. The essential advantage of the embodiment as explained above is its great security against spurious voltages, which results not least by reason of the use of a comparator or saturatable amplifier as control element for the transistor switch.
In conformity with the transistor switch of the first gate circuit, the second gate circuit can also be assembled using a transistor switch. The transistor switch of the second gate circuit is controlled by means of the control switch of the motor vehicle and enables the trigger path of the second time control circuit only when the control switched is switched on, that is the ignition is switched on. When the control switch is switched off the central locking installation can be unlocked only through the triggering control switch operable by means of the door key.
When the control switch is switched on and the catch drives are situated in the unlocking position both time control circuits are triggered on actuation of the common press-button control switch. The blocking circuit connected on the output side of the time control circuits ensures that in this case only the drive signals of the first time control circuit, which locks the catch drives, become effective. The distribution of the logic functions to the trigger side and the output side of the time control stages increases the security of the central locking installation against spurious voltages, with comparatively low constructional expense.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention an indicator lamp is provided which is controlled through a transistor switch by the switch contacts of the catch drives. The indicator lamp lights up when the central locking installation has been locked by actuation of the press-button control switch with the main control switch switched on.
The various features of novelty which characterise the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram of a central locking installation according to the invention, and
FIG. 2 shows a detailed circuit diagram of the central locking installation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The central locking installation according to FIG. 1 comprises direct-current motors 1 connected in parallel with one another to switch-over contacts 3 and 5 of two relays 7 and 9, for the drive of locking devices on door locks or the like. In the rest condition with relays 7, 9 unenergised the switch-over contacts 3 and 5 connect the motors 1 to earth. When the relays 7, 9 are in the energised condition the switch-over contacts 3 and 5 connect the motors 1 with an operating voltage source, for example the positive pole of a motor vehicle battery 11, the minus pole of which is earthed. The relays 7, 9 are energised in alternation and form a pole-changer circuit through which the motors 1 can be switched on in both directions of rotation. In the embodiment as illustrated the relay 7 switches on the motors 1 in the locking direction, in which the catch drive is moved out of an unlocking position into a locking position. The relay 9 switches on the motors 1 in the unlocking direction in which the catch drives are moved out of the locking position into the unlocking position.
The energisation of the relays 7, 9 is controlled by transistors 13 and 15 working in switch operation, the collector-emitter junction of which is connected in series with the energising windings of the relays 7, 9 between earth and the working voltage terminal 11. The transistors 13, 15 are controlled by separate time control circuits 17 and 19 to the trigger inputs 21 and 23 of which the fixed contacts of several mutually parallel-connected control change-over switches 25 are connected. The control change-over switches 25 are provided on the doors of the motor vehicle and can be switched over by means of the door key from their neutral middle position as represented in FIG. 1 into one of their two switch positions. In the right-hand switch position of the control change-over switches 25 in FIG. 1 the trigger input 21 of the time control circuit 17 is earthed and the time control circuit 17 is triggered. Thereupon the time control circuit 17 generates a current pulse of predetermined duration which allows the transistor 13 to become conductive and thus energises the relay 7 for the predetermined time duration. The relay 7 switches on the motors 1 in the locking direction for the predetermined time duration. If the control change-over switches 25 are switched into the switch position to the left in FIG. 1, the trigger input 23 is connected to earth and the time control circuit 19 is triggered. The triggered time control circuit 19 generates a current pulse of predetermined duration which allows the transistor 15 to become conductive and energises the relay 9 for the predetermined duration. The relay 9 switches on the motors 1 in the unlocking direction for the predetermined duration. The control change-over switches 25 are not mechanically coupled with the mechanical locking mechanisms of the door locks, which are actuated by the catch drives, and return into their neutral middle position on withdrawal of the door key.
To make it possible for the central locking installation to be also locked and unlocked from the interior of the vehicle, a press-button switch 27, open in its rest position, is provided which is connected on one side with earth and on the other through separate trigger paths 29 and 31 with the trigger inputs 21, 23 of the time control circuits 17, 19. Each of the two trigger paths 29, 31 contains a transistor 33 and 35 respectively working in switch operation, which in the conductive condition connects the press-button switch 27 with the trigger input 21 or 23 and in the blocking condition prevents the triggering of the time control circuits 17, 19 by means of the press-button switch 27.
The transistor 33 is controlled by a comparator 37 at the inverting input "-" of which a reference voltage U ref of a reference voltage source (not shown further) is present. The inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 is connected to a controllable voltage source, for example in the form of a resistor 39 connectable to a positive operating voltage source. Switch contacts 41, formed as simple on-and-off switches, on the catch drives detect the drive position of the associated catch drives. The switch contacts 41 are connected in parallel with one another in the form of an OR switch network. In the unlocking position of the catch drives they are opened and in the locking position they are closed. In the unlocking position, in which all switch contacts 41 are opened, the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 lies through the resistor 39 at the potential U B of the operating voltage source, which is greater than the reference voltage U ref at the inverting input "-". The comparator 37 in this case generates an output signal which makes the transistor 33 conductive and clears the trigger path 29 for the triggering of the time control circuit 17, which switches on the motors 1 in the locking direction, by means of the press-button switch 27.
When the catch drives are in the locking position the switch contacts 41 are closed. The non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 lies at earth potential, so that the output signal of the comparator 37 blocks the transistor 33 and interrupts the trigger path 29. The time control circuit 17 cannot be triggered afresh by subsequent renewed actuation of the press-button switch 27.
The trigger path 31 of the time control circuit 19 which switches on the motors 1 in the unlocking direction is controlled in dependence upon a control switch or ignition switch 43 of the motor vehicle. By means of the ignition switch 43 the ignition system and/or the starter of the motor vehicle can be switched on and off in a manner not further illustrated. The ignition switch 43 is connected in series with a voltage-divider circuit or potentiometer circuit consisting of two resistors 45, 47 between a positive operating voltage source 49 and earth. The resistors 45, 47 are so dimensioned that the transistor 35 is blocked when the ignition switch 43 is opened and conductive when it is closed.
When the ignition switch 43 is opened and thus the ignition system is switched off, only the time control circuit 17 which switches on the motors 1 of the catch drives in the locking direction can be triggered by means of the press-button switch 27. The trigger path 31 of the time control circuit 19 which switches on the motors 1 in the unlocking direction is blocked when the ignition system is switched off. In the locked condition with the ignition system switched off the central locking installation cannot be released by unauthorized persons by actuation of the press-button switch 27.
With the ignition switch 43 closed the central locking installation can be alternately unlocked and locked by repeated actuation of the press-button switch 27. In the locked condition the switch contacts 41 are closed and the trigger path 29 accordingly is blocked. On actuation of the press-button switch 27, therefore, the time control circuit 19 exclusively is triggered and the motors 1 are switched on in the unlocking direction. In the unlocked condition the switch contacts 41 are opened, so that both trigger paths 29 and 31 connect the press-button switch 27 with the trigger inputs 21 and 23 of the time control circuits 17, 19. On actuation of the press-button switch 27 thus both time control circuits 17, 19 are triggered. In order to ensure that nevertheless only the relay 7 which switches on the motors 1 in the locking direction is energised, the collector of the transistor 13 is connected through a diode 51 with the base of the transistor 15. When the transistor 13 is conductive, the diode 51 forms a short-circuit for the base-emitter junction of the transistor 15 and blocks the transistor 15.
FIG. 2 shows a detailed circuit diagram of the central locking installation according to FIG. 1. Elements of like effect are designated by the same reference numerals in both Figures. For the explanation of these elements reference is made to FIG. 1.
The motors 1 of the catch drives are again connected to a pole-changer circuit formed by the switch-over contacts 3, 5 of the relays 7 and 9, which circuit connects the motors 1, in dependence upon the alternate energisation of the relays 7 and 9 for the two directions of rotation of the motors 1, with the working voltage source of battery 11 of the motor vehicle. The energising current of the relays 7, 9 is again controlled by transistors 13, 15 working in switch operation, the collector-emitter junctions of which are connected in series with the energiser windings of the relays 7 and 9. In contrast to the embodiment in FIG. 1 the emitters of the transistors 13, 15 are not connected directly to earth, but through leads 61, 63 with the parallel-connected fixed contacts of the control change-over switches 25 actuatable by means of the door keys. The movable contacts of the control change-over switches 25 are connected to earth and trigger the time control circuits 17 and 19, which are explained in greater detail below. As long as the control change-over switches 25 are deflected out of their neutral middle position for the triggering of the time control circuits 17, 19, they connect the emitters of the transistors 13, 15 to earth. Since the duration of actuation can be relatively short, holding circuits which keep the energising current of the relays 7, 9 switched on beyond the duration of actuation of the control change-over switches 25 are allocated to the energising circuits of the relays 7, 9. The holding circuit of the relay 7 includes a transistor 65 the collector-emitter junction of which is connected between the emitter of the transistor 13 and earth and thus is connected in parallel with the associated contacts of the control change-over switches 25. The base of the transistor 65 is connected through a base-current-limiting resistor 67 to the switch-over contacts 3 of the relay 7 to be controlled by the transistor 13. When the relay 7 is not energised the switch-over contact 3 connects the base of the transistor 65 to earth and blocks the transistor 65. If one of the control change-over switches 25 is switched over into its position triggering the time control circuit 17, the transistor 13 becomes conductive and the relay 7 is energised. The base of the transistor 65 is connected through the switch-over contact 3 with the working voltage terminal 11 and the transistor 65 becomes conductive. The energising current of the relay 7 thus flows, independently of the actuation of the control change-over switch 25, through the collector-emitter junctions of the conductive transistors 13 and 65. After the elapse of the time period determined by the time control circuit 17 the transistor 13 opens and switches off the energising current of the relay 7. The holding circuit of the relay 9 is assembled accordingly and comprises a transistor 69 working in switch operation, the collector-emitter junction of which is connected between the emitter of the transistor 15 and earth and thus in parallel to the contacts of the control change-over switches 25 which are allocated to the time control circuit 19. The base of the transistor 69 is connected through a base-current-limiting resistor 71 with the change-over contact 5 of the relay 9. The manner of operation of the holding circuit allocated to the relay 9 corresponds to the manner of operation of the holding circuit of the relay 7. The time control circuit 17 is triggered in that one of the control change-over switches 25 connects a lead 73, corresponding to the trigger input 21 in FIG. 1, to earth. The time control circuit 17 thereupon supplies a current pulse of predetermined duration to the base of the transistor 13 which allows the transistor 13 to become conductive for the predetermined duration. The base of the transistor 13 is connected for this purpose through a base series resistor 75 to the output of a differential amplifier working in saturation operation or a comparator 77. The inverting input "-" of the comparator 77 is connected to a junction point 79 of two resistors 81 and 83 connected in the form of a voltage-divider circuit or potentiometer circuit in series between earth and the working voltage terminal 11. The voltage-divider circuit forms a reference voltage source which applies a reference voltage of about 1/3 of the working voltage to the inverting input "-" of the comparator 77. The non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 77 is connected to earth through a capacitor 85. The terminal of the capacitor 85 connected with the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 77 is connected with the working voltage terminal 11 through a diode 87 polarised in the forward direction and a resistor 89 connected in series with the diode 87 on the side of the diode 87 remote from the capacitor. The junction point between the diode 87 and the resistor 89 is connected by the lead 73 with the fixed contacts of the control change-over switches 25 and through the lead 61 with the emitter of the transistor 13. The resistor 89 and the diode 87 form a charging circuit for the capacitor 85 through which the latter is charged up, with the control change-over switches 25 in the neutral middle position, to the potential of the working voltage terminal. A discharge resistor 91 is connected in parallel with the capacitor 85. With the control change-over switches 25 switched over into the trigger position of the time control circuit 17, the charging circuit is uncoupled from the capacitor 85 and the capacitor 85 discharges with the discharge time constant fixed by the resistor 91.
The time control circuit 17 works as follows. In the state of rest the control change-over switches 25 are situated in their neutral middle position, so that the capacitor 85 can charge up to the working voltage through the resistor 89 and the diode 87. The reference voltage on the connection point 79 amounts to about 1/3 of the working voltage, so that the output voltage of the comparator 77 likewise nearly reaches the working voltage. However, the transistor 13 cannot become conductive since its emitter, through the resistor 89, likewise lies at working voltage potential. The relay 7 is not energised. On triggering of the time control circuit 17 one of the control change-over switches 25 connects the emitter of the transistor 13 through the leads 61, 73 to earth. The transistor 13 becomes conductive since at this moment as before its base lies at working voltage potential and the relay 7 is energised. With the closure of the control switch 25 at the same time the junction point of the resistor 89 and the diode 87 is connected to earth, whereby the charging current of the capacitor 85 is interrupted. Subsequently the capacitor 85 discharges through the resistor 91. A direct discharge of the capacitor 85 through the control change-over switch 25 is prevented by the diode 87 polarised in the blocking direction in relation to the charge of the capacitor 85. As soon as the voltage on the capacitor 85 has reached the reference voltage, the output level of the comparator 77 changes abruptly, whereby the base of the transistor 13 is switched to earth potential. The transistor 13 opens and interrupts the energising current of the relay 7.
The resistor 81 of the reference voltage source and the resistor 89 of the charging circuit of the capacitor 85 are connected to one common junction point. The charge voltage of the capacitor 85 and the reference voltage thus vary in the same direction, which is to the benefit of the time constancy of the time control circuit 17.
The time control circuit 19 is correspondingly assembled. Elements of like effect are designated with the same reference numerals and for better distinguishability merely provided with the additional letter a. For the explanation of the assembly and manner of operation therefore reference is made to the description of the time control circuit 17. The inverting input "-" of the comparator 77a is connected to the same junction point 79, supplying the reference voltage, of the resistors 81 and 83. If desired a separate reference voltage source can be provided.
In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 again the press-button switch 27 is connected on the one side to earth and on the other side through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor 33 with the lead 73 forming the trigger input 21 and through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor 35 with the lead 73a forming the trigger input 23. The base of the transistor 33 is connected through a base-current-limiting resistor 93 with the output of the comparator 37. The inverting input "-" of the comparator 37 is connected to the junction point 79 of the resistors 81, 83 serving as reference voltage source. A feedback resistor 95, connecting the output of the comparator 37 with its non-inverting input "+", in combination with the resistor 39, determines the gain of the comparator 37 and ensures a stable operation. As already explained with reference to FIG. 1, the base of the transistor 35 is connected through a voltage-divider circuit consisting of the resistors 45 and 47 and the control switch or ignition switch 43, to the working voltage terminal 11, in such a way that the transistor 35 is conductive when the ignition switch 43 is closed and blocked when the ignition switch 43 is opened. The switch contacts 41 which respond to the drive position of the catch drives are again connected in parallel with one another between the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 and earth.
With the ignition switch 43 opened and thus the ignition switched off, the central locking installation can only be locked, but not unlocked, by actuation of the press-button switch 27. The following course of operation results:
By actuation of the press-button switch 27 the emitters of the transistors 33 and 35 are earthed. The transistor 35 cannot become conductive, since its base is likewise earthed, through the resistor 47. The inverting input "-" of the comparator 37 is kept by the resistors 81, 83 at a voltage of about 1/3 of the working voltage, independently of the switch condition of the ignition switch 43. The non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 lies at working voltage potential, through the resistors 39 and 95. The output potential of the comparator 37 corresponds approximately to the working voltage potential and switches the transistor 33 to become conductive. Accordingly the lead 73 lies substantially at earth potential and the time control circuit 17 of the relay 7 switching the motors 1 on in the locking direction is triggered. After the execution of this locking command the switch contacts 41 are closed. Through the switch contacts 41 the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 now lies at earth potential and its output level opens the transistor 33. Further actuation of the press-button switch 27 thus remains without effect.
When the ignition switch 43 is closed the central locking installation can be unlocked again by means of the press-button switch 27. With the ignition switch 43 closed, the base of the transistor 35 lies at positive potential through the resistor 45. On actuation of the press-button switch 27 the emitter thereof is earthed. The transistor 35 becomes conductive and the time control circuit 19 of the relay 9 which switches on the motors 1 in the unlocking direction is triggered. After the triggering of the time control circuit 19 the relay 7 must remain de-energised during the predetermined duration of energisation of the relay 9. The transistor 33 which controls the triggering of the time control circuit 17 is held opened, in the locking position of the catch drives, by the then closed switch contacts 41. However the switch contacts 41 open in the course of the unlocking movement or the motors 1, whereby, if the press-button switch 27 is then still actuated, the time control circuit 17 would also be triggered. In order to prevent this the press-button switch 27 is connected through a resistor 97 with the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37. The resistor 97 holds the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37, with press-button switch 27 actuated, in combination with the resistors 39 and 95, at a potential less than the potential at the junction point 79, that is at a potential less than 1/3 of the working potential. If with the press-button switch 27 an unlocking operation was instigated, then for the duration of the actuation of the press-button switch 27 the trigger path of the time control circuit 17 controlling the locking operation remains blocked. The comparator 37 switches over as soon as the press-button switch 27 is opened. A subsequent actuation of the press-button switch 27 switches on the central locking installation in the locking direction. In order to prevent undesired switching over if the press-button switch 27 rebounds, the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37 is connected with the emitter of the transistor 15 through a diode 99 polarised in the forward direction. As explained above, the emitter of the transistor 15 lies at earth potential during the time duration predetermined by the time control circuit 19. Thus during the energisation time of the relay 9 the diode 99 opens the transistor 33 and prevents the triggering of the time control circuit 17.
After the elapse of the time duration predetermined by the time control circuit 19 the central locking installation can be locked by renewed actuation of the press-button switch 27. On renewed actuation of the press-button switch 27 the transistors 33 and 35 become conductive at the same time. Thus the two time control circuits 17 and 19 are triggered simultaneously. In order to prevent the relay 9 from being energised as well as the relay 7 which switches on the motors 1 in the locking direction, a Zener diode 101 polarised in the blocking direction is connected between the base of the transistor 15 and its base series resistor 75a. Furthermore the junction point of the resistor 75a and of the Zener diode 101 is connected with the collector of the transistor 13 through a diode 103 polarised in the forward direction for the output current of the comparator 77a. When the transistor 13 is conductive its collector lies approximately at earth potential, so that the diode 103 short-circuits the junction point of the resistor 75a and the Zener diode 101 to earth. Despite the fact that the time control circuit 19 is triggered the transistor 15 remains opened and the relay 9 is not energised.
In order that it may be indicated whether the central locking installation was locked, with the ignition switched on, an indicator lamp 105 is provided which is connected in series with the collector-emitter junction of a transistor 107 between earth and the ignition switch 43. The transistor 107, in contrast to the other transistors which are formed as npn transistors, is a pnp transistor. The transistor 107 is connected to positive potential on the emitter side and is connected on the base side through a resistor 109 with the switch contacts 41 and the non-inverting input "+" of the comparator 37. When the central locking installation is locked, the base of the transistor 107 lies at about earth potential, so that the transistor 107 is conductive and the indicator lamp 105 lights up. In the unlocked condition or when the ignition switch 43 is opened the indicator lamp 105 is switched off.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
|
The central locking system for motor vehicles comprises a plurality of catch drives reversibly driving between a locking position and an unlocking position. The catch drives are switched on for a pre-determined time duration in the locking direction by drive signals of a first time control circuit. The catch drives are energized in the unlocking direction by a second time control circuit for a pre-determined time duration. The time control circuits can be triggered alternately through a triggering control switch actuatable by means of a door key from outside the vehicle, or by means of a press-button switch actuatable from within the motor vehicle. The trigger inputs of the time control circuits are connected through separate trigger paths to the press-button switch.
| 4
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to sign support systems and more specifically to an anchor for a sign support which can be easily driven into the ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traffic signs are the primary source of information for motorists. The biggest and brightest sign is only effective if the support it is mounted on keeps the sign in its intended position. Sign supports need to be strong, versatile, and cost effective. Although a sign post can be installed directly into the ground using power equipment or a sledge-hammer with a driving cap, use of an anchor system allows construction crews to work at ground level for faster installation and replacement of signs. Sign posts must also be capable of breaking in the event of an impact by a vehicle or the like. The anchor allows an upright post to be inserted into the anchor and when the post is broken, it is easily replaced in the anchor by a new post. The anchor is installed directly into the ground, and the sign post telescopically slides into and is affixed to the anchor. Although the anchor improves the overall efficiency of sign installation and replacement, the anchor must still be driven into the ground in the same manner as a sign post. This operation is problematic if compacted dirt, roots, or other debris are in the intended insertion path of the anchor. Modifications to the anchor providing for easier insertion into the ground are desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention provides an anchor for a sign support system which can be easily driven into the ground with a minimum of force.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing and other advantages are attained by a sign support anchor made of a square tube having first and second open ends and first, second, third and fourth sides, the first side opposite the second side and the third side opposite the fourth side, a first vertex at the first open end connecting the first and third sides, a second vertex at the first open end connecting the second and fourth sides, a third vertex at the first open end connecting the first and fourth side, and a fourth vertex at the first open end connecting the second and third sides, wherein each of the third vertex and the fourth vertex are a first distance from the second open end and each of the first vertex and the second vertex are a second distance from the second open end, the first distance being greater than the second distance. All edges connecting the vertices are cut so as to have a beveled edge of 59 to 61 degree, preferably at a 60 degree angle to the corresponding side.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of making a sign support anchor includes the steps of positioning the tube that is square in cross section on a horizonal axis; cutting the third side from a first location on the corner between the first and third sides to the fourth vertex and the second side from a second location on the corner between the second and fourth sides to the fourth vertex; rotating the square tube a further 180 degrees on the horizontal axis; cutting the first side from the first location to the third vertex and the fourth side from the second location to the third vertex, whereby the square tube results in having the third vertex and the fourth vertex a first distance from the second open end and the first location and the second location a second distance from the second open end, the first distance being greater than the second distance. The protruding third vertex and fourth vertex function as initial points of contact with the ground during anchor insertion.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the anchor of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a plan view of the anchor before cutting.
FIG. 2B is an end view of one side of the anchor of FIG. 2A before cutting.
FIG. 3A is a view of the anchor before cutting rotated 45 degrees about the horizontal axis from the view of FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3B is an end view of the anchor of FIG. 3A before cutting.
FIG. 4 is a view of the anchor of FIG. 3A after one cut has been made.
FIG. 5 is a view of the anchor rotated 180 degrees about the horizontal axis from FIG. 4 after two cuts have been made.
FIG. 6 is a view of the anchor of FIG. 5 rotated 90 degrees about the horizontal axis from the position in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a side view of the anchor of FIG. 6 rotated 45 degrees from the position in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the anchor along edge 24 taken along the lines 8--8 of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is an anchor used to support a sign post. The anchor is cut in such a manner as to provide two sharpened and pointed edges to facilitate the insertion of the anchor into the ground.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the anchor of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the anchor 10 is roll formed from steel conforming to Standard Specifications for Steel Sheet, A.S.T.M. A653-94, Structural Quality. The cross section of the anchor is square tubing, formed of 12 gauge steel sheet and welded so that the weld flash will not interfere with the similarly constructed sign post which is telescopically inserted into the anchor. The anchor 10 may be a cross-sectional 2.0 in. by 2.0 in. square of 12 gauge steel to receive a 1.75 in. by 1.75 in. square sign post, a 2.25 in. by 2.25 in. square of 12 gauge steel to receive a 2.0 in. by 2.0 in. square sign post, or a 2.5 in. by 2.5 in. square of 12 gauge steel to receive a 2.25 in. by 2.25 in. square sign post. Other dimensions may be used as required. When the anchor is 12 gauge steel, the thickness of each wall is preferably 0.105 in. The length of the anchor 10 may be any suitable length for receiving the sign post given the current ground conditions. The anchor 10 has a plurality of 7/16 in. holes 12 on 1 in. centers on either two opposite sides or on all four sides for allowing mounting of the sign post to the anchor. The holes are on the centerline of each anchor side in true alignment and opposite to each other.
The anchor 10 is cut by a circular saw 20 with two diagonal cuts to provide, as depicted in FIGS. 1, 5, 6 and 7, sharpened edges 22, 24, 26, and 28 leading to two points 14, 16 on one end 18 of the anchor 10. When the anchor is driven into the ground with the end 18 pointed down, the sharpened points and edges cut into hard soil, sever roots, and deflect other debris. The angle of the edges force dirt sideways out of the insertion path of the anchor as it is being driven into the ground, thereby providing a considerable efficiency to the insertion operation. The angle on edges 22a, 24a, 26a, and 28a is in the range of 59 to 61 degrees to corresponding sides 22, 24, 26, and 28, with an angle of 60 degrees being preferred. The anchor is also more stable when being driven into the ground because of the sharpened points and angled edges. Insertion of the anchor of the present invention is easier and faster than an anchor without the specially cut edges and points.
FIG. 2A is a plan view of an anchor before cutting. Initially, the end 18 of the anchor has an edge 19 which is 90 degrees relative to the adjacent sides 22, 24, 26, and 28 as a result of the cutting of the square tubing into appropriate lengths. FIG. 2B is an end view of one side of the anchor of FIG. 2A before cutting. FIG. 3A is a view of the anchor before cutting rotated 45 degrees about the horizontal axis from the view of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3B is an end view of the anchor of FIG. 3A before cutting. Circular saw 20 makes an angled cut across the lower half of the anchor starting at the corner between sides 24 and 26 of the anchor's end, producing edges 26a and 28a adjacent sides 26 and 28. The angle of the edges 26a and 28a relative to sides 26 and 28, respectively, is 60 degrees. In the preferred embodiment, the cutting angle is in the range of 30 to 60 degrees, with 45 degrees being preferred. The anchor 10 is then rotated 180 degrees to the position shown in FIG. 5. Circular saw 20 then makes another cut, at 45 degrees to the length of anchor 10 starting at the edge between sides 22 and 28 towards the outer edge between side 22 and 24, producing edges 22a and 24a. Again, edges 22a and 24a are 60 degrees relative to their respective sides 22 and 24.
Thus circular saw 20 cuts away two connected triangle-shaped portions on two adjoining sides of the anchor on each cut. Each connected triangle-shaped portion is integral along a line formerly in a corner of the square tube. FIG. 5 is a view of the anchor rotated 180 degrees about the horizontal axis from FIG. 4 after two cuts have been made. The anchor now has two sharpened points 14, 16 formed on the end 18, only one of which is visible in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 is a view of the anchor of FIG. 5 rotated 90 degrees about the horizontal axis from the position in FIG. 5. In the preferred embodiment, the angled cuts of 45 degrees result in an interior angle of 90 degrees between the two sharpened points 14, 16. If cuts of a different angle are used, then the resulting interior angle will change accordingly. FIG. 7 is a side view of the anchor of FIG. 6 rotated 45 degrees from the position in FIG. 6. One skilled in the art can readily see the configuration of the end 18 of anchor 10 resulting from the two cuts. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the anchor along edge 24 taken along the lines 8--8 of FIG. 7.
The invention has been described in its presently contemplated best mode, and it is clear that it is susceptible to various modifications, modes of operation and embodiments, all within the ability and skill of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of further inventive activity. Accordingly, what is intended to be protected by Letters patent is set forth in the appended claims.
|
An improved anchor for a sign support includes a square tube having a plurality of holes along a center line on at least two opposing sides or all four sides. One end of the square tube has two points at opposing corners of the square tube and edges connecting the two points to the sides of the square tube to facilitate easier insertion of the anchor into the ground.
| 4
|
FIELD Of THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to the field of sockets that are mounted on printed circuit boards. More particularly, this invention relates to a socket on a printed circuit board ("PCB") of a computer system for securing an integrated circuit on the PCB, wherein the socket additionally includes an in-socket embedded integrated circuit that may comprise a microprocessor such that less space of the printed circuit board is required for mounting integrated circuits on the PCB.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art personal computer systems typically use microprocessors. When a microprocessor is used in a computer system, a socket is typically employed to secure the microprocessor onto the PCB on which other circuitry of the computer system resides. The socket is typically surface mounted or pin plugged onto the PCB. The socket also typically includes female type contact holes on the top of the socket for allowing pins of the microprocessor to be inserted so as to secure the microprocessor in the socket. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art computer system 10 that employs a socket 11 to mount a microprocessor 12 on PCB 13. As can be seen in FIG. 1, socket 11 is mounted on PCB 13 on which other integrated circuits 14a-14n are mounted. Socket 11 can be surface mounted or pin plugged onto PCB 13. Microprocessor 12 is then inserted onto socket 11. Socket 11 may be a zero insertion force ("ZIF") socket which allows for zero insertion force insertion and removal of the microprocessor.
Computer system 10 can be upgraded in performance through substitution of elements. The new elements typically have higher performance capabilities than the elements already in the system. For example, computer system 10 of FIG. 1 can be upgraded by substituting microprocessor 11 with a new microprocessor of higher performance.
Disadvantages are, however, associated with the prior art computer system. One disadvantage is that it is typically difficult to upgrade a computer system by substituting the microprocessor in the original computer system with a higher performance microprocessor. This is due to the fact that each type of microprocessor typically has its own pin configuration and definition. A socket for an older generation microprocessor may not fit for a new generation microprocessor. In this case, a new socket is typically required. An example of this is a socket for an INTEL Pentium™ overdrive microprocessor, which typically contains an extra row of pin-sockets to accommodate the Pentium™ overdrive microprocessor than the socket for an INTEL i486™ microprocessor.
Moreover, each type of microprocessor typically requires different system configuration of the computer system. In addition, in order to accommodate a new upgrade microprocessor which is based on an alternate architecture, the microprocessor bus interface design for the original microprocessor must be drastically altered in order to allow the new upgrade microprocessor to function properly in the system that was designed for the original microprocessor. For example, the INTEL Pentium™ overdrive upgrade microprocessor is based on the Pentium™ microprocessor architecture. In order for the Pentium™ overdrive upgrade microprocessor to function properly in a system that was originally designed for INTEL i486™ microprocessor, the Pentium™ overdrive upgrade microprocessor's bus interface design must be changed to function as though it were operating on an INTEL i486 microprocessor bus. Thus, when an upgrade microprocessor is used to substitute the original microprocessor already in the system, additional logic circuits are typically required to interface the upgrade microprocessor with the circuitry of the computer system.
One prior solution to the problems is shown in FIG. 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, a prior computer system 20 includes two sockets 21a and 21b mounted on a PCB 23. Socket 21a is used to secure an original microprocessor 22a on PCB 23 and socket 21b is used for an upgrade microprocessor 22b. An interface circuit 24n is mounted on PCB 23 to interface the microprocessors to other circuits of computer system 20. Typically, computer system 20 first operates with microprocessor 22a in socket 21a. When upgrade of the computer system 20 is needed, microprocessor 22a is either removed from socket 21a or electrically disconnected from the system. Upgrade microprocessor 22b is then plugged in socket 21b and computer system 20 operates with upgrade microprocessor 22b.
Disadvantages are, however, still associated with the prior arrangement as shown in FIG. 2. One disadvantage is that the printed circuit board is typically required to be relatively large in order to accommodate the two sockets. This typically causes the size of the computer system to be accordingly large. Another disadvantage is that the cost of the computer system typically increases as it contains more than one microprocessor socket in the system. At least one of the sockets is typically not used in the system at one time. Moreover, the printed circuit board also needs to house the interface circuit (i.e., interface circuit 24n of FIG. 2) that interfaces the microprocessors with the remaining circuits of the computer system. This typically occupies some space on the printed circuit board that causes the printed circuit board to be relatively large.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One of the objects of the present invention is to increase the number of integrated circuit chips mounted on a printed circuit board without increasing the size of the printed circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the size of the printed circuit board without reducing the number of integrated circuit chips mounted on the printed circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a socket that is electronically fit for various integrated circuit chips such that separate socket sites need not be reserved on the printed circuit board for future upgrade.
A further object of the present invention is to in-socket embed integrated circuits in a socket mounted on a printed circuit board such that less space on the printed circuit board is required for mounting integrated circuits on the printed circuit board.
A still further object of the present invention is to allow the future generation microprocessors to be installed in an existing computer system without requiring costly interfacing, voltage conversion, and clocking changes.
A socket for mounting an external integrated circuit on a printed circuit board is described. The socket includes a base having a bottom that can be mounted on the printed circuit board and a top that can receive the external integrated circuit. A plurality of connectors are located on the top of the base for coupling to the external integrated circuit when the external integrated circuit resides on the top of the base. An in-socket embedded integrated circuit is embedded inside the base for providing a predetermined electronic function. The external integrated circuit and the in-socket embedded integrated circuit occupy substantially minimized space on the printed circuit board.
A socket for mounting an external microprocessor on a printed circuit board of a computer system includes a base having a bottom that can be mounted on the printed circuit board and a top on which the external microprocessor can reside. The external microprocessor can be a first type of microprocessor or a second type of microprocessor. A plurality of connectors are located on the top of the base for coupling to the external microprocessor when the external microprocessor resides on the top of the base. An in-socket embedded interfacing circuit is embedded inside the base for interfacing the external microprocessor with circuitry of the computer system on the printed circuit board when the external microprocessor residing on the top of the base is the first type of microprocessor and when the socket is mounted on the printed circuit board such that substantially minimized space on the printed circuit board is required for the external microprocessor and the interfacing circuit.
A socket for mounting an external microprocessor on a printed circuit board of a computer system includes a base having a bottom that can be mounted on the printed circuit board and a top on which the external microprocessor can reside. A plurality of connectors are located on the top of the base for coupling to the external microprocessor when the external microprocessor resides on the top of the base. An in-socket embedded microprocessor is embedded inside the base. The computer system is a single processor computer system with only the in-socket embedded microprocessor functioning when the external microprocessor is not coupled to the plurality of connectors of the base and when the socket is mounted on the printed circuit board. When the external microprocessor is coupled to the plurality of connectors of the base and when the socket is mounted on the printed circuit board, the computer system can be one of (1) a multiprocessor computer system with the external and in-socket embedded microprocessors functioning and (2) the single processor computer system with only the external microprocessor functioning. An in-socket embedded interfacing circuit is also embedded inside the base for interfacing the external microprocessor with circuitry of the computer system on the printed circuit board when the external microprocessor is coupled to the plurality of connectors of the base and when the socket is mounted on the printed circuit board.
A computer system is described that includes a socket for receiving an external microprocessor. The socket is mounted on a printed circuit board of the computer system. An in-socket embedded microprocessor is embedded inside the socket. The computer system is a first type of computer system when the external microprocessor is not secured on the socket. When the external microprocessor is secured on the socket, the computer system is a second type of computer system in which the in-socket embedded microprocessor is disabled from the circuitry on the printed circuit board of the computer system. An in-socket embedded logic is also embedded inside the socket for interfacing the external microprocessor with the circuitry of the computer system on the printed circuit board when the external microprocessor is secured on the socket such that the in-socket embedded microprocessor and the logic occupy substantially minimized space on the printed circuit board.
A multiprocessor computer system is described that includes a socket mounted on a printed circuit board of the computer system. A first microprocessor is secured on the socket mounted on the printed circuit board. A second microprocessor is in-socket embedded inside the socket. An integrated circuit is in-socket embedded inside the socket for interfacing the first and second microprocessors to circuitry of the computer system that resides on the printed circuit board and for controlling operation of the first and second microprocessors with respect to the circuitry of the computer system on the printed circuit board such that space on the printed circuit board occupied by first and second microprocessors and the integrated circuit is substantially minimized.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a prior art computer system that includes a socket for securing a microprocessor on a printed circuit board;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of another prior art computer system that includes two sockets, each for securing a microprocessor on a printed circuit board;
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a computer system that implements an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the computer system includes a socket that includes an in-socket embedded integrated circuit inside the socket;
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the socket and its respective microprocessor taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one configuration of the computer system of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of another configuration of the computer system of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of yet another configuration of the computer system of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of still another configuration of the computer system of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 3, a computer system 30 is shown that includes a socket 31 that implements an embodiment of the present invention. Socket 31 is mounted on a PCB 33 for securing an integrated circuit package 32 on PCB 33. Integrated circuit package 32 may comprise a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be the original microprocessor for computer system 30 or an upgrade microprocessor of computer system 30.
Socket 31 includes an in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a is enclosed or embedded inside socket 31. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a may comprise an interface logic for interfacing integrated circuit package 32 with other circuits of computer system 30 when integrated circuit package 32 comprises the upgrade microprocessor of computer system 30. In addition, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a may also comprise the original microprocessor of computer system 30. The original microprocessor included in in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a may or may not be disabled when the upgrade microprocessor is secured on socket 31. With this arrangement, space on PCB 33 that is occupied by socket 31 and in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a is substantially minimized. In addition, socket 31 and in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a allow computer system 30 to be easily upgraded without requiring additional logic circuits for the upgrade element. Moreover, the upgrade of computer system 30 can be done without requiring more than one chip site or chip footprint on the PCB.
Computer system 30 includes a number of integrated circuits 34a through 34n mounted on PCB 33. Integrated circuits 34a-34n are connected together via bus 35. Integrated circuits 34a-34n of computer system 30 may include a memory, a keyboard input/output ("I/O") circuit, a display I/O circuit, a disk controller, a serial communication port, and other I/O circuits. The memory may comprise a DRAM, a RAM, a static RAM ("SRAM"), a video RAM ("VRAM"), an EPROM, and/or a flash EPROM. The other I/O circuits may include a local area network ("LAN")interface, a MODEM ("modulation/demodulation"), and a sound circuit.
Computer system 30, in one embodiment, is a personal computer system. In another embodiment, computer system 30 is a laptop computer or a notebook computer. In alternative embodiments, computer system 30 can be a portable computer, a workstation, a minicomputer, a mainframe computer, or any other type of computer. Moreover, computer system 30 can be a single processor computer system or a multi-processor computer system.
Bus 35 includes a number of transmission lines. Data transfer between integrated circuits 34a-34n is conducted via bus 35. Each of integrated circuits 34a-34n can be either surface mounted or pin plugged onto PCB 33. Alternatively, other known mounting techniques can be employed to mount circuits 34a-34n on PCB 33.
For one embodiment, one of integrated circuits 34a-34n is a bus controller that controls the data transmission on bus 35. Integrated circuits 34a-34n may also include a microprocessor, a co-processor, a math processor, a bus transceiver, a peripheral controller, a DRAM controller, a direct memory access ("DMA") controller, a graphics controller, or any other type of intelligent processor or controller.
As shown in FIG. 3, computer system 30 further includes socket 31 mounted on PCB 33. Socket 31 is connected to bus 35 on PCB 33. Socket 31 can be pin plugged or surface mounted on PCB 33. Alternatively, socket 31 can be mounted on PCB 33 by other known mounting techniques.
Socket 31 is used in computer system 30 for securing integrated circuit package 32 on PCB 33. Socket 31 allows low insertion force or zero insertion force mountings of integrated circuit package 32, and a choice of terminals such as solder tail, surface mount, or wire wrap.
In one embodiment, socket 31 is a simple plug-in socket that allows integrated circuit package 32 to be plugged in. In another embodiment, socket 31 is a ZIF socket that allows zero insertion force mounting of integrated circuit package 32 on socket 31. In alternative embodiments, socket 31 can be any other types of sockets that can secure integrated circuit package 32 on PCB 33.
Integrated circuit package 32, when secured on socket 31, is connected to bus 35 through socket 31. In this case, integrated circuit package 32 is part of computer system 30 and functions together with integrated circuits 34a-34n mounted on PCB 33. When integrated circuit package 32 is not secured on socket 31 (i.e., removed from socket 31 ), integrated circuit package 32 is not connected to bus 35 and does not constitute part of computer system 30. Integrated circuit package 32 can comprise an original element of computer system 30 (i.e., the element with which computer system 30 was originally designed) or an upgrade element of the original element of computer system 30. For example, the original element can be an Intel i386™ microprocessor and the upgrade element can be an Intel i486™ microprocessor. As a further example, the original element can be an Intel i486™ microprocessor and the upgrade element can be a Pentium™ based microprocessor.
As shown in FIG. 3, integrated circuit package 32 includes a plurality of pins 42 that allow integrated circuit package 32 to be pin plugged on socket 31. As also can be seen from FIG. 3, socket 31 includes a plurality of female type contact holes 43 arranged on the top surface of socket 31, each for receiving one of the plurality of pins 42 of integrated circuit package 32. Alternatively, integrated circuit package 32 can be mounted on socket 31 by other known techniques. Integrated circuit package 32, when secured on socket 31, can be removed from socket 31.
Integrated circuit package 32 can comprise a plastic package or a ceramic package. In one embodiment, package 32 is a multi-pin ceramic pin grid array package. In another embodiment, package 32 is a multi-pin plastic leaded chip carrier ("PLCC") package. In alternative embodiments, package 32 can be a multi-pin plastic dual in-line package ("PDIP"), or a multi-pin thin small outline package ("TSOP"). The structure of integrated circuit package 32 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4, which will be described in more detail below.
Referring to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of integrated circuit package 32 is shown that includes an integrated circuit 45 packaged inside a package 47. A heat sink 41 is attached to the top of package 47. Heat sink 41 includes a number of fins 41a through 41n. Heat sink 41 is used to aid in dissipating heat generated by integrated circuit 45 of integrated circuit package 32.
Package 47 can be made of ceramic or plastic material. Alternatively, package 47 can be made of other types of materials. For example, glass or epoxy may be used to form package 47.
As described above, integrated circuit package 32 also includes a plurality of pins or leads 42. Pins 42 are used for providing electrical connection for integrated circuit 45. FIG. 4 shows pins 42a-42c and 421-42n of pins 42. As can be seen from FIGS. 3-4, pins 42 are arranged on the bottom of package 47. Pins 42 are arranged in a center-to-center matrix format with three rows around. In other words, the center area of the bottom of package 47 is not mounted with pins 42. As can be seen from FIG. 4, each of pins 42a-42c and 421-42n is connected to integrated circuit 45 via a wire inside package 47.
Integrated circuit 45 of integrated circuit package 32 can be a microprocessor that may be one of X86 microprocessors sold by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif. Alternatively, integrated circuit 45 can be other types of microprocessors or processors. For example, integrated circuit 45 can be a math processor, a co-processor, a graphics processor, or any other type of processor. Moreover, integrated circuit 45 can be a microcontroller, such as an I/O controller, a DMA controller, a bus controller, a DRAM controller, or a communications controller.
Referring to FIGS. 3-4 and according to one embodiment of the present invention, socket 31 further includes in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a. As shown in FIG. 3, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a is embedded in the center area of socket 31. Alternatively, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a can be embedded in other area of socket 31. As can be seen from FIG. 4, socket 31 includes a base 46. Integrated circuit 31a is in-socket embedded inside base 46. Socket 31 also includes a plurality of pins or leads on the bottom of base 46 for providing electrical connection to bus 35 on PCB 33. FIG. 4 only illustrates leads 44a-44f. Each of leads 44a-44f is connected to embedded integrated circuit 31a via a wire.
As described above, socket 31 also includes contact holes 43. As can be seen from FIGS. 3-4, contact holes 43 are arranged on the top surface of base 46. FIG. 4 only shows contact holes 43a-43c and 431-43n. Each of contact holes 43a-43c and 431-43n is connected to in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a via a wire.
Contact holes 43 are arranged in the same pattern on base 46 of socket 31 as that of pins 42 on integrated circuit package 32. In other words, each of contact holes 43 on base 46 is in the abutting relationship with its respective one of pins 42 on integrated circuit package 32 when integrated circuit package 32 is secured on socket 31.
By enclosing integrated circuit 31a inside socket 31, the space occupied by socket 31 and integrated circuit 31a on PCB 33 can be substantially minimized. In addition, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a can provide logic circuits that allow an upgrade element for computer system 30 to be secured on socket 31. This therefore allows an element of computer system 30 to be upgraded without using more than one chip footprint on PCB 33.
In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a can be a logic circuit that performs a special function with respect to integrated circuit package 32 or a fully functional microprocessor. In addition, in-socket embedded circuit 31a can comprise various circuits. For example, in-socket embedded circuit 31a may comprise a microprocessor, a processor, or a microcontroller. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a may also comprise a bus translator, a cache, a cache controller, and/or an arbiter. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a can be fully disabled or partially disabled by integrated circuit package 32 mounted on socket 31. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a can also operate in concert with integrated circuit package 32 mounted on socket 31.
In one embodiment, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a operates with circuits 34a-34n when integrated circuit package 32 is not secured on socket 31 and is disabled when integrated circuit package 32 is mounted on socket 31. In another embodiment, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a does not operate in computer system 30 when integrated circuit package 32 is not mounted on socket 31. When integrated circuit package 32 is mounted on socket 31, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a is enabled to function in connection with integrated circuit package 32 mounted on socket 31. In a further embodiment, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a operates no matter whether integrated circuit package 32 is mounted on socket 31. In a still further embodiment, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a does not function when integrated circuit package 32 mounted on socket 31 is an original element of computer system 30. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a functions when integrated circuit package 32 mounted on socket 31 is an upgrade element of the original element. FIGS. 5-8 illustrate different configurations of in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a in computer system 30 of FIG. 3, which will be described in more detail below.
Referring to FIG. 5, computer system 30 of FIG. 3 is shown in block diagram form in which in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a comprises a bus translator 31 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, integrated circuit package 32 includes a microprocessor 50. Microprocessor 50 can be an original microprocessor of computer system 30 or an upgrade microprocessor of computer system 30. FIG. 5 shows the connection of computer system 30 when integrated circuit package 32 is mounted on socket 31 (FIG. 3). Socket 31 is not shown in FIG. 5.
As can be seen in FIG. 5, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a includes bus translator 51. Bus translator 51 is used in computer system 30 to interface with microprocessor 50 and bus 35. When microprocessor 50 is the microprocessor with which computer system 30 was originally designed (i.e., the original microprocessor), bus translator 51 does not provide any bus translation function and simply connects microprocessor 50 to bus 35.
However, when microprocessor 50 is a microprocessor different from the original microprocessor of computer system 30 (for example, microprocessor 50 is an upgrade microprocessor of the original microprocessor of computer system 30), bus translator 51 then is enabled to perform necessary bus translation function such that the remaining circuitry of computer system 30 does not perceive any difference.
Bus translator 51 can also perform the function of power supply voltage conversion between the microprocessor to be secured on socket 31 of FIG. 3 and the remaining circuits of computer system 30 on PCB 33.
Bus translator 51 does this by employing known voltage conversion circuitry in it. For example, when microprocessor 50 to be plugged into socket 31 is a 3.3 volt 100 MHz CPU and computer system 30 on PCB 33, however, expects a 5 volt 33 MHz CPU to be secured on socket 31, bus translator 51 then converts the 5 volt power supply to 3.3 volts and supply the converted power supply voltage (i.e., 3.3 volts) to microprocessor 50. In addition, bus translator 51 also drives the signals from microprocessor 50 in accordance with the 33 MHz clock signal such that the remaining circuits of system 30 will not perceive any difference.
When microprocessor 50 is a Pentium™ based microprocessor and system 30 on PCB 33 expects an i486™ based microprocessor, bus translator 51 will then perform the bus protocol and signal translation such that the Pentium™ based microprocessor can interface with the system resources.
Bus translator 51 can also employ a phase locked loop ("PLL") to double the clock rate of the system clock signal that is provided to microprocessor 50. In this case, microprocessor 50 can then operate at a frequency higher than what the system clock provides.
Referring to FIG. 6, computer system 30 of FIG. 3 is shown in another block diagram form in which in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a comprises a bus translator 61, a cache 62, and a cache controller 63 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the connection of computer system 30 when integrated circuit package 32 is secured on socket 31 (FIG. 3).
As can be seen from FIG. 6, integrated circuit package 32 comprises a microprocessor 60. Microprocessor 60 can be an original microprocessor of computer system 30 or different from the original microprocessor of computer system 30 (e.g., an upgrade microprocessor). Socket 31 (FIG. 3)is not shown in FIG. 6.
Bus translator 61 is used to provide the necessary bus translation function for microprocessor 60 when microprocessor 60 is not the original microprocessor. When microprocessor 60 is the original microprocessor of computer system 30, bus translator 61 simply connects the microprocessor to bus 35.
Cache 62 and cache controller 63 are provided in embedded integrated circuit 31a to provide cache memory for microprocessor 60 or to increase the cache capacity of microprocessor 60 if microprocessor 60 already has its own cache, or to add a further level of cache in addition to the level or levels of cache already in the microprocessor 60. Cache 62 provides high speed memory access for microprocessor 60 that allows microprocessor 60 to function close to its full performance capability.
FIG. 7 illustrates in block diagram form computer system 30 of FIG. 3 that includes embedded integrated circuit 31a that implements another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a includes an in-socket embedded microprocessor 71, an in-socket embedded bus translator 72, and an in-socket embedded bypass bus 73. As can be seen from FIG. 7, microprocessor 71, bus translator 72, and bypass bus 73 are all in-socket embedded inside socket 31 of FIG. 3. In-socket embedded microprocessor 71 is the original microprocessor of computer system 30. Integrated circuit package 32 includes an upgrade microprocessor of computer system 30. FIG. 7 shows the connection of computer system 30 when integrated circuit package 32 with upgrade microprocessor 70 is secured on socket 31 of computer system 30.
When integrated circuit package 32 is not secured on socket 31 (FIG. 3), upgrade microprocessor 70 is then not connected with computer system 30 via embedded integrated circuit 31a. In this case, computer system 30 operates with in-socket embedded microprocessor 71. When integrated circuit package 32 is secured on socket 31 (FIG. 1 ), upgrade microprocessor 70 is part of computer system 30. The connection of upgrade microprocessor 70 in computer system 30 disables in-socket embedded microprocessor 71. This can be done by known technique. For example, in-socket embedded microprocessor 71 may include an input that generates a disable signal to embedded microprocessor 71 when upgrade microprocessor 70 is present in computer system 30. Upon receiving the disable signal, in-socket embedded microprocessor 71 either puts itself into a low power consumption "sleep" mode or completely disables itself in computer system 30.
Upgrade microprocessor 70 is then connected to bus translator 72 via bypass bus 73. Bus translator 72 then performs the necessary bus translation function to interface upgrade microprocessor 70 with the remaining part of computer system 30.
FIG. 8 illustrates in block diagram form computer system 30 0f FIG. 3 that includes in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a that implements yet another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, in-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a includes an in-socket embedded microprocessor 81 and an in-socket embedded bus translator and arbiter 82. In-socket embedded microprocessor 81 is the original microprocessor of computer system 30. In-socket embedded integrated circuit 31a also includes an in-socket embedded bus transceiver 83. Bus transceiver is connected between bus translator and arbiter 82 and integrated circuit package 32 when integrated circuit package 32 is plugged into socket 31 of FIG. 3. Integrated circuit package 32 includes an upgrade microprocessor 80 of computer system 30. FIG. 8 shows the connection of computer system 30 when integrated circuit package 32 with upgrade microprocessor 80 is secured on socket 31 of computer system 30.
When integrated circuit package 32 is not secured on socket 31 (FIG. 3), upgrade microprocessor 80 is not part of computer system 30 and computer system 30 only functions with in-socket embedded microprocessor 81. At this time, bus translator and arbiter 82 only connects in-socket embedded microprocessor 81 with bus 35. When integrated circuit package 32 is secured on socket 31 (FIG. 3), upgrade microprocessor 80 is part of computer system 30. In this case, computer system 30 is a dual processor computer system and arbiter 82 arbitrates between microprocessors 80 and 81 for bus access of bus 35. Bus transceiver 83 is used to avoid signal contention between microprocessors 80 and 81 and to isolate electrically upgrade microprocessor 80 from in-socket embedded microprocessor 81 when both microprocessors 80 and 81 are operating in the system. In the case when both microprocessors 80 and 81 are functioning in the system, separate and dedicated control signals will be necessary to connect upgrade microprocessor 80 and in-socket embedded microprocessor 81 to bus translator and arbiter 82 such that bus translator and arbiter 82 can control each of two microprocessors 80 and 81 during operation.
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
|
A socket for mounting an external integrated circuit on a printed circuit board is described. The socket includes a base having a bottom that can be mounted on the printed circuit board and a top that can receive the external integrated circuit. A plurality of connectors are located on the top of the base for coupling to the external integrated circuit. An in-socket embedded integrated circuit is embedded inside the base for providing a predetermined electronic function. The external integrated circuit and the in-socket embedded integrated circuit occupy substantially minimized space on the printed circuit board. The external integrated circuit can be a microprocessor and the in-socket integrated circuit can also include a microprocessor. The socket can be used for a computer system that allows the embedded microprocessor functioning when the external microprocessor is not coupled to the plurality of connectors of the base. When the external microprocessor is coupled to the plurality of connectors of the base, the computer system can be either a multiprocessor system or a single processor system with only the external microprocessor functioning. An in-socket embedded interfacing circuit is also embedded inside the base for interfacing the external microprocessor with circuitry on the printed circuit board. A single socket upgradable computer system is also described.
| 7
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/738,684, filed Dec. 17, 2003, priority from the filing date of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 120.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to phase shifters, and more particularly to phase shifting transmission lines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As will be better understood, the present invention is directed to transmission line phase shifters that are ideally suited for use in low-cost, steerable, phased array antennas. While ideally suited for use in low-cost, steerable, phased array antennas, and described in combination with such antennas, it is to be understood that transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with this invention may also find use in other environments.
Antennas generally fall into two classes—omnidirectional antennas and steerable antennas. Omnidirectional antennas transmit and receive signals omnidirectionally, i.e., transmit signals to and receive signals from all directions. A single dipole antenna is an example of an omnidirectional antenna. While omnidirectional antennas are inexpensive and widely used in environments where the direction of signal transmission and/or reception is unknown or varies (due, for example, to the need to receive signals from and/or transmit signals to multiple locations), omnidirectional antennas have a significant disadvantage. Because of their omnidirectional nature, the power signal requirements of omnidirectional antennas are relatively high. Transmission power requirements are high because transmitted signals are transmitted omnidirectionally, rather than toward a specific location. Because signal reception is omnidirectional, the power requirements of the transmitting signal source must be relatively high in order for the signal to be detected.
Steerable antennas overcome the power requirement problems of omnidirectional antennas. However, in the past, steerable antennas have been expensive. More specifically, steerable antennas are “pointed” toward the source of a signal being received or the location of the receiver of a signal being transmitted. Steerable antennas generally fall into two categories, mechanically steerable antennas and electronically steerable antennas. Mechanically steerable antennas use a mechanical system to steer an antenna structure. Most antenna structures steered by mechanical systems include a parabolic reflector element and a transmit and/or receive element located at the focal point of the parabola. Electronically steerable antennas employ a plurality of antenna elements and are “steered” by controlling the phase of the signals transmitted and/or received by the antenna elements. Electronically steerable antennas are commonly referred to as phased array antennas. If the plurality of antenna elements lie along a line, the antenna is referred to as a linear phased array antenna.
While phased array antennas have become widely used in many environments, particularly high value military, aerospace, and cellular phone environments, in the past phased array antennas have had one major disadvantage. They have been costly to manufacture. The high manufacturing cost has primarily been due to the need for a large number of variable time delay elements, also known as phase shifters, in the antenna element feed paths. In the past, the time delay or phase shift created by each element has been independently controlled according to some predictable schedule. In general, independent time delay or phase shift control requires the precision control of the capacitance and/or inductance of a resonant circuit. While mechanical devices can be used to control capacitance and inductance, most contemporary time delay or phase shifting circuits employ an electronic controllable device, such as a varactor to control the time delay or phase shift produced by the circuit. While the cost of phased array antennas can be reduced by sector pointing and switching phased array antennas, the pointing capability of such antennas is relatively coarse. Sector pointing and switching phased array antennas frequently use microwave switching techniques employing pin diodes to switch between phase delays to create switching between sectors. Because sector pointing and switching phased array antennas point at sectors rather than at precise locations, like omnidirectional antennas, they require higher power signals than location pointing phased array antennas.
Because of their expense, in the past, phased array antennas have not been employed in low-cost wireless network environments. For example, phased array antennas in the past have not been used in wireless fidelity (WiFi) networks. As a result, the significant advantages of phased array antennas have not been available in low-cost wireless network environments. Consequently, a need exists for a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna having the ability to be relatively precisely pointed. This invention is directed to providing a transmission line phase shifter ideally suited for use in low-cost, steerable, phased array antennas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to transmission line phase shifters ideally suited for use in low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna suitable for use in wireless fidelity (WiFi) and other wireless communication network environments. Antennas employing the invention are ideally suited for use in multi-hop ad hoc wireless signal transmission networks.
A transmission line phase shifter formed in accordance with the invention is implemented as a wire transmission line positioned and sized so as to allow the permittivity of a high-permittivity dielectric element to control phase shifting.
In accordance with further aspects of this invention, phase shifting is electromechanically controlled by controlling the space between the high-permittivity dielectric element and the wire transmission line.
In accordance with other further aspects of this invention, the high-permittivity dielectric element has a planar shape and phase shifting is controlled by moving the plane of the element toward and away from the wire transmission line.
In accordance with alternative aspects of this invention, the high-permittivity dielectric element is in the form of a cylinder having an axis of rotation that is offset from the axis of the cylinder. Phase shifting is controlled by rotating the cylindrical element such that the space between the element and the wire transmission line changes.
In accordance with other alternative aspects of the invention, phase shifting is electronically controlled by electrically controlling the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element.
In accordance with yet further aspects of this invention, the wire transmission line is implemented in printed circuit board form.
In accordance with yet still other aspects of this invention, the wire transmission line is printed on a sheet of dielectric material using conventional printed circuit board techniques.
As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing summary, the invention provides a low-cost transmission line phase shifter. The transmission line phase shifter is low cost because a common high-permittivity dielectric element is employed to control phase shift. Time delay (phase shift) control is provided by electromechanically controlling the interaction of the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element on a wire transmission line. The permittivity interaction is controlled by controlling the position of the high-permittivity dielectric element with respect to the wire transmission line using?? a low-cost electromechanical device, such as a low-cost servo-controlled motor, a voice coil motor, etc., or by electrically controlling the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element. Phased array antennas employing the invention are also low cost because such antennas are ideally suited for implementation in low-cost printed circuit board form.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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 where like reference numerals in different drawings refer to like elements throughout the drawings and, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of a microstrip transmission line;
FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view of a coplanar waveguide transmission line;
FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of a corporate feed for an eight element phased array antenna;
FIG. 4 is a corporate feed of the type illustrated in FIG. 3 , including transmission line phase shift branches sized and positioned in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 5 is a reorientation of the corporate feed illustrated in FIG. 4 in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 6 is an isometric view, partially in section, of a first embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna formed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 7 is a top cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of a portion of the phased array antenna illustrated in FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 9 is an isometric view, partially in section, of a second embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna formed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 10 is a top cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 ;
FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of a portion of the phased array antenna illustrated in FIG. 9 ;
FIG. 12 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a planar dielectric element suitable for use in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 and 9 – 11 ;
FIG. 13 is an isometric view, partially in section, of a third embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna formed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 14 is a top cross-sectional view of FIG. 13 ;
FIG. 15 is an end elevational view of a portion of the phased array antenna illustrated in FIG. 13 ;
FIG. 16 is an isometric view, partially in section, of a fourth embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna formed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 17 is a top cross-sectional view of FIG. 16 ;
FIG. 18 is an end elevational view of a portion of the phased array antenna illustrated in FIG. 16 ;
FIG. 19 is a top cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna formed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 20 is an end elevational view of a portion of the phased array antenna illustrated in FIG. 19 ;
FIG. 21 is a top cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna formed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 22 is an end elevational view of a portion of the phased array antenna illustrated in FIG. 21 ;
FIG. 23 is a block diagram of a control system for controlling the steering of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6–22 ;
FIG. 24 is a pictorial view of a conventional communication network employing phased array antennas formed in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 25 is a pictorial view of a mesh communication network employing phased array antennas formed in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As will be better understood from the following description, the corporate feed of a phased array antenna embodying this invention employs transmission line phase shifters. More specifically, phased array antenna elements typically receive signals to be transmitted from, and apply received signals to, microwave feeds. Typical microwave feeds include coaxial, stripline, microstrip, and coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines. The propagation of signal waves down such transmission lines can be characterized by an effective permittivity that summarizes the detailed electromagnetic phenomenon created by such propagation. In this regard, the velocity of propagation (c) of a signal along a parallel wire transmission line is given by:
c = 1 ɛ μ ( 1 )
where ∈ is the relative permittivity and μ is the relative permeability of the dielectric materials in the region between the wires of the transmission line. Since all practical dielectrics have a μ of approximately 1, it is readily apparent that the velocity of propagation is proportional to the inverse square root of the permittivity value, i.e., the inverse square root of ∈.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial isometric views that illustrate two types of microwave feed transmission lines—microstrip and CPW transmission lines, respectively. Both types of wire transmission lines have an effective permittivity given by complex formulas that can be developed by experimental or numerical simulations. Because approximate formulas can be found in many textbooks and papers and are not needed to understand the present invention, such formulas are not reproduced here. It is, however, important to understand that the effective permittivity of a wire transmission line depends on the thickness and permittivity values of the different dielectric layers included in the structure of the transmission line. It is also important to understand that varying the parameters of the different dielectric layers can be used to vary the velocity of transmission line signal propagation and, thus, used to shift the phase of signals propagating along the transmission line. Control of signal velocity controls signal time delay and, thus, controls phase shift.
As noted above, FIG. 1 illustrates a microstrip transmission line 21 . The illustrated microstrip transmission line 21 comprises a ground plane 23 formed of a conductive material, a first dielectric layer 25 , a signal conductor 27 also formed of a conductive material, and a second dielectric layer 29 . The ground plane 23 is located on one surface of the first dielectric layer 25 , and the signal conductor 27 is located on the other surface of the first dielectric layer 25 . The first dielectric layer 25 may be a conventional dielectric sheet of the type used to create printed circuit boards (PCBs) and the ground plane 23 and signal conductor 27 printed circuits located on opposite surfaces of the dielectric sheet. The second dielectric layer 29 is spaced from the surface of the first dielectric layer containing the signal conductor 27 . The effective permittivity of the microstrip transmission line illustrated in FIG. 1 depends on the thickness and permittivity values of the first and second dielectric layers 25 and 29 and by the air gap 31 between the first and second dielectric layers, since air is also a dielectric.
The coplanar wave guide (CPW) transmission line 41 illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises a first dielectric layer 43 , a signal conductor 45 , two ground conductors 47 a and 47 b , and a second dielectric layer 49 . The signal conductor 45 and the ground conductors 47 a and 47 b are located on one surface of the first dielectric layer 43 . The first and second ground conductors 47 a and 47 b lie on opposite sides of, and run parallel to, the signal conductor 45 . The spacing between the signal conductor and each of the ground conductors is the same, i.e., the ground conductors are equally spaced from the signal conductor. The first dielectric layer 43 , the signal conductor 45 and the first and second ground conductors 47 a and 47 b may take the form of a printed circuit board wherein the conductors are deposited on one surface of a dielectric sheet using conventional printed circuit board manufacturing techniques. The second dielectric layer 49 is spaced from the surface of the first dielectric layer 43 that contains the signal conductor 45 and the first and second ground conductors 47 a and 47 b . As with the microstrip transmission line illustrated in FIG. 1 , the effective permittivity of the CPW transmission line illustrated in FIG. 2 is dependent on the thickness and permittivity values of the first and second dielectric layers 43 and 49 and the air gap 51 between the first and second dielectric layers.
As will be better understood from the following description, the invention is based on the understanding that the velocity of a signal propagating along a microwave feed type of wire transmission line, such as the microstrip and CPW transmission lines illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , is dependent on the effective permittivity of the transmission line. Because the velocity of signal propagation is determined by the effective permittivity of a wire transmission line, the time delay and, thus, the phase shift created by a transmission line can be controlled by controlling the effective permittivity of the transmission line. Further, several embodiments of the invention are based on the understanding that the effective permittivity of a wire transmission line can be controlled by controlling the thickness of the air gap defined by a pair of dielectric layers through which the signal conductor of the microwave feed transmission line passes. More specifically, these embodiments of the invention are based on controlling the thickness of the air layer immediately above the transmission line wire, i.e., the signal conductor. While either the first or second dielectric layer could be moved with respect to the other dielectric layer, preferably the second dielectric layer is moved with respect to the first dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer remaining stationary. Also, preferably, the second dielectric layer is formed of a low-cost, high-permittivity material, such as Rutile (Titanium Dioxide or TiO 2 ), or compounds of Rutile containing alkali earth metals such as Barium or Strontium.
An alternative to mechanically controlling the thickness of the air gap between the first and second dielectric layers in order to control time delay and, thus, phase shift is to control the permittivity of the second dielectric layer and leave the thickness of the air gap constant. The permittivity of ferroelectric materials varies under the influence of an electric field. Rutile and Rutile compounds that contain alkalite earth metals such as Barium or Strontium exhibit ferroelectric properties.
As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art and others from FIGS. 1 and 2 and the foregoing description, transmission line phase shifters differ from conventional phase shifters in that they are distributed phase shifters, i.e., they include no lumped elements. As a result, no separate electrical components are needed to create transmission line phase shifters. Since there are no limitations on the physical size of transmission line phase shifters, such phase shifters can be used for high-power, low-frequency applications.
Phased array antennas are based on a simple principle of operation; the transmission or reception angle, i.e., the Bragg angle θ, of a linear phased array antenna is determined by the spacing, a, between the elements of the antenna array, the wavelength of the applied wave and the phase of the applied wave at each antenna element. More specifically,
sin θ = Δ c a = ϕ λ 2 π ( 2 )
where a equals the spacing between the elements of the antenna array, c equals the frequency (γ) divided by the wavelength (λ), Δ equals the time delay, φ equals the phase delay. Each antenna element (n) receives the wave at a time delay of:
n Δ = n a c sin θ ( 3 )
Advancing the signals from each antenna element by the equation (3) amount results in the signals interfering in a constructive manner and gain being achieved.
As will be better understood from the following description, phased array antennas employing transmission line phase shifters of the type described above include such phase shifters in the branches of a corporate feed connected to the antenna elements of a phased array antenna. FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional corporate feed, connected to the elements 61 a – 61 h of an eight-element phased array antenna. A conventional corporate feed is a tree-shaped arrangement having transformers placed at each of the vertices where the tree branches. The transformers are impedance matching transformers that match the impedances of the branches that join at the vertices. Impedance matching is customarily accomplished with transmission line resonant transformers. The signal input/output terminal 62 of the corporate feed illustrated in FIG. 3 terminates at a first level vertice 63 a that splits into two branches each of which ends at a second level vertice 63 b , 63 c . The second level vertices 63 b , 63 c , in turn, each split into branches that end at a third level vertice 63 d – 63 g . The third level vertices split into branches that end at the antenna elements 61 a – 61 h.
Phased array antennas embodying the present invention recognize that a phased array antenna can be steered by appropriately phase shifting the signals applied to the branches on one side of a corporate tree. Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4 . More specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates a phased array antenna comprising eight elements 71 a – 71 h fed by a corporate feed similar to the corporate feed illustrated in FIG. 3 , except the right-hand side of every branch of the corporate feed tree includes a transmission line phase shifter. More specifically, the right-hand side 73 a of the first branch of the corporate feed tree includes a transmission line phase shifter and the left side branch 73 b does not include a phase shifter. The right side branches of 75 a and 75 c of the next level of the corporate feed tree also include transmission line phase shifters, whereas the left side branches 75 b and 75 d do not include phase shifters. Likewise, the right side branches 77 a , 77 c , 77 e , 77 g of the next (final) level of the corporate feed tree include transmission line phase shifters, whereas the left side branches 77 b , 77 d , 77 f , and 77 h do not include phase shifters.
As illustrated by different line lengths in FIG. 4 , the amount of phase shift is different in each level branch. If the amount of phase shift that occurs in first level right side branch 73 a is expressed as Δ, the phase shift of the right side branches 75 a and 75 c of the second level is Δ/2, and the phase shift of the right side branches 77 a , 77 c , 77 e , and 77 g of the third level is Δ/4. If additional branches were included, the delay of the right side branches of the next level would be Δ/8, etc. Thus, each antenna element 71 a – 71 h receives a uniform delay increment over its neighbor. In the case of an eight element linear array, if the leftmost element 71 h has a 0 delay, the next element 71 g has a delay of Δ/4, the next element 71 f has a delay of Δ/2, the next element 71 e has a delay of 3Δ/4, the next element 71 d has a delay of Δ, the next element 71 c has a delay of 5Δ/4, the next element 71 b has a delay of 3Δ/2, and the final element 71 c has a delay of 7Δ/4. Since each antenna receives a uniform delay increment over its neighbor, the antenna array is steered to the left by the Bragg angle θ.
As pictorially illustrated in FIG. 4 , the foregoing phase shift scheme is easily effected by halving the length of the transmission line, forming the phase shifting branches of the levels of the corporate tree proceeding from the lower branch levels to the upper branch levels. A feature of this arrangement is that all of the phase shifting side (right) branches of the corporate feed tree can be “ganged” together so that a single mechanism can be used to simultaneously control the effective permittivity of all of the phase shifting side branches. Thus, only a single mechanical spacing control device, or a single value of electric field, is required to steer a phased array antenna incorporating a corporate feed of the type illustrated in FIG. 4 . It is to be understood that while FIG. 4 depicts a corporate feed wherein the right side branches of the various levels of the corporate feed all include transmission line phase shifters, the same effect can be achieved by placing transmission line phase shifters instead in the left side branches.
While a single control system can be developed to control the phase shifting of the phase shifting branches of a corporate feed of the type illustrated in FIG. 4 , in accordance with the invention, the complexity and size of such a control system can be reduced by changing the geometry of the corporate feed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 illustrates an arrangement wherein all of phase shifting side branches of a corporate feed are closely packed in a single area. More specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates a corporate feed wherein the input/output terminal 82 of the corporate feed is connected to a first phase shift transmission line 83 a that performs the function of the right side branch 73 a of the first level of the corporate feed shown in FIG. 4 . The first phase transmission line 83 a is connected to a second phase shift transmission line 85 a that, in turn, is connected to a third phase shift transmission line 87 a . The second and third phase shift transmission lines 85 a and 87 a perform the functions of the rightmost side branches 75 a and 77 a of the next two levels of the corporate feed shown in FIG. 4 . The third phase shift transmission line 87 a is connected to the first antenna element 81 a.
In addition to being connected to the third phase shift transmission line 87 a , the second phase shift transmission line 85 a is connected to the second antenna element 81 b . In addition to being connected to the second phase shift transmission line 85 a , the first phase shift transmission line 83 a is connected to a fourth phase shift transmission line 87 c . The fourth phase shift transmission line 87 c performs the function of right side branch 77 c of the corporate feed shown in FIG. 4 . The fourth phase shift transmission line 87 c is connected to the third antenna element 81 c . The first phase shift transmission line 85 a is also connected to the fourth antenna element 81 d.
The input/output terminal 82 is also connected to a fifth phase shift transmission line 85 c . The fifth phase shift transmission line 85 c performs the function of right side branch 75 c of the corporate feed shown in FIG. 4 . The fifth phase shift transmission line 85 c is connected to a sixth phase shift transmission line 87 e . The sixth phase shift transmission line 87 e performs the function of the right side branch 77 e of the corporate feed shown in FIG. 4 . The sixth phase shift transmission line 87 e is connected to the fifth antenna element 81 e . The fifth phase shift transmission line 85 c is also connected to the sixth antenna element 81 f.
The input/output terminal is also connected to a seventh phase shift transmission line 87 g . The seventh phase shift transmission line 87 g performs the function of the right side branch 77 g of the corporate feed shown in FIG. 4 . The seventh phase shift transmission line 87 g is connected to the seventh antenna element 81 g . The input/output terminal 82 is also directly connected to the eighth antenna element 81 h.
The length of the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh phase shift transmission lines 87 a , 87 c , 87 e , and 87 g is equal to one-half the length of the second and fifth phase shift transmission lines 85 a and 85 c . Further, the length of the second and fifth phase shift transmission lines 85 a and 85 c is equal to one-half the length of the first phase shift transmission line 83 a . Further, the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh phase shift transmission lines 87 a , 87 c , 87 e , and 87 g , while spaced apart, are coaxial, as are the second and fifth phase shift transmission lines 85 a and 85 c . Finally, the axis of the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh phase shift transmission lines 87 a , 87 c , 87 e , and 87 g , the axis of the second and fifth phase shift transmission lines 85 a and 85 c and the axis of the first phase shift transmission line 83 A all lie parallel to one another and close together.
A comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5 reveals that the line delays or phase shift amounts applied to the signals applied to or received by each of the antenna elements is the same in both figures, the difference being that the geometry of the corporate feed in FIG. 5 is more closely packed into a single area than is the geometry of the corporate feed illustrated in FIG. 4 . As will be better understood from the following description of phased array antennas embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention, closely packing phase shift transmission lines into a single area allows a smaller high-permittivity element to be used to simultaneously control the phase shifting of each of the phase shift transmission lines. More specifically, as will be better understood from the following description, this arrangement allows a high-permittivity dielectric rectangular plate or cylinder whose position is controlled by a suitable electromechanical device, to be used to control the phase shift produced by the phase shift transmission lines. Alternatively, a permittivity controllable element can be used.
FIGS. 6–22 illustrate several embodiments of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the present invention based on the previously discussed phase shift concepts. While the phased array antennas illustrated in FIGS. 6–22 and described herein are all linear phased array antennas, it is to be understood that other antenna element arrays can be used in combination with corporate feeds of the type described herein to create other versions. Hence, it is to be understood that phased array antennas embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention are not limited to the embodiments that are hereinafter described in detail.
FIGS. 6–8 illustrate a first embodiment of a 360° phased array antenna assembly embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the present invention. The phased array antenna assembly includes an L-shaped housing 91 . Located in each leg of the L-shaped housing are two back-to-back phased array antennas 93 a , 93 b , 93 c , and 93 d , each comprising eight linearly arrayed antenna elements and a corporate feed of the type illustrated in FIG. 5 and described above. More specifically, each of the phased array antennas includes a sheet of dielectric material 94 , such as a printed circuit board (PCB) sheet. One of the PCB sheets 94 lies adjacent each of the four outer faces of the L-shaped housing 91 . The outer surface of each of the PCB sheets includes a linear array of antenna elements, eight in the illustrated embodiment of the invention 95 a – 95 h . Located on the inner surface of each of the PCB sheets 94 is a corporate feed 96 having the geometric layout illustrated in FIG. 5 and described above. Overlying each of the corporate feeds 96 is a high dielectric layer 97 , i.e., a dielectric layer formed of a high-permittivity material. A suitable low-cost, high-permittivity material is Rutile (Titanium Dioxide, or TiO 2 ) or a Rutile compound containing alkali earth metals such as Barium or Strontium. The high-permittivity dielectric layer may be supported by another dielectric sheet or layer or, if sufficiently strong, may be self-supporting. In any event, each of the high-permittivity dielectric layers 97 is mounted and supported such that the gap between the layer and the underlying corporate feed is controllable by a suitable electromechanical positioning means such as an electric motor 99 operating a jack screw mechanism 98 . The electric motor can be an AC or DC motor, servomotor, or any other suitable motor. Alternatively, the position of the high-permittivity layer can be controlled by a voice coil motor. For ease of illustration, support mechanisms for supporting the PCB sheets 94 , the high-permittivity dielectric layers, and the electric motors 99 are not illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 .
As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing description, controlling the position of the high-permittivity dielectric layers 97 controls the air gap between the layers and the phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed, thereby steering, i.e., controlling, the pointing of the linear array of antenna elements 93 a – 93 h . As shown by the arcs in FIG. 7 , each of the phased array antennas 93 a , 93 b , 93 c , and 93 d points in a different direction. Preferably, each of the antennas covers an arc of 90°, i.e., a quadrant. As illustrated in FIG. 7 , when the quadrants are combined, the quadrants do not overlap and the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 covers 360°. As a result, the antenna assembly can be “pointed” in any direction by controlling which antenna is employed and the pointing of that antenna, as described below with respect to FIG. 23 .
FIGS. 9–11 illustrate a second embodiment of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assembly embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention that is somewhat similar to, but different from, the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 . Like the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 , the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 9–11 includes an L-shaped housing 101 . Each leg of the housing includes two linear phased array antennas pointing in opposite directions. However, rather than the phased array antennas being mounted on the outer facing side of a different PCB sheet and the corporate feed mounted on the inner facing side of the same PCB sheet, the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 9–11 includes a single PCB sheet 102 in each of the legs, mounted such that both surfaces face outwardly. The elements 103 c – 103 h of one of the linear phase array antennas are located on one face of the PCB sheet 102 , and the elements 105 a – 105 h of the other phased array antenna are located on the other facing of the PCB sheet. Further, the corporate feeds 106 of the related antennas are located on the same side of the PCB sheet 102 as their related antenna elements. In addition, rather than high-permittivity dielectric layers being located inboard or between the PCB sheets supporting the antenna elements, as in the FIGS. 6–8 antenna assembly, the high-permittivity dielectric layers 107 of the FIGS. 9–11 antenna assembly are located outboard of the PCB sheets 102 that support the antenna elements and the corporate feeds. As before, the high-permittivity dielectric layers 107 overlie or are aligned with the corporate feeds 106 of their respective antennas. Further, suitable electromechanical movement mechanisms, such as electric motors 109 having threaded shafts for interacting with threaded receiving elements, i.e., jack screws 110 , are used to position the high-permittivity dielectric layers 107 with respect to the phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed 106 that each layer overlies to thereby control the air gap between the high-permittivity dielectric layer and the phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed.
While, as noted above, the high-permittivity dielectric layers included in the low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 and 9 – 11 may be single dielectric sheets or layers formed of a high-permittivity material that is self-supporting or mounted on a supporting sheet that is also formed of a dielectric material, alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 12 , the high-permittivity dielectric layers may be formed by a plurality of low-cost, high-permittivity dielectric sections or slugs 113 a – 112 d , 115 – 115 b , and 117 mounted on one surface of a supporting sheet also formed of a dielectric material. The high-permittivity dielectric slugs are preferably rectangularly shaped. Regardless of shape, the high-permittivity dielectric slugs 113 d , 115 a , 115 b , and 117 are sized and positioned on the substrate 11 so as to be alignable with and overlie the respective phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed. In this regard, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 12 , the high-permittivity dielectric slugs include four relatively short slugs 113 a – 113 d , two intermediate length slugs 115 a and 115 b , and one long slug 117 , each respectively equal in length to the short, intermediate, and long phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed illustrated in FIG. 5 and described above.
FIGS. 13–15 illustrate a third alternative of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assembly embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention that, in some ways, is similar to the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 6–8 . More specifically, the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 13–15 includes an L-shaped housing 121 . Located at each leg of the L-shaped housing 121 are two PCB sheets 123 , each supporting the elements and corporate feed of a phased array antenna. One of the sheets in each leg of the L-shaped housing is located adjacent the outer surface of the leg and the other sheet in the same leg is located adjacent the inner surface of the leg. Located on the outer surface of each of the PCB sheets 123 are a plurality of phased array antenna elements 125 a–h . Located on the opposite side of each of the PCB sheets 123 is a corporate feed 126 connected to the antenna elements mounted on the sheet. The corporate feeds 126 are similar to the corporate feed illustrated in FIG. 5 and described above. Overlying each of the corporate feeds 126 is a high-permittivity dielectric cylinder 127 , i.e., a cylinder formed of a low-cost, high-permittivity material, such as Rutile, or a Rutile compound containing alkali earth metals, such as Barium or Strontium. Located at one end of each of the high-permittivity dielectric cylinders is a suitable rotation mechanism, such as an electric motor 129 . As best illustrated in FIG. 15 , the rotational axes of the high-permittivity dielectric cylinders are offset from the rotational axes of their related electric motor 129 . As a result, as the motors rotate their respective high-permittivity dielectric cylinders, the air gap between the cylinders and their respective phase shift transmission lines changes to thereby control the time delay or phase shift created by the phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed in the manner previously described. As with other antenna assemblies, support mechanisms for supporting the PCB sheets, high-permittivity dielectric cylinders, and electric motors are not illustrated in FIGS. 13–15 , in order to avoid unduly complicating these figures.
FIGS. 16–18 illustrate a fourth alternative of a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assembly embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention. The antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 16–18 , in essence, is a combination of the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 9–11 and FIGS. 13–15 . More specifically, the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 16–18 includes an L-shaped housing 131 . Mounted in the center of each of the legs of the L-shaped housing 131 is a PCB sheet 133 that supports the elements and corporate feeds of two phased array antennas. More specifically, located on both of the outer faces of each of the PCB sheets 133 is a linear array of antenna elements 135 a – 135 h and 137 a – 137 h . Located on both sides of the PCB sheets 133 are corporate feeds for the antenna elements. Mounted outboard of each of the antenna feeds is a high-permittivity dielectric cylinder 138 . The high-permittivity dielectric cylinders each overlies a respective corporate feed. Each of the cylinders 138 is rotated by a related rotation mechanism, such as an electric motor 139 . As with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 13–15 , and as illustrated in FIG. 18 , the axis of rotation of each of the high dielectric cylinders is offset from the axis of rotation of its related motor 139 . As a result, as the motors rotate their respective cylinders, the air gap between the cylinders and the phase shift transmission lines of their respective corporate feeds change whereby the time delay or phase shift of the phase shift transmission lines of the corporate feed changes in synchronism.
As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in this art and others, the antenna assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 6–18 are based on an electromechanical system for controlling the air gap between a high-permittivity dielectric layer or cylinder and the phase shift transmission lines of a corporate feed. Because the air gap changes in synchronization for all of the corporate feed phase shift transmission lines, the same time delay or phase shift change occurs for each incremental section of the phase shift transmission lines. Because, as illustrated in FIG. 5 and discussed above, individual sections have different lengths related by the factor ½ the delays per phase shift transmission line are mathematically related. Because the incremental amount of change remains constant, the mathematical relationship between the various phase shift transmission lines remains constant, even though the total delay of each phase shift transmission line is different as determined by the length of the individual phase shift transmission lines.
As noted above, the antenna assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 6–18 all depend on electromechanically controlling the air gap between a high-permittivity dielectric layer or cylinder and the phase shift transmission lines of a corporate feed. An alternate to electromechanically varying the air gap is to electrically control the permittivity of a fixed position dielectric layer that overlies the phase shift transmission lines of a corporate feed. It is well known that the permittivity of ferroelectric materials varies under the influence of an electric field. Rutile and compounds of Rutile containing alkali earth metals such as Barium or Strontium exhibit this ferroelectric property. Thin films of such materials have been used to form ferroelectric lenses.
FIGS. 19–22 illustrate alternative low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assemblies embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention that employ ferroelectric materials whose permittivity is varied under the influence of an electric field to control the delay time (i.e., phase shift) of the phase shift transmission lines of a corporate feed of the type illustrated in FIG. 5 and employed in a phased array antenna. More specifically, as with other antenna assemblies, the low-cost, steerable, phased array assembly illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 includes an L-shaped housing 141 . Mounted in each of the legs of the L-shaped housing 141 are two PCB sheets, i.e., two sheets of dielectric material 143 . One of the PCB sheets in each of the legs is positioned adjacent to the outer face of the related leg of the L-shaped housing and the other sheet is positioned adjacent the inner face of the leg. The outer facing sides of the PCB sheet each includes a plurality of linearly arrayed antenna elements 145 a–h and 147 a – 147 h . Thus, as with the FIGS. 6–18 antenna assemblies, the antenna elements of the FIGS. 19–20 antenna assembly point outwardly from the four faces of the legs of the L-shaped housing 141 . Mounted on the opposite sides of the PCB sheets 143 from the antenna elements 145 a – 145 h and 147 a – 147 h , i.e., on the inwardly facing sides of the PCB sheets are corporate feeds 148 of the type illustrated in FIG. 5 and described above. Overlying each of the corporate feeds 148 is a ferroelectric layer 149 , i.e., a layer of material whose permittivity varies under the influence of an electric field. The position of the ferroelectric layers 149 is fixed with respect to the related corporate feed 149 . As illustrated by the wires 150 , electric power is supplied to the ferroelectric layers 149 . Controlling the electric power applied to the ferroelectric layers controls the time delay or phase shift of the phase shift transmission lines of the related corporate feed similar to the way controlling the air gap controls the time delay or phase shift of the phase shift transmission lines of the previously described antenna assemblies.
FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate a further low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assembly embodying transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention that also employs ferroelectric layers to control the phase shift of the phase shift transmission lines of corporate feeds. More specifically, as with the other antenna assemblies, the low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22 includes an L-shaped housing 151 . As with the antenna assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 9–11 and 16 – 18 , located in the center of each leg of the L-shaped housing is a PCB sheet 153 . Located on both of the outer surfaces of each of the PCB sheets is a linear array of antennae elements 155 a – 155 h and 157 a – 157 h . Also located on both sides of the sheet is a corporate feed 158 of the type illustrated in FIG. 5 and described above. The corporate feeds 158 are connected to the antenna elements located on the same sides of the PCB sheets as the corporate feeds. Overlying each of the corporate feeds is a ferroelectric layer 159 , i.e., a layer formed of a ferroelectric material whose permittivity varies under the influence of an electric field. As with the antenna assembly illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 , varying the electric power applied to the ferroelectric layer controls the time delay or phase shift created by the phase shift transmission lines of the related corporate feed.
FIG. 23 is a block diagram illustrating a control system suitable for controlling the pointing of any of the low-cost, steerable, phased array antennas illustrated in FIGS. 6–22 . The control system includes a pointing direction controller shown coupled to four linear phased array antennas 165 a – 165 d of the type illustrated in FIGS. 6–22 and described above. A steering control signal 161 is applied to the pointing direction controller 163 . The steering control signal includes data that defines the antenna pointing direction. The pointing direction controller first decides which of the four linear phased array antennas 165 a – 165 d covers the quadrant within which the location to be pointed to lies. The pointing direction controller then determines the transmission line phase shift necessary to precisely point at the location. The transmission line phase shift information is used to control the position of the high-permittivity dielectric layers ( FIGS. 6–12 ), the rotation angle of the high-permittivity dielectric cylinders ( FIGS. 13–18 ), or the power applied to the ferroelectric layers ( FIGS. 19–22 ).
FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate exemplary uses of low-cost, steerable, phased array antennas. Such antennas can be used in various environments. FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate the invention used in connection with a WiFi system, included in a house or business residence. More specifically, FIG. 24 illustrates a plurality of residences 171 a – 171 d , each containing a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna 173 a – 173 d . The antennas 173 a – 173 d are each shown as separately wire connected to an Internet service provider, such as a cable company 175 . The service provider, in turn, is shown as connected to the Internet 177 .
FIG. 25 , like FIG. 24 , includes a plurality of residences 181 a – 181 d each containing a low-cost, steerable, phased array antenna 183 a – 183 d . However, in contrast to FIG. 24 , only one of the residences 181 b has its antenna 183 b wire connected to an Internet service provider such as a cable company 185 . The Internet service provider is connected to the Internet 187 . All of the other residences 181 a , 181 c , and 181 d have their respective antennas 183 a , 183 c , and 183 d coupled in a wireless manner to the antenna 183 b of the house 181 b connected to the Internet service provider.
While various antenna assemblies employing transmission line phase shifters formed in accordance with the invention have been illustrated and described, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art and others, transmission line phase shifters may be employed in other environments where low-cost phase shifters are desired. Further, it is to be understood that mechanisms for moving high-permittivity dielectric layers or cylinders other than those specifically disclosed can be employed in other embodiments of the invention. Hence, within the scope of the appended claims it is to be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described here.
|
A transmission line phase shifter ideally suited for use in low-cost, steerable, phased array antennas suitable for use in wireless fidelity (WiFi) and other wireless telecommunication networks, in particular multi-hop ad hoc networks, is disclosed. The transmission line phase shifter includes a wire transmission line, such as a coaxial, stripline, microstrip, or coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line. A high-permittivity dielectric element that overlies the signal conductor of the wire transmission line is used to control phase shifting. Phase shifting can be electromechanically controlled by controlling the space between the high-permittivity dielectric element and the signal conductor of the wire transmission line or by electrically controlling the permittivity of the high-permittivity dielectric element.
| 7
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.